Category: Uncategorized

  Have you ever wanted to make your own ice cream?  Build your own terrarium?  Summer is a time to try new things.  The Museum of Science and Industry is offering an eight week program called Summer Brain Games.  By registering online, you will get weekly experiments exploring different summer themes related to science (i.e. light, gardens, rockets, etc.).  Below is the link to learn more about Summer Brain Games. http://www.msichicago.org/programs/summer-brain-games/?gclid=CJKLjpSF5LcCFUdk7Aod8HIA_Q

  Learning language is often a long and bumpy road for a child with language deficits because story narration, vocabulary, and grammar skills are all intertwined.  A weakness in one area, such as vocabulary, may impact a child’s ability to narrate a story.  As the school year ends, parents often wonder how they can help their child continue to practice learned skills or develop new skills.  The summer creates many opportunities to continue to expand your child’s language skills.  Using smartphones to capture memories can be a way to target many language skills.  Camps, movies, vacations, barbecues, or other activities with friends or family make excellent opportunities to capture your child’s adventures with technology, but also expand his or her

  Increase length of utterances by adding one word to your child’s word.  If your child uses one word phrases, use two word phrases, etc.  Keep adding words to your child’s words by adding descriptive words (i.e. big ball). Narrate your child’s actions during play. “She is climbing the stairs. or He is flying an airplane.” Act out familiar routines during play with characters (i.e. bath routines, pre-school routines, etc.) Provide choices in a field of two for books, clothes, toys, etc. Create situations to make your child ask for help.  Keep toys in containers with lids or keep toys up high. Use lots of intonation when playing with your child. Over exaggerate sounds when playing or reading with your

  Although, we may still be wearing boots and sweaters in the middle of May warm weather is near.  As the school year ends and summer approaches, words like swimming, lemonade, fire flies, ice cream, picnics, and camp come to mind.  For some of us these words may trigger fond memories of our favorite summer or for others it may trigger questions (i.e. What are our summer plans?).  While families are busy figuring out summer schedules, children are anticipating their last day of school.  In the mix of all the commotion, there are  many opportunities to continue to build your child’s speech and language skills.  Journals can be used to build language skills, such as keeping a summer word journal.  

  I Spy…..License Plate Bingo….and 20 Questions are games that can be played in the car to pass time, but these games also help build speech and language skills.  You can play them while running errands or on a road trip.  I Spy and 20 Questions can be used to target a particular speech sound (i.e. ssssssss….  SUN), build vocabulary (i.e. I spy something that is round, yellow, and hot.  What am I?), and formulate questions (i.e.  Do you use it at the beach?).  You can also target turn taking skills with other siblings, cousins, or friends along for the ride.  License Plate Bingo can be used during road trips.  This game can generate lots of questions.   How many license

As I think about activities to increase awareness of asking questions, games such as Guess Who, Bingo, and Hide and Go Seek come to mind.  They can target simple wh-questions (i.e. who, what, where, when).  Items which can be tossed or rolled (i.e. bean bags, squishy balls, pillows, etc.) are good tools to build wh-questions.  The person holding the ball is the asker, while the person without the ball is the listener.  Have each person pick his or her favorite character, like Cinderella or SpongeBob SquarePants.  Next, take turns asking and answering wh-questions (i.e.  Where does SpongeBob SquarePants live?  What does Cinderella’s dress look like?) while tossing the ball.  These activities target asking and answering questions and can build conversational

Order Matters!  Have you ever forgotten an ingredient when following a recipe?  Maybe the cupcakes didn’t rise or the recipe turned out slightly different.  Something just wasn’t quite right.  Well, there are many activities to help your child be an active participant as he or she is learning sequencing skills.  Here are a few ideas!  The Exerciser…build an obstacle course with your child in the house or outside.  Crawl over those pillows, go under the bridge made out of chairs, and shoot a basket.  The Chef…find a recipe with pictures to make a yummy dessert.  The Gardener…teach your child how to pot a plant.  The Organizer…make a visual schedule of your child’s day highlighting big events (i.e.  getting dressed, breakfast,

  Non-verbal communication can reveal a great deal about what another person is thinking or feeling.  Have you ever gotten a text or an email, but had difficulty reading the emotion behind the words?  Facial expressions, such as smiling or crying are examples of non-verbal communication.  Reading facial expressions can be difficult for a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).  Here are some ideas to help improve facial recognition.  Activities that visually draw attention to the face, such as making faces in a mirror, will help increase awareness of emotions and facial expression.  Sorting tasks, such as sorting faces from non faces or sorting faces by emotions are great activities to help increase awareness of this form of non-verbal

Learning your child has special needs impacts all family members, especially siblings.  The Sibling Support Project’s purpose is to educate parents on sibling issues and connect siblings with other peers who have a brother or sister with special needs. Below you will find the link to the Sibling Support Project. http://siblingsupport.org/

What is a sensory friendly film?  A sensory friendly film is a theater in which the lights are turned on and the music is turned down.  A day at a movie may become a sensory overload for a person with autism.  Local AMC theaters once a month offer sensory friendly films.  Check out the link below for upcoming showings in your area.  Occasionally, dates and films change, so call ahead to confirm. http://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films