Author: Margaret Morris MS CCC SLP

    Music can be a fun way to help your child develop their language, motor, and memory skills. The rhythm of the music and the repetition words can not only help them build their vocabulary, it can encourage them to try sounds or words they might not attempt while talking. Most parents probably know the classics like Old McDonald and Itsy Bitsy Spider, so here are a few suggestions of silly songs you can add to your repertoire.  Links are provided just to help you learn the tunes and actions because these are songs you and your child should sing and act out together!   I’m a Little Snowman- sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”, it

Here are 5 common techniques used by speech-language pathologists everywhere, that parents and caregivers can use when practicing with your little ones at home: 1. Give Choices: Instead of asking your child a yes/no question (“Do you want juice?”), ask an either/or question (“Do you want juice or milk?”). This will encourage their use of more vocabulary. 2. Simplify Language: Keep it short, clear and concise. If your child has difficulty comprehending language, this can help with understanding. You can still expand your child’s sentence structure without being too wordy. Instead of, “Do you want to go in the kitchen with me to bake some chocolate chip cookies?” try, “Let’s go bake some cookies!” 3. Wait Time: If you ask

Reading aloud aloud to your baby is a fun shared activity— plus it's important for your baby's brain! It encourages your baby to look, point, touch and respond to questions. Your child can develop their language skills through recognizing pictures, copying sounds and learning words. You can start reading books to your baby as early as 3-6 months, or once they are able to focus on items such as a toy or mirror. For very young babies, whose vision is developing, you can start with high-contrast black and white books, like, “Look Look!” by Peter Linenthal or “I Kissed the Baby!” by Mary Murphy. By age 5 months, babies have good color vision and will enjoy bright and colorful pictures.

When a child plays, either by themselves or with others, it promotes executive function, including the ability to self-regulate their emotions, develop patience and impulse control. Independent play also helps develop their attention skills and encourages problem-solving.. The link between play and positive cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development is so strong that in 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a recommendation for their providers to ‘prescribe’ play for their patients. The ability to play independently is something that happens gradually. At around six months of age, babies might be able to play for a couple of minutes at a time, up to 5 minutes. By around 12 months of age, this time increases to around 10 minutes of independent

Parental involvement in a child’s speech and language development is essential. Numerous studies have shown that when parents and speech-language pathologists work together to help practice skills in as many environments as possible, children make significantly more progress towards their therapy goals. It’s hard to learn any new skill if it’s only practiced for 45 minutes, once or twice per week. Think about learning to play a musical instrument; your weekly lessons with a music teacher will help you learn scales, chords and other techniques, but if you don’t practice at home, outside of your lessons with your instructor, it will take a lot longer to master those skills. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) only have a limited time with your child

    As the school year is ending and summer begins, many families are planning their annual vacations.  For families with children with special needs, the changes in routine and unpredictability of travel can make these types of trips quite challenging.   The key to successful travel with your child  with special needs is to plan, and if possible, practice ahead of time.  For example, if you are flying on an airplane with your child for the first time, you can watch videos, read books or make a social story with pictures to explain what will happen at the airport and on the plane.  You can even make a visit to the airport ahead of time. The  Arc’s Wings for

    It’s normal for young children to pronounce words differently from adults. There’s no need to correct your child each time they make a mistake – it can interrupt the natural flow of their communication, might frustrate your child and may discourage them from speaking.  Instead, try using a speech modeling technique with your child. When your child makes a speech error, instead of making them correct themselves, you can repeat back what they say, with the correct pronunciation.  For example, if your child says, “I want the tar”, you could reply, “You want the Car?  Which Car?”- with a slight emphasis on the correct sound.  Try to give several models of the word if possible: “Let me find

    “Basic Concepts” are words that help us perceive and describe the world around us. Being able to understand and use basic concepts is fundamental to comprehending and communicating language.  Everyday routines and following directions at home and at school will involve these concepts.  They also support learning in various subject areas, including math and literacy. You can help reinforce your child’s skills by creating opportunities for learning naturally within everyday activities and play.   The four basic concept categories involve location, quantity, time, and quality.  As your child grows, the words used to describe concepts will advance in complexity, but the categories of concepts will remain the same.   Here are examples of basic concepts in each category

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have revised their developmental milestones checklists for young children for the first time since they were launched in 2004.  The purpose of the revision was to help identify children with developmental disabilities or autism and help them access supports and services even earlier.   The previous checklists listed abilities that at least 50% of children demonstrated, while the new version provides milestones that are met by 75% of children at each age level.  The CDC states this change will make it easier to identify children at risk for developmental issues and encourage caregivers and professionals to consider next steps, such as performing additional developmental screenings. The update includes additional checklists