Category: blog

  According to the ASHA Wire (May 2020), a study from Princeton University suggests that babies and parents experience similar brain activity during play.  According to the article which was published in Psychological Science, “the study found that during live, natural interactions of play, measurable connections occurred in the neural activity of adults and babies. Participants included 18 children (ages 9–15 months) and their parents. During the first part of the experiment, the child sat on their parent’s lap and interacted face-to-face with an adult researcher directly—playing with toys, singing nursery rhymes, or reading. In the second part, the adult researcher interacted with another adult, leaving the child to play with their parent off to the side.” They found that during one-on-one play,

    April celebrates what is now called Autism Acceptance Month. Autistic author, Elle Love, wrote that: “Creating awareness was the first step in our conversation about disability inclusion, however, acceptance enforces awareness and reflects how our society should celebrate the differences and abilities that neurodivergent people have.”   Neurodiversity refers to the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. The term has popularly been used in the context of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but also includes a range of neurological differences, such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and dyspraxia.   Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with differences in communication, learning, and behavior. Some differences for

  Most children develop the skill of answering yes/no questions around 18-24 months of age. Some children may be delayed in developing this skill. Here are three tips to help your child: Begin with nodding head for yes and shaking head for no. Your child may not be ready to verbalize the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and may be more comfortable using the gesture. Make it a fun game. For example, grab an object such as an apple and say, “Is this a bird?” “No.” “Is this a grape?” “No”. “Is this an apple?” “Yes.” Use a visual. For example, a green check mark could represent ‘yes’ and a red letter ‘X’ could represent ‘no’.

Looking for a way to support children with special needs and get a sweet treat for your pup? Look no further than Gravitate Queen City! Based in Waxhaw, North Carolina, the non-profit company’s mission is to create an inclusive community and empower young adults with different abilities.  They specialize in vocational training while making dog treats.  While working at Gravitate, these young individuals are able to make meaningful friendships and engage with peers in a variety of environments.  As a community, it is very important to support these inclusive companies that strive to empower and set individuals up for independence and success.  If you or someone you know has a furry friend, consider purchasing treats from a company that has a

There has been room for debate on whether or not doodling can contribute to an increase in focus, memory, and concentration.  This article introduces a few studies that have been tested to assess this theory.   Within the studies, participants who doodled while engaging in simple retrieval tasks were 30% more likely to recall the information than the participants who were told not to doodle. It is not recommended to doodle during more complex, challenging tasks as this can be more of a distraction.  The question is why is doodling linked to higher focus and concentration? You will have to read the short article to find out! https://www.spring.org.uk/2023/01/doodling.php

  According to a Speech Therapy Resource: “PlayBasedSpeechTherapyCourse” (Instagram, January 2023), the following 5 types of play are often implemented in Speech Therapy and are recommended to facilitate at home to promote overall success and support in childhood: ~Sensory Play: Sensory play can focus on the five primary senses, but can also address two other sensory systems that are often overlooked: proprioceptive and vestibular systems targeting body awareness and balance. ~Physical Play: Physical Activity is shown to stimulate cognitive development, grow coordination and flexibility and is believed to help maintain healthy weight in childhood. ~Constructive Play: This form of play helps establish soft skills like organization and problem solving. ~Pretend Play: This form of play helps establish social and emotional

  According to EatPlaySay (Instagram November, 2022), the following list of 13 words and expressions are considered to be some of the best vocabulary to support and model early speech-language in infant level play. Research supports that modeling functional nouns, verbs, sound effects, animal noises, and location concepts such as the ones listed helps to provide the best foundation for 2/3 word combinations expected of children later on. 1. Open 2. Up 3. On Top 4. Bang Bang 5. Quack Quack 6. Push 7. Turn 8. Out 9. Shake Shake 10 Close 11 Off 12 Banana (or another familiar food/drink) 13 Go

  Internalized Anxiety is believed to be one of the largest hurdles to learning for all people. As stress is experienced in the body, adrenaline levels increase, forcing us into a flight or fight response. According to an article taken from the Washington Post (June 2011), studies show that anxiety for children in a home or classroom environment can be predictive of learning and social-emotional challenges. According to Primary Times Cornwall (Instagram April 2019),  childhood anxiety can take on many forms and can manifest as ‘something else’, suggesting children externalize anxiety in varied ways. Recognizing these indicators provides parents with helpful insights into supporting  children who demonstrate signs of anxiety at an early age. 1. Anger~Research shows that anger is often a major

  Typically, there are eight phases that must occur before your child will talk. These phases center around the importance of targeting the pre-linguistic skill of imitation. It is important to remember that imitation is a core skill that must begin before your child develops linguistic skills. Phase 1: Imitation of Actions with Objects (e.g., child imitates you stacking blocks) Phase 2: Imitation of Communication Gestures (e.g., child imitates finger movements while singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider”) Phase 3: Imitation of Non-verbal Actions with Face/Mouth (e.g., puckering lips to blow a kiss) Phase 4: Imitation of Vocal Movements (eg., pretending to growl like a dog) Phase 5: Imitation of Exclamatory Words (e.g., child imitates “wow” or “uh oh”) Phase 6: Imitation of

Traditionally, the early babbling of babies has been thought to primarily be a mechanism for babies to learn and practice how to use their mouths and voices. New research published in the journal, Developmental Science, shows how early babies begin to understand that their vocalizations can impact the people around them. The study showed that babies as young as 3-5 months of age changed the amount and intensity of their babbling when an adult stopped responding to their vocalizations, showing that a baby’s babbling functions as a tool, as they build associations between their own non- crying sounds and the reactions of adults, and learn the value of vocalizing for communication purposes. Parents and caregivers can encourage communication by tuning