Halloween speech and language tips
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays! Trips to the farm, haunted houses, costumes, face painting, decorations, baking, and candy! Each family seems to have their own traditions. Traditions offer predictability, an ideal environment for children to learn language skills. And, because halloween is filled with an abundance of visual supports, which help […]
Teletherapy as a service delivery model
In March 2020, after over twenty five years of face-to-face speech and language therapy, I took the leap into virtual online therapy. Unlike past career choices teeming with limitless possibilities, it was clear there was only one option. To continue supporting my clients, I would have to make the switch to Teletherapy. Challenge accepted! Transitions […]
Why you shouldn’t play the “wait and see” game
This past month I was contacted by two sets of parents, each concerned about their children’s speech sound errors. In both cases, the parents had been recommended years earlier to “wait and see” if the sound errors would resolve on their own. “Wait and see” is an unsatisfying recommendation. It often lacks important information such […]
Will my child stop stuttering? What the Experts say…
It can be very difficult for parents to watch their children struggle with speech. Close to 5% of young children begin to stutter. Almost 75% of them will outgrow stuttering on their own within 12-24 months. While we don’t know for sure which children will stop stuttering on their own and which will continue to […]
An invitation to do less this season
As far back as I remember, Christmas time always evoked mixed feelings. Being Jewish, my family celebrated Hanukkah, which sometimes coincided with Christmas and other times did not. My school hosted a number of Christmas related events and I envied the many families who celebrated what I believed to be a glamorous and universal holiday. […]
Parents of late talkers are often surprised to learn they can help more by talking less.
The term “late talkers” describes children who have a limited spoken vocabulary at around 2 years of age. Keep in mind that first words appear close to 12 months, and children begin combining words prior to 2 years (refer to my blog on Communication Milestones). If at 18-20 months your child uses less than 10 words, or if at 21-30 months […]
Expand Language with Water Play!
Summer is here! It’s hot! But, that’s okay for preschoolers because they LOVE playing with water. Sprinklers, water balloons, water blasters, water parks, kiddie pools and the beach. I remember when my kids were little we set up the sprinkler under our trampoline for cool bouncing on hot summer days. However you enjoy water together […]
The magic sound every child needs to learn!
There are various factors I consider when choosing which sounds to focus on first in speech therapy. Is the sound in the child’s own name? Is it an earlier developing sound? Is it a high frequency sound? Can the child make the sound with assistance? One English sound magically stands out as worthy of training […]
The Secret to Reading with Preschoolers
The secret to reading with preschoolers is…. make it FUN! “No kidding” you say. Yes, really! For years I have witnessed too many loving and well-meaning parents read to their toddlers with a rigid focus on the story. The truth is, young children learn best by having enjoyable interactions, not by being “taught”. The primary goal when […]