How to Help a Child with Hearing Loss: An Interview with Kristen Johnson

by Jacky G. Interviews
The Johnson Children - Coping with Hearing Loss

Courtesy: Kristen Johnson

For those without hearing loss, lacking the ability to listen to music or enjoy a child’s laughter is almost unthinkable. Many of us take our senses for granted, but what we do if a loved one was suddenly diagnosed with hearing loss? Kristen Johnson of No Small Thing dealt with exactly that when she and her husband found out that one of their sons, Henry, had hearing loss. Although the diagnosis was initially difficult to cope with, Kristen and her family found a way to turn Henry’s condition into an opportunity. As she points out in our interview, there are many other methods of communicating; it just takes a little experimenting to find one that suits your family. For Kristen’s advice and to find out just what, exactly, hearing loss has to do with peanut butter and mustard sandwiches, check out our interview below.

Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas for Speech Therapy Activities

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Family Dinner Time - Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas

Image source: Oneinabillionblog.com

Looking for Thanksgiving dinner ideas? As you search for new recipes, don’t forget to incorporate speech therapy into the holidays. As the parent of a special needs child, it can often be difficult to see the forest for the trees. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the day-to-day grind of IFSPs, IEPs, and a plethora of other acronyms that we lose sight of the more important things in life. While they can be stressful, the holidays also provide an opportunity to step back, take a breath, and cherish your family. And while you’re looking for some Thanksgiving dinner ideas, remember that at-home speech therapy techniques can easily be incorporated into mealtimes, even during the holiday.

Continue reading →

Language Development Relies on Conversation & Reading with Kids

by Jacky G. News
Reading with Kids - Music for Unborn Child

Image source: Blog.stephenpbrown.com

The importance of reading with kids is undeniable, but what about conversing with them? Picture this: You come home from your banking job and begin talking with your child about the problems with PPI mis-selling and how banks are supposed to be paying out, but are instead rejecting claims that are later approved by the FOS in droves. The only problem? Your youngster is just 3 months old and instead of responding with a few lines about the Ombudsman’s FOS complaint time limits, he’s just thrown Cheerios at you. Despite the fact that your 3-month-old infant is currently incapable of grasping the intricacies of loan insurance scandals, speaking with him and giving him the opportunity to respond well may offer key benefits for his speech and language development, according to a study from researchers at UCLA. But do try to stick to conversations that he can participate in.

Continue reading →

The Surprising Twist in the MMR Vaccines and Autism Controversy: Did Jenny McCarthy’s Son Have Autism?

by Jacky G. Speech Disorders
MMR Vaccines and Autism - Jenny McCarthy

Image source: Celebitchy.com

Few moms are as polarizing as Jenny McCarthy. Even if you don’t tune in to all the latest happenings in the autism community, you’ve almost certainly heard about the controversy over MMR vaccines and autism. Yes, every week brings yet another scandal, but some controversies simply refuse to die. The possible link between MMR vaccines and autism is one of them. Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying that Jenny McCarthy is one super-dedicated mommy. Her mission is to bring hope to parents of autistic children.

Continue reading →

Sensory Toys for Children: Top Products for Kids to Include in Your Toolbox

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Sensory Toys for Children - Ball Pool

Image source: Dfdsseaways.co.uk

There are countless at-home speech therapy techniques that you can do with your child to encourage his progress. You may have already invested in educational toys and games to serve as tools for speech therapy lessons, such as flashcards for target sounds or Speech Buddies for articulation practice. As well, consider the use of sensory toys for children.

As your baby grows, he learns about the world around him with various senses. Using a multisensory approach to speech therapy can not only improve knowledge retention, but it may also boost your child’s motivation, according to Tatyana Elleseff, M.A. CCC-SLP. Sensory toys for children may also be used as prompts to encourage vocalization. The child may be asked to describe the feel of a fuzzy tennis ball, for example, or the scent of a cookie. Consult your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) for advice on using a multisensory approach to at-home speech therapy techniques. This is particularly critical if your child has sensory processing disorder (SPD). This is a neurological disorder that disrupts the way in which a person processes information. Over-stimulating a child with SPD can result in an adverse reaction.

Continue reading →