PRACTICAL TIPS FOR WORKING ON SPEECH AND LANGUAGE AT HOME

For many parents, juggling work, school, homework and extra-curriculars is an exhausting feat. Now on top of all that your child is seeing a speech-language pathologist and they are giving you more HOMEWORK!

Below are some practical tips that I give to my client's parents on how to work on speech and language without adding hours to the day.

TIP #1 - Incorporate “speech time” into your pre-existing, everyday routines. For example, on your drive to school find words that start with your child’s goals and talk about them on your ride. If your child is working on the “k” sound, then have your child say “car” every time they see a car. If your child is working on the pronouns “he/she” have him/her talk about what people are doing. For example “he is walking the dog”, “she is washing the car”.

TIP #2 - Keep practice time short. Five to ten minutes of practice is long enough to make a difference but short enough that it is manageable. Do not try to correct your child all day long. This will drive everyone crazy. Keep the practice to your “speech time”.

TIP #3 - Enlist the help of older siblings. Show your child’s older brother or sister what sound/concept you are working on and let them help out when you are busy. Most older siblings are able to provide a good speech and language model and enjoy helping out when it involves games and toys.

TIP #4 - Set realistic goals. Come up with a schedule that works for you. If Wednesdays are your busiest day then do not put pressure on yourself to practice on that day. You will only feel upset and guilty if you don’t get to practice. Set a schedule and try your best to stick to it. Understand that some practice is better than no practice. Aim for 3-5 times a week at first, and then if possible increase that to 7 times a week.

Stay positive and encourage your child to do the same. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

Written by: Carolyn Davidson, speech-language pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd.

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Sibling rivalry and jealousy is common in all families. But when it comes to dealing with siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), stresses can be far more complex.

Many siblings, especially those of children with ASD, feel that the focus is always on their brother or sister. Even the idea of a sibling coming for therapy may make the sibling not in therapy feel as if their brother or sister is more “special” than they are. After all, they get to go to appointments and play with toys!

Below are a few tips to help the jealous sibling be more understanding:

1. Give your child(ren) insight into their sibling’s world. Explain why their brother or sister acts differently than them, remembering to highlight all the things that they also have in common.

2. Create activities where the sibling(s) can “lead” to make them feel important. Encourage their brother/sister to join in or sit with them and read them a book.

3. Designate 5-10 minutes of every day to spend exclusively with each child. Talk about their day, and provide examples of how they have helped or guided their sibling.

Children that have siblings with ASD are exposed to many complicated issues that most people have never come into contact with, and as a result may have many difficult questions they want to ask. Assist them through the journey. Let them know that their sibling looks up to them, regardless of the age difference, and allow them take an active role in their sibling’s development.

Recommended books:

“All About My Brother” by Sarah Peralta

“Sometimes my Brother: Helping Kids Understand Autism Through A Sibling’s Eyes” by Angie Healy


Written by: Ashleigh Wishen, Speech-Language Pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd.

The Importance of Playtime in the Development of Speech and Language Skills in Children

We all like to play – children, adolescents, and adults alike. But did you know that the development of play skills is integral to the development of a child’s speech and language skills? Who would have thought something so fun could be so beneficial!

A play context, in fact,  provides primary communicative opportunities for young children. This means that play can increase a child’s exposure to many vocabulary items, different forms of language, the many uses of language, as well as opportunities to experiment with their own gestures, sounds, and/or words in a safe and comfortable environment. Yes, all that in one context! 

Given the important nature of play in the development of speech and language skills, take a peek at the following tips on how to select toys and create a rich play environment that will help with your child’s speech and language.

                                        

Toy Selection

1.)    When selecting toys for play, try to include the use of toys that allow for both realistic and imaginative play. This way, your child will have opportunities to engage in both concrete and pretend play – two very important forms of play!

2.)   Toys should also be easy to hold, carry, and manipulate - especially for children who have motor difficulties. The importance here is that the quality of motor ability to manipulate objects appears to be related to early communication development.

Play Environment

1.)    Play should always be fun and never work. Therefore, let your child lead the play. This means letting him/her engage in whichever activity, in whichever manner they so choose. Even if it means repeatedly putting play-dough back into the container without even molding any shapes -- let them lead the play! Kids pay the most attention to what they have chosen and are interested in, not always to what we are interested in.

2.)    Keep play a positive and pressure-free environment. Try to refrain from asking your child questions during play and instead talk about what is going on during play. Describe what you see, hear, feel, and smell. This will help keep any communicative pressures to a minimum and allow for a comfortable communication environment!

Written by: Mia Majorahn, speech-language pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd.

I THINK MY CHILD HAS A STUTTER .... WHAT DO I DO?

Many children go through a period of normal dysfluencys during the preschool years as they learn to put sounds, words and sentences together.  Normal dysfluencys include word and phrase repetitions and hesitations.

Some children, however, develop speech that includes sound and syllable repetitions, sound prolongations, and silent blocks (getting stuck on a sound). This is considered a "stutter". An estimated 4% of preschoolers in Canada stutter, with onset occurring usually between the ages of 3 and 6.

Early intervention is key to success.  If you are concerned that your child may have a stutter, it is recommended that you seek professional assistance from a registered speech-language pathologist.

As a parent or caregiver, it is important to know these general tips for communicating with children who stutter:

• Focus on what is being said and not how it is said
• Do not interrupt
• Do not tell them to slow down or start over
• Do repeat and rephrase what was said, but do not expect them to copy what you have said
• Let them finish
• Provide a relaxed environment for communication
• Speak slowly
• Simplify your language
• Respond naturally to your child's speech
• Be patient and remember that a child who stutters is no less intelligent than his/her non-stuttering peers

For more information, please visit www.speechtherapycentres.com

WHAT CAN I DO TO PROMOTE PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS SKILLS IN MY CHILD?

Children generally begin to show early phonological awareness when they demonstrate an appreciation of rhyme. For children as young as 4 years old, focusing on rhyme is a good starting place.


Rhyming activities you can do at home:
 
Sing fun rhyming songs together, such as

Row row row your boat, gently down the stream

     Merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream

Emphasize the rhyming words by saying them slightly louder and longer. Tell your child that these words rhyme and that they sound the same at the end! After your child is familiar with this song, pause and wait for them to fill in the rhyming word (e.g. Life is but a _________).


Read rhyming books together (e.g. Dr. Suess books) and work together to pick out rhyming words. Make a list of all the rhyming words you can find using markers, crayons or chalk. Ask your child to think of another word that rhymes with those on your list (e.g. “fun, run, sun...can you think of another rhyming word?)


While singing songs or reading books together with rhyming words, pause and ask your child questions such as, “Do “hat” and “cat” rhyme?”, or “Do “dog” and “cat” rhyme?” to encourage rhyme identification. Your child can give a thumbs-up for yes and a thumbs- down for no. Once your child is able to do this with two words, say three words aloud and ask them to tell you which word doesn’t belong.


Make up “silly sentences” while riding in the car or shopping together using rhyming words. Begin a sentence and have your child try to fill in the end using a word that rhymes. For example, you could say, “the bunny is...” and your child can respond, “funny!”

Be creative and have fun! 

Written by:  Emily Dykstra, Speech-Language Pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd

Making Homework Fun - Using Computer Games to Make Therapy "Homework" Seem .... Not Like Homework

Acquiring speech and language skills takes extensive practice in both the therapy session and at home, too. When juggling schoolwork, meal time, family time, household chores, and down-time, it can often be a challenge to find activities to tempt children into practicing their speech and language homework. Luckily, if you have access to a computer, you have access to therapy materials!

In most therapy sessions, your Speech-Language Pathologist will likely work on a list of goals and then send several of these targets home for you to target with your child. Any turn-based computer game can be turned into therapy practice for drill activities. Hidden object/hide and seek games, puzzle games, and strategy games are usually the best kinds of games for practicing speech and language targets (e.g., practice your target, take your turn on the game). Action and timed games are usually not appropriate for drill therapy practice, unless you modify the rules (e.g., practice 10 speech/language targets and then you get 2 minutes of play on the computer). 

There are many games which are commercially available for a computer or handheld gaming device. In terms of free games, lists of popular online game sites can be found by running a simple search on the internet. These sites often have hundreds of free games to play, many of which are appropriate for speech and language practice. If you aren’t sure whether or not a game is appropriate, send the link to your Speech-Language Pathologist, who will be more than happy to check it out for you. As a warning, many of these sites make their money by showing you ads all over the screen – be sure to only click on the games and not the ads; otherwise you may find yourself buying all sorts of products you never wanted!

Choose a game which suits your child’s interests, because if therapy isn’t interesting, it just won’t get done. With some careful planning and consultation with your Speech-Language Pathologist, your kids will be begging you to let them do their homework!

Written By: Jessica Goldberg, Speech-Language Pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd. 

Help! My Child is a Picky Eater!!

Dropped plates, thrown foods, defiant screams.... Mealtimes with toddlers can be difficult at the best of times!  But having to deal with a toddler who is also a picky eater can make mealtimes even more stressful.  Most people don't know that speech-language pathologists (SLP) are the professionals to turn to when picky eating is a problem. Below are a few tips from our SLPs to help you turn your picky eater into an eating angel:

• Re-offer foods that have been previously refused (research shows that foods need to be offered up to 20 times!)
• Make it fun!  Squish, smell, kiss and lick new foods.
• Use fun bowls, plates, cutlery, etc.
• Allow your child to spit out new foods
• Try some food play activities (away from mealtimes) 

Bon Appetit!