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A resource library designed to help you better understand speech and language development better so you can support your little one at home
The Speech Dynamic
Whenever a child is not meeting our expectations, it’s easy to assume it’s a behavior or he is simply refusing to do what we are asking. It’s easy to think they are being “stubborn” or “lazy.” What if we reframed this? What if we simply acknowledged that if they could, they would, and it’s […]
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Questions and Comments As a Pediatric Speech Pathologist specializing in Early Intervention, one of the tips I offer to parents of Late-Talkers is to is to replace questions with comments. Comments provide opportunities to build upon your child’s interests! In fact, word learning is enhanced when you follow your child’s lead and […]
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Yoga for Speech Therapy I recently completed my 200 hour yoga teacher certification. During my training, I found a lot of overlap between yoga and speech therapy. In this post, I outline five areas of speech and language development that yoga may benefit. They are: social language, early literacy, speech production, language […]
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With the holiday season upon us, gift guides, wish lists, and toy commercials are everywhere! If you have ever surprised your little one with a new toy only to have them show more interest in the box, you know that it’s not about the toy. The definition of play is “an activity for […]
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As a Pediatric Speech Pathologist, one of the number one questions I get is, “How many words should my toddler be saying?” While the number of words a child is using is important, another important factor is the types of words your toddler is using. The Importance of Verbs In a study by Hadley, Rispoli, […]
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“Late talkers” Late Talkers are a group of children who otherwise show age appropriate receptive language skills (understanding of language), nonverbal IQ, and typical social development/personality. However, these children are behind in their expressive language skills. In their book, “The Late Talker,” the authors report that by the age of 24 months, 15% of children […]
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Visualizing and Learning – The Connection “I don’t know,” answered the mummy. “Tushman asked me to hang out with him at the beginning of the year, and he must have told all the teachers to put us next to each other in all of our classes, or something.” The mummy shrugged. I knew the shrug, […]
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Autism and Communication Children with autism have difficulty with social aspect of langue. The definition of communication is “The imparting or exchanging of information or news.” Communication is first and foremost social. Social is the foundation of communication. Research shows that newborns prefer to hear their own mother’s voice. Babies only 12-36 hours old prefer […]
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My wedding day took place October 22, 2016 and I can tell you that although it was nearly a year ago, I remember everything about that day. Of course, I remember the facts (day, place, etc.), but my memory goes beyond that. I can literally see that day in my head, like a movie. […]
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Brooke Andrews, M.A CCC-SLP Play is the primary vehicle for all learning in early childhood. Read more on the benefits of play in my article, “Why Play?” here. Children are “hard-wired” to learn through their experiences during play. Play in an excellent opportunity to work on language with your child. Read on for specific strategies to encourage […]
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A farm of my favorite toys to use in speech therapy! Here are some ways you can use a farm to work on talking with your toddler at home: Imitation: Imitation is the first step on the road to using words. We can encourage imitation by modeling animal sounds. Not only is it […]
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Yes… but only by a little bit Girls tend to reach all of their language milestones first, including the number of words they produce, the number of words they understand, the number of words they combine, sentence complexity, and sentence length. There are different reasons scientists use to explain these […]
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Although biting and hitting are common concerns. Children with speech delays are even more likely to exhibit “behaviors” like biting and hitting because they just don’t have the words to communicate. All behavior is communication. It’s helpful to view behavior through this lens because it helps us find ways to address the underlying cause. In children with […]
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It’s that time of year! Time for pumpkin patches, cooler weather, and new books! Books are such a great way to learn about new things and experiences. Books can also reinforce what your little one is learning about out in the world. For example, if you are planning to go to a pumpkin patch, you […]
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There’s no denying that traveling with a toddler can be tough! Here are a few ideas that might keep your little one entertained while traveling to your next destination! Painter’s Tape: Make a track, shapes, letters, etc. I love all the colors in this set Water Wow Books: So fun and no mess Quiet Books: […]
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As a speech therapist specializing in working with toddlers, books are a go-to activity for me! Here are a few that have become all time favorites over the years: My First Learn to Talk Book: We typically hear little ones imitate fun sounds before they imitate words. This book, written by a […]
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