Author: Wee Speech PC

It is a common misconception that using a play-based approach to learning is only effective for younger children. According to the ASHA Wire Publication, play is one of the most effective means of engagement for older children as well. Through play, an older child’s imagination, participation, and carryover of learned skills can all be promoted. It is reported that the best kinds of play for upper-elementary, middle school aged, and high school aged students include dramatic, constructive, or exploratory play routines as these create the most motivating, meaningful and memorable learning experiences. Some highly supported play scheme ideas specifically suggested for older children’s language skills can include: *A Dream Job Interview~ older children can gain occupation specific vocabulary, establish an

In her article, Using Sensory Stories to Engage Young Students in Sessions and the Classroom, speech-language pathologist Katy Ganz discusses the benefits of sensory story time, which is the inclusion of touch, smell and sound incorporated into shared story reading. She began by finding a shoebox and gathering items to go along with the story “Dear Zoo” (Rod Campbell.) In her box, she included a pantyhose snake, a nylon feather duster for a lion’s mane, a smelly mud frog pond and a party-horn to mimic an elephant’s trunk. She discovered that students who’d never sat through an entire book without a sensory break were now attending to the story and wanting to participate. Not only were the students learning new

In a presentation called ‘Communication Functions and AAC: Quick Tips to move beyond requesting’,  Rebecca Eisenberg, M.A. CCC-SLP discussed why it is important to expand AAC usage past requesting and how to utilize more communication functions during treatment sessions. Communication functions are different ways one can use  language (i.e. protest, comment, ask/answer questions, expressing feeling, labeling/describing). Eisenberg discusses how, natural conversation exchanges expand far past just requesting items and why it is important to continue to expand usage of other functions during therapy. These functions can be modeled on a child’s AAC device using aided language stimulation (i.e. modeling the selections on a device as you are verbally stating the message). She continues to discuss utilizing the SMoRRES model (slow,

Android has added two new features to help those with speech and mobility difficulties to navigate their devices.The first adaptive feature is called Camera Switches which detects facial features using the front facing camera to navigate the device. You can choose from 6 gestures (i.e. look right, look left, look up, smile, raise eyebrows, open mouth) to scan the phone and select different applications. Users can adjust the feature to specific sensitivities to help with selection (size of gesture or length of gesture).The second feature is an application called Project Activate. This application lets users use specific gestures to initiate actions, such as make a call or play music. Similarly to Camera Switches, this application also allows users to adjust

    In her presentation, speech language pathologist Angie Neal discusses the use of screen time in children and its impact on development, both in negative and positive ways. In the course of the last two years, we’ve seen technology be useful for a lot of good things. Facetiming loved ones, attending school virtually and simulated learning experiences such as virtual field trips to the Great Barrier Reef or your local zoo are just a few examples. We also need to consider the negative aspects: an increase in rate of obesity due to increased snacking during screen time, disruptions in sleep and even disruptions in specific areas of brain development. How can we overcome the negative effects seen from this

  It is thought that approximately 15-20% of the population are “neurodiverse,” meaning that they have received a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, or Tourette Syndrome. With the increased prevalence of these diagnoses, many companies are beginning to focus on  neurodiversity in their workforce. Large companies, such as SAP, Microsoft, EY, JPMorgan Chase, and Ford Motor Company, are part of the “Neurodiversity @ Work Roundtable,” where including the neurodiverse population in the workforce is emphasized. One study found that “neurodiverse employees were comparable to neurotypical staff in work quality, efficiency and productivity. The bonus was ‘the neurodiverse employees excelled at innovation’.” https://theconversation.com/neurodiversity-can-be-a-workplace-strength-if-we-make-room-for- it-164859

  In August 2022, a new series of cartoon episodes focusing on explaining various disabilities will be premiering! The 10 episode series provides information for children, families, and educators covering the topics of assistive technology, transportation, communication, and service animals. The episodes are targeted for viewers in kindergarten through third grade to increase understanding and awareness regarding peers and their differences. The videos will aim to explain how children with varying ability levels complete various tasks. Over the course of the next couple of years, these videos will be piloted in schools. Please visit the link below for more information! https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/12/cartoons-about-disability-will-educate-children

  A recent study conducted by The School of Psychology’s Centre for Human Developmental Science revealed that playing with dolls independently lead to frequent talk about others’ thoughts and feelings compared to when playing on a tablet. The ‘internal state language concept’ is linked to increasing a child’s opportunity to develop social skills and can be beneficial to a child’s emotional development. Lead researcher Dr. Sarah Gerson said, “When children create imaginary worlds and role play with dolls, they communicate at first out loud and then internalize the message about others’ thoughts, emotions and feelings. This can have positive long-lasting effects on children, such as driving higher rates of social and emotional processing and building social skills like empathy that

In her TedTalk, pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom discusses three trends that teachers have reported over the course of the last 30 years: increases in children experiencing difficulty paying attention in school,  changes in spatial awareness (possibly evidenced by children running into each other or into objects/walls or falling out of chairs) and an increase in children’s frustrations. In an effort to discover the causes behind these trends, Hanscom completed a study to look at core strength and normal balance reactions and compared these results with standardized norms from 1984. Her results indicated that only 1 out of every 12 children was meeting the averages of those children in the 1980s. Why? A factor that may have contributed to these

Due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the last few months, your child may have transitioned to using a teletherapy platform when receiving services. If your child is receiving a speech/language evaluation, here are some important tips a caregiver may take into consideration to make the process smoother: Have your child positioned in a quiet environment with minimal distractions; when possible, a chair that allows for a child to have their legs positioned at a 90-degree angle is optimal (small benches/boxes can be used for foot support if a smaller chair is not available) A headset with a microphone is beneficial – not only can headsets cancel out external noise, it can ensure a higher quality of audio input