How to Use TV as a Speech Therapy Tool for Social Pragmatics

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Big Bang Theory TV Show

source: tumblr.com

 

Did yesterday’s post make you want to grab the remote and run? If the new facts about television’s effect on preschool children scared you, it should. But we shouldn’t discredit television all together. For older children, social pragmatic skills can be a great medium for harnessing the elements of television for good. Inference, conversation, humor and analyzing social situations are all goals that can be addressed in speech therapy using TV programs. Similarly, families who gather and watch television together have great opportunities to engage, rather than passively watch, and discuss the situations they are seeing.

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How Television is Effecting your Child’s Behavior

by Holly F. News
Effects of TV on Children Infographic

Source: ansonalex.com

Television can be a social activity (the Superbowl, Oscars, Grammys) or a solitary one. For children whose brains are just developing, the ever present question is: is this medium a good one for development? As a healthcare specialist, a speech pathologist is concerned about a lot more than language. In order to provide therapy to the whole child, we must become experts in many aspects of child development- cognitive, motor, behavior, attention, learning- these all influence how our patients progress and participate in speech therapy. It’s no surprise then that parents often ask about what is appropriate or good for their child, “should he play the iPad?” “Is Facebook safe?”- and “How much television is ok?”

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Maryland Makes Children with Special Needs a Priority at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum

by Holly F. State Resources
Children play at Port Discovery Museum

Source: idfnationalconference.org

For children with special needs, it can be important to take a break from scheduled speech therapy and constant structure. Children need opportunities to explore and shake their sillies out while engaging in new activities to simulate their mind, senses and physical movement. They also need opportunities to practice speech skills in new environments (and a highly motivating context can’t hurt). Fortunately for Baltimore Maryland families of special needs children, the Port Discovery Children’s Museum has it all. Across three different floors of educational, interactive and constantly changing programs for children birth – 10, this place makes it a point to engage children with special physical, fine motor or cognitive needs.

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3 Ways to use Winter Themes in Speech Therapy

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

How to Make a Snowman Graphic

Source: bydavvi.com

With the winter weather upon us, it only makes sense to incorporate Jack Frost into our speech therapy. At home, parents can try a variety of techniques in the snow while speech therapists in the classroom can carryover concepts at the tabletop or in great books to infuse winter words into therapy.

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Does Your Baby Need Early Intervention Speech Therapy? How Brain Structure can Predict Language Development

by Holly F. News
The Brain's Structure

Source: dribble.com

The effects of early intervention services on children’s language, motor and cognitive development are well researched. Until now, the most challenging part of providing these services has been identifying children early enough to intervene. Thankfully,  the results of a new study published in the journal of Brain and Language may help therapists identify and provide speech therapy to at-risk infants even sooner.

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