More Than Play

Happy Friday!! One aspect of the sessions that I always mention and continuously explain and walk parents through is that early intervention promotes learning in the child's natural environment during their daily routines. Although each activity may appear as play to the child (this is always my goal), I encourage parents to create opportunities for speech and language by using some of the following:

1. Providing choices: During mealtime & play time  you can ask "want cereal or fruit?" or "want puzzles or books?"
2. Music: Children love singing and making silly sounds, allow and encourage the child to imitate your string of babbles, silly sounds, gestures, or words. Music is ALWAYS an option.
3. Outside time: This often a favorite for most children and therefore can be used as a strategy to elicit speech and language. Bring bubbles, use playground equipment (specifically the swings) so that it is almost mandatory they ask you for more turns, more bubbles, etc.

Most importantly, it is almost always successful to build on what you know the child knows and vocabulary, sounds, routines, concepts, games, etc. you are certain they understand and know. This will allow the child to continue to feel confident, but also provide families with a baseline to start with!

Down Syndrome Awareness

Happy World Down Syndrome Awareness Day!!

 I am so blessed to be able to serve individuals with Down Syndrome and be apart of this amazing movement throughout my career :)

Visit http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org and https://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/What-Is-Down-Syndrome/ to learn how to get involved not just today, but all year long in supporting individuals and their families with Down Syndrome!!

Color Me Spring!!!

Craft Wednesday: I hope these mini projects help to cure some winter blues. I got these ideas from some of the daycares I provide speech and language services for. As usual, speech and language can always be heavily incorporated. Enjoy!

Kites for Spring:

Key words: fly, kite, stickers, high, up, sky

Materials Needed: 

Construction Paper
Stickers
Markers/Crayons
Hole Puncher
Yarn

Directions:

1. Cut construction into a diamond shape
2. Draw lines that separate the diamond into four
3. Place stickers & color on the kite
4. Place the yarn through the hole

         

Spring Watercolor:

Key words: labeling colors, finger, tap tap tap, counting how many finger marks

Materials Needed: 

Printer/Plain White Paper
Paint

Directions: 

1. Place different color paint on paper plates

2. Have the child dip their fingers in the paint and tap the paper with their finger/s

3. You can also model shapes, letters, etc. and have them imitate you on their own paper as well.

Making A Difference

Thoughts for Thursday:

Maya Angelou said "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." As a speech-language pathologist working in early intervention, I meet numerous families who tell me that I have changed their lives, but more importantly the lives of their children and their communication skills. However, I like to believe that I am the lucky one who gets to work with these amazing children and their families. It's easy to get distracted with progress notes, techniques, guidelines, protocols, etc. I try my best to make my families feel as though we are a team working together to improve and create the best potential for the child's communication skills. Although I am almost always at a full caseload, I place every family as a priority, making one no less important than the other and think "what would I want for my child, or how would I want a provider to treat me if I were in their shoes?" Food for thought…enjoy your day :)

Commenting vs. Probing

Happy Tuesday!! :)

Tuesday Tip: Try commenting and narrating when reading books, going for walks, meal time, folding laundry and various routines and activities ("I see, look at, etc.") instead of asking "what's that?" and "say this". I have observed that this allows children to have the model they need, and be more willing and less pressured to respond on immediate cue when this technique is used. Feel free to share stories or comments regarding more techniques and strategies you use as a provider or a parent/caregiver!

To Make a Choice or Not to Make a Choice?

Tuesday Tip: 

Happy Tuesday!! Allowing your toddler to make a choice can be the beginning of a beautiful communication pattern. I have noted that a majority of my parents desire to have their children request food/beverages, activities, and/or objects. A successful technique and protocol for working on initiating requests include:

1. Provide the child with the verbal cue of "want oatmeal or want fruit?" in conjunction with pointing (visual cue)

2. Allowing time for the child to make a choice and respond (30 seconds)

3. Providing them with the model of "want oatmeal" or "oatmeal please" no more than 3 times (reducing communication frustration), and allowing them to have the desired object or activity following the third model. 

This provides the child with the opportunity to practice requesting, a model of the expected utterance or acceptable word/s, and the feeling that they are allowed to have a choice in some of their daily lives and routines. Hope this quick tip is helpful, please feel free to share strategies and techniques that work for children on your caseload or your child :)