Category: blog

When considering extracurricular activities for children with special needs, it’s essential to focus on their interests, abilities, and comfort levels. Here are some suggestions to look into: Adaptive Sports: Many communities offer adaptive sports programs tailored to children with disabilities. These can include wheelchair basketball, adaptive swimming, or sensory-friendly sports activities. Here is a link to Chicago’s Adaptive Sports page: https://www.chicagoadaptivesports.com/ Art Classes: Art allows for self-expression and creativity. Look for art classes or workshops that accommodate various abilities and sensory needs. Here is a link to a specific program in Chicago: https://artsoflife.org/ Music Therapy: Music therapy can be highly beneficial for children with special needs. It can help improve communication skills, sensory integration, and emotional expression. Here is a link to

  Museums serve as valuable resources for speech therapy, offering a dynamic and enriching environment that supports language development, communication skills, and social interaction in individuals of all ages. Check out some of these free museum days this spring and summer for Illinois residents.   -Adler Planetarium: Wednesdays 4pm-10pm -Field Museum: Every Wednesday  -Shedd Aquarium: Tuesdays 5pm-9pm (March 26th-June 25th) -Chicago History Museum: April 10th, 18th, 24th and May 1st, 27th, 29th -Museum of Science and Industry: April 21st -DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center: Every Wednesday  -Museum of Contemporary Art: Every Tuesday -Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Every Thursday -Illinois Holocaust Museum: last Friday of the month year-long. 

Why does the history intake form ask about the types of textures my child eats and how does this relate to speech therapy? If your child is undergoing a speech therapy evaluation, it is important for the therapist to know if your child struggles with any textures because that can be an implication of a deficit. Speech therapy often involves addressing oral motor skills, swallowing difficulties, and sensory sensitivities, all of which can be influenced by the textures of the foods a child consumes. Here are some examples of how different food textures relate to speech therapy: Smooth/Pureed: These textures are often recommended for children with swallowing difficulties or oral motor delays. Smooth foods require minimal chewing and are easier

    The school year has come to an end!  How do you create a successful environment to practice your speech? First, identify your children’s speech goals. Write your child’s goals down on a white board or family calendar that is visible for you and your child to see. If you are unsure about the goal, reach out to your child’s Speech Language Pathologist regarding their current goals in therapy.  Second, discuss the importance of practicing with your child and other caregivers in your child’s life. Applying the skills learned within speech sessions into different environments can help to broaden your child’s understanding of concepts. There are several ways to incorporate practicing in your everyday life. You can incorporate a

What is a carryover activity? A carryover activity takes the skills we are targeting in our speech therapy session and carries them into the client’s environment. Applying the skills learned within speech sessions into different environments can help to broaden the client’s understanding of concepts. Additionally, the use of a carryover activities multiple times per week allows for additional practice of the targeted skill. There are several types of carryover activities that can be used to target skills, a couple of my favorites include picture scenes, I spy, and read aloud.    For more information about carryover activities and fun activities check out ASHA’s publication    https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/scaling-the-carryover-wall/full/   

Writing assignments can be overwhelming and challenging for kids with a language disorder. The following are steps or “chunks” that can be utilized for a variety of writing tasks to support your child in completing the assignments. Review the type of writing: Determine what type of writing is needed to complete the assignment (e.g., persuasive, narrative, analysis, research, etc.). List the tasks and develop a timeline: Generate a to-do list for the assignment and assign each step a due date. Steps may include gathering research, completing a graphic organizer, developing a thesis statement, etc. Gather resources needed: This may include the text that needs to be read or for  research. Read and highlight information. Support your child in determining the most

In January of 2024 the U.S. Department of Education issued a document and a “Dear Colleague” letter clarifying schools’ responsibilities in providing students with assistive technology and the supports needed to use it effectively. The guidelines include both school-age children and children in early intervention programs. Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, the guidance indicates that every time an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team meets to develop, review, or revise a student’s IEP, it must consider the child’s need for assistive technology devices and services. Devices can be basic, such as visual schedules and picture communication boards or sophisticated electronic text- to-speech software, word-prediction devices, and speech generating augmentative and alternative (AAC) devices.

You can help your child in Pre-K or Kindergarten get ready to read by building their phonological awareness. Phonological Awareness is the ability to recognize and work with speech sounds, syllables and rhymes. You can help your child notice and play with sounds, words and rhymes they hear in everyday speech. 1. Read, Read, Read: Good phonological awareness starts with your child noticing sounds, syllables and rhymes in words. Help your child listen for these by reading to them often. Choose books that rhyme or repeat the same sounds and point those words out to your child. Use this link for books that can help teach phonological awareness: Use Picture Books to Teach Phonological Awareness 2. Listen for Initial Sounds.

Improving your toddler’s attention span will help prepare them for future learning. Children need to develop their attention spans, ability to concentrate, self-regulation and other executive functioning skills so that they can develop emotionally, socially and academically. Parents may wonder what an appropriate attention span is for young children? The amount of time your youngster is able to focus will be fairly short right now, but will grow as they practice and gain stamina. In general, an average period of time young children can maintain focus on a task is about 2-3 minutes per year of their age. When working on your child’s attention, try to minimize sensory inputs and distractions by turning off screens, reducing background noise, or moving

  Interactive book reading is a highly effective strategy used by educators, caregivers, and speech therapists to engage children in the reading process and promote language development, comprehension, and literacy skills. Here’s how to conduct an interactive book reading session: Choose the Right Book: Select a book that is age-appropriate and aligns with the child’s interests and developmental level. Consider books with engaging illustrations, predictable patterns, and repetitive phrases that encourage participation. Before Reading: Set the stage by introducing the book’s title, author, and illustrator. Encourage the child to make predictions about the story based on the cover or title. Preview any new vocabulary words or concepts that may be encountered in the book. During Reading: Read the story aloud,