Three-year-old Caitlin is building a big tower with blocks. She wants to make it as tall as her sister’s was yesterday, but every time she tries, it tumbles down. She stares at the blocks, sighs, and grunts in protest. Her dad hears this and asks, “Do you need more blocks?” Caitlin shakes her head. She knows she doesn’t need more blocks. She just needs help keeping them from toppling, but she doesn’t know how to explain that, so her dad hands her more blocks anyway. Caitlin p

Communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas, and can come in many “shapes and sizes” that we may not think of. Speech language pathologists utilize all types of communication throughout speech therapy to give children a means to communicate. We can communicate through speaking, of course, but also through gestures (pointing to what we need, waving hi/bye), body language, writing, sign language, and through Augmentative and Alternative Communication device

Daily routines are the perfect opportunities to target speech and fine motor skills. We can even practice these things while we are going for a walk! Fine Motor Have you child imitate different kinds of animals and the way they walk. This can help: Improve body and hand strength Allow for weight bearing Improve bilateral coordination Improve following directions and motor planning Improve spatial awareness Language Practice animals’ names and sounds they make while walking li

Occupational therapists help assist children with sensory regulation skills. Often, when children’s sensory input becomes over-stimulated they become upset and it may be hard to calm down and become regulated again. Here are a few examples of sensory calm-down strategies to get your child’s sensory input regulated. Calming Tactile Input Take a sensory break using a box filled with sand, dry rice or dry beans and let kids run their hands through it. Hide little items in the bo

So now we know what speech is, What is Language? Language refers to the words we use, how we use them to share ideas and get what we want. Having trouble understanding what others say is a receptive language disorder. Having problems sharing our thoughts, ideas, and feelings is an expressive language disorder. Language includes; what words mean, how to make new words, how to put words together, and what we should say at different times. A child with a language disorder may ha

Did you know there is a difference between speech and language? As speech-language pathologists we define them two different ways. It is important for you to know the difference, in order to understand your child’s diagnosis and plan treatment! So, what is Speech? Speech is how we say sounds and words. Speech includes articulation (how we make speech sounds using mouth, lips and tongue), voice (how we use our vocal cords and breathing to make sound) and fluency (the rhythm of