As a speech therapist, I’ve found that I can connect with some children right away. These children want to please me and work really hard – maybe we even make some progress in that first session! These sessions make me feel like I am the best speech therapist that has ever existed. This has happened to me…
Childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder – the child knows what he or she wants to say, but the brain is unable to move the body parts needed to say the sounds, syllables, and words needed for speech. This Sunday, May 14, is Apraxia Awareness Day, so we asked one of our Kid’s…
For most people, the ability to talk is taken for granted. Unless you have struggled with speech yourself or have a family member who has struggled with it, you don’t necessarily understand the hardship involved. When a person can’t communicate in a way others understand, there is frustration… on both ends. If a mode of communication is never…
As many of you probably remember, last summer I went to China with Operation Smile. In January, I had the opportunity to travel across the world again….this time to the Philippines. This time, I went with the International Children’s Surgical Foundation (ICSF), which was a much smaller group, though no less effective. Two other therapists and I spent…
I talk about milestones on a near-daily basis with my patients and their families, but I’m also watching out for early milestones with my own son who was born in August – especially since he was born prematurely. As a parent, we hear a lot about early milestones from so many sources—our pediatrician, grandparents, friends,…
While eating is second nature to most of us and our biggest concern regarding food is when/what we will eat next, it is not that straightforward for many kiddos. The act of eating involves many different components that go unnoticed by most of us – things like the surrounding environment, what the plate looks like,…
Recently, I shared how you can turn almost any game you have at home into a language game, often without your child even realizing what you’re doing! The example I provided used the game “Pop the Pig” and I thought it would be helpful to actually show you via video what this looks like. Click the video…
Why isn’t my child talking? Although you may think this question is only for a speech therapist, occupational therapy may provide some answers, as well. I frequently notice a child start to babble and talk more as I work with them in the gym and on the swings. Why does this happen? Occupational therapists help children find their optimal…
Often, parents ask me about the best games to develop language. I have my favorites, of course, but the truth is most any game can be turned into a language game – the best part about using games you already have at home is that your child may not even realize what you’ve done! “Pop the Pig” is one of my…
Why isn’t my child talking? I get asked this question a lot as a speech therapist. Sometimes the answer is easy and sometimes the answer is complex. Some children have language delays which impede their ability to talk, but other children have the ability to communicate but don’t or won’t do so. Sometimes the actions…