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Are you going on a vacation with your child? Consider using a new service designed help families find vacation rentals suitable for children with autism at the following website: bit.ly/asd-vacay. This website offers social stories to become acquainted with the vacation home prior to your arrival. They also have staff trained in autism spectrum disorders to assist with customer service. These homes feature soft lighting, neutral colors, and fragrance-free products. Check it out at the website above before you book your next vacation!

  The theater arts give children with special needs the opportunity to engage socially with peers while expressing their individuality. In inclusive theater programs, students participate in activities that can help them develop social skills such as eye contact,  listening for cues when others are speaking, taking turns, staying on task and working as a team.  Children learn and experience appropriate body language, improve their ability to follow directions, and develop their communication skills.  Participating in  a theater program can help build the self-esteem and confidence of children and teens with disabilities.   Local area inclusive theater programs include Tellin’ Tales Theatre in Chicago, Special Gifts Theatre (multiple locations including Winnetka, Glenview, and Chicago), and Chicago Children’s Theatre Red Kite

A recent study found that children who listen to audio via headphones have a significantly higher risk of noise-induced hearing loss compared to children who do not. As children begin to use technology more frequently (e.g. games on phones, tablets, video games, etc.), they may want to use headphones in order to play independently. However, it was found that children who use headphones were twice as likely to have hearing loss compared to children who did not use headphones at all, noting the significance of noise exposure at a young age. The study indicated that limiting the amount of time using headphones and lowering the volume may only eliminate the risk marginally. Noise-related hearing loss presents itself as muffled sounds

Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses in young children. Otitis media (OME) is the term for inflammation and fluid build-up within the middle ear. The accumulation of fluid causes the bones in the middle ear to not function properly and conduct sound effectively. Research indicates that OME poses disadvantages on hearing sensitivity and speech perception in children (Cai and McPherson, 2017). Speech sounds that are most affected by mild hearing loss are those high frequency sounds S, F, or SH. For more moderate hearing loss, a child may not be able to hear additional speech sounds or word-endings. It is important to identify and treat ear infections in young children to reduce these lapses in hearing sensitivity.

Technology is a part of our everyday lives. It is important to set boundaries and limits to children’s screen time so that their communication skills do not fall behind. In a poll of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologist, the biggest concerns with children’s frequent screen time use include fewer opportunities for social interactions, delays in social development, delays in speech and/or language skills, and academic challenges. These concerns are present because children have fewer opportunities to hear language modeled by parents/peers and to practice their language, articulation, and social skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has established screen time guidelines to help parents balance technology and real-world experiences. They recommend no screen time (video chatting excluded) for the first

  As early as 2 and 3 years old, typically developing children begin producing narratives about what they see and do in their everyday life. As development continues, these narratives begin to include stories about the past, present, and future. Narrative language abilities are a foundational skill to higher level language such as analyzing, retelling, summarizing, and explaining written text. A deficit in narrative language production can affect a child’s academic performance and social skill abilities. It is important that children utilize story grammar elements when developing narrative language skills, which act as a “cognitive map” to support the comprehension and production of narratives. Many kids who struggle to produce or comprehend narratives greatly benefit from visual supports (pictures, illustrations

It can be difficult to get your child to practice their speech homework at home. There are some ways to make their homework a little more fun and motivating. You can turn their homework into a search and find game. Make binoculars out of a paper towel roll and have your child search for their speech sounds or vocabulary words. When they spot one of their words, they have to tell you what they found. This game can be used with any speech and language homework your child has. This is just one way to make practicing speech and language at home a little more fun. Leis, Kelly. Let’s Go on a Word Safari. The ASHA Leader, July 2018, Vol.

Tongue thrust also referred to as a “reverse swallow” is a common orofacial myofunctional disorder. It is a pattern where the tongue protrudes between the teeth while eating, speaking, or at rest. Causes There are many possible causes of tongue thrust including: Oral habits – thumb/finger sucking, extended pacifier use, etc. Respiratory issues – enlarged tonsils/adenoids, allergies, mouth breathing, etc. Premature loss of baby teeth which allows the tongue to move forward into the spaces created by missing teeth Difficulty with tongue coordination Heredity Effects of Tongue Thrust Over time, a tongue thrust can affect your child’s speech and the alignment of their teeth. When the tongue continually presses against the teeth, it can push the teeth out of alignment requiring