Category: blog

    Symbolic play occurs when a child uses an object to represent or symbolize another object. For example if a child uses a banana as a phone, the child is participating in symbolic play. This is also called pretend play. Children start to expand their use of symbolic play from 3-5 years of age. So why is symbolic play important? The use of symbolic play helps in building cognitive skills. Additionally, symbolic play coincides with language development allowing children to create a rich and meaningful learning experience.  Your child is expanding vocabulary, learning new concepts, and creating associations. To learn more about symbolic play and language check the link below!   https://www.littlelanguagelab.com/blog/symbolic-play

In today’s fast-paced world, it is more important than ever to create a little space for mindful communication. Our ability to communicate the best way we can depends on how present we are at any given moment. We can bring more  groundedness, calm, and a sense of safety into our daily lives and routines  through a multitude of simple actions. These actions can help us parents, as well as our children be the best communicators we can be. Here is a few ideas for the whole family: – begin each family meal by taking 5 transition (or “bubble”) breaths (breathing in through your nose and slowly breathing out through pursed lips (as though blowing a big bubble) – during bed-time

  Speech therapy for young children is play-based and may look exactly like play time. How this differs from play time with the child’s mom, dad, or other children is the strategies that the speech therapist uses during play with the child. During play-based therapy, therapists will often follow a child’s lead to best support engagement and promote communication opportunities. While engaging with toys and activities, the therapist will use techniques such as getting on the child’s level on the floor, parallel talk (i.e., narrating wth the child is doing), adding an additional word to the child’s utterance, setting up turn-taking opportunities, and modeling different types of play. While it may look like a therapist is just playing with your

In July, I adopted a sweet four year old golden retriever and sheltie mix! Her name is Lady 🙂 Although the first few weeks have been a transitional shift to my usual routine, it has brought joy and comfort in areas of my life I did not anticipate! I myself suffer from anxiety and utilize tools to self-regulate occasionally, just like some of the children I treat daily.  Since having her in my life, I have not had to utilize my “go-to” tools to de-stress as often.  She has been providing me with a lot of the comfort I need when it’s time to calm down.  This has gotten me thinking about how beneficial dogs can be to individuals with

Fall provides many opportunities to expand your child’s speech and language skills. Here are some fall-related ideas: 1. Make Leaves: Use construction paper to cut various sizes of leaves. You can then sort by color, shape, and/or size. 2. Count Apple or Pumpkin Seeds: Cut an apple in half or cut open a pumpkin and count how many seeds are inside. If you choose to use a pumpkin, you can also roast the pumpkin seeds. Talk with your child about the steps you take (cleaning the seeds, laying them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and bake, etc.). 3. Collect Leaves: Go on a nature walk around your school or neighborhood. Allow your child to collect different colors, shapes,

  Kindness is a skill that can be developed and nurtured, given a strong model. Here are steps for parents to follow when teaching their child about kindness and how to be a supportive friend. It may be beneficial to have this discussion with your child before the upcoming school year. 1. Modeling Kindness: Demonstrate respectful and kind behavior in your own interactions, as children often learn by example 2. Teaching Empathy: Help your child understand and recognize others’ feelings through discussions and role-playing scenarios 3. Encouraging Positive Interactions: Provide opportunities for children to practice kindness, such as helping others, sharing, and offering support 4.  Reinforcing Good Behavior: Praise and acknowledge acts of kindness to reinforce positive social behavior By integrating these practices into daily

  Summer is coming to an end and school is right around the corner! Here are some ideas to make the transition back to school smoother for your child: 1. Establishing Routines: Set consistent sleep schedules, morning routines, and homework times to ease the transition and reduce stress 2. Organizing Supplies: Ensure that school supplies, clothes, and backpacks are ready well before the first day to avoid last-minute scrambling 3. Open Communication: Encourage open dialogue about any concerns or anxieties regarding the new school year, fostering a supportive environment 4. Gradual Adjustment: Ease into the school routine by gradually adjusting bedtime and wake-up times a week or two before school starts 5. Positive Attitude: Model and maintain a positive attitude

Food chaining is a therapeutic approach designed to help children with feeding difficulties by gradually expanding their food preferences. It involves introducing new foods in a systematic way that is related to the child’s existing likes and dislikes. For example, if a child likes chicken nuggets, the approach might start by introducing other types of nuggets or different textures and flavors of chicken, slowly moving towards more varied foods. This technique aims to reduce food neophobia (fear of new foods) and increase dietary variety through gradual and manageable steps. I highly recommend reading the book: “Food Chaining: The Proven 6 Step Plan to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Feeding Problems, and Expand Your Child’s Diet” by Cheri Fraker RD LD CLC,

Have you noticed that your child has trouble saying the /r/ sound? The /r/ sound is one of the most used sounds in English. Therefore, when it is not produced correctly, speech can sound distorted. The /r/ sound is typically acquired later in development with it maturing completely around the age of 6. As this sound develops later, it can be wrongly decided to do nothing about it. Sometimes waiting is the right thing to do, but other times intervention and therapy are needed. As a child grows older and may not be able to produce the /r/ sound in their language, they become more aware of their problem and this can negatively affect their confidence. The right thing to do is to have