Category: blog

Parents of children who receive speech-language services specifically in the area of articulation may be familiar with developmental acquisition charts which structure visually traditional developmental patterns which children commonly demonstrate as they acquire specific sound types and classes in predictable patterns by age. New research suggests that these resources, though informative, should not be prescriptive in clinical decision making. Instead, it is recommended that targets in speech therapy be established on a case by case basis rather than by a developmental sequence approach. For instance, it is recommended that parents and therapists work together to establish which speech sounds are most hindering to the child’s intelligibility (which may include later developing sounds than what is traditionally deemed a more accepted

It’s beginning to look a lot like spring! (Well.. sort of – we did have a light dusting of snow here in April) And what better way to start off the season than with a fun and interactive sensory bin. Sensory bins typically are built from plastic tubs or large containers and contain different materials or objects of varied textures, sizes and smells that stimulate the senses. Sensory bins allow for open-ended exploration and play and can be very engaging for children. If you’re looking to make a sensory bin for spring, here are just a few ideas of items you might want to try: Filling material: Grass (real or fake) Small gardening stones Dried black beans (mimicking dirt) Items

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,

When you say, “Time to do your speech homework,” do your kids hide under the kitchen table? Offer to do chores instead? Homework, or home practice, in speech therapy for articulation can be enjoyable. Home practice can be so much more than flashcard drills. These are ideas for practicing sounds: Before you get started: Know your child’s current therapy goals. Pick a sound (like /r/, /s/, /l/) or a group of sounds (velars, /k,g/). If you are not sure, contact your SLP for a therapy update. Use the picture cards and practice pages your therapist has sent home or make your own simple cards. Ways to play: Cut apart the picture cards. Hide them around a dark room. Turn off

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

A simple trip to the grocery store provides an endless source of topics to discuss. Here are a few ways to support speech and language while grocery shopping: -Practice descriptive language. Describe the foods you see (e.g., What does that bin of apples look like?, What does the cereal box look like?, describe the bag of animal crackers, etc.). -Practice categories. For example, you may ask, “How can we find breakfast bars, would they be with the hamburgers or the cereal?” or “We need ice cream, what part of the store do you think that will be in?”. -Practice prepositions. At the grocery store you can create a fun “find it” challenge by using prepositional phrases to help kids correctly