At-Home Speech Therapy Techniques for Boosting Receptive Language Skills

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
At-Home Speech Therapy - Receptive Language

Image source: Lifeatwildberrycottage.com

“Jonas, did you clean your room yet?” “What?” “Did you clean your room yet?” “Huh?”

Sound familiar? Kids often challenge a parent’s patience by not listening or “pretending” to forget what you tell them. But sometimes, a child’s inability to follow directions might be more than simple forgetfulness. He may have trouble with his receptive language skills. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can use speech therapy techniques to help a child with a very broad range of issues, including receptive language disorders. A speech therapist can also determine whether the child does indeed have a speech disorder or whether he’s just a little behind schedule with his language development. (Check out this guide from ASHA on the difference between the two issues.) As well, work with the speech therapist to implement at-home speech therapy techniques to boost your child’s receptive language skills. Using these at-home speech therapy tips can encourage your child’s development, whether or not he has a speech disorder.

Continue reading →

Georgia Production Helps Special Needs Children by Empowering Parents

by Jacky G. News
Then You Stand - Special Needs Children

Image source: Article.wn.com

Special needs children can often benefit from speech therapy, including those with Down syndrome (DS). Down syndrome can significantly impact a child’s language skills, particularly in terms of his ability to express himself and understand language. Speech therapy techniques can greatly help a child with Down syndrome learn to communicate more effectively. But it’s also important not to neglect the caregivers of special needs children. As a caregiver, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or burned out, whether you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or you’re trying to coax a child with Down syndrome to say a word. Empowering parents and caregivers is a necessary component of a treatment program for special needs children.

Yvonne Pierre is the mother of a boy with Down syndrome. This Georgia woman recognized the need to empower parents, and she made a powerful contribution to the field with her play, “Then You Stand.” Pierre wrote and directed the stage production, which is based in Georgia and explores the complexities of the discovery that an unborn child has DS.

Continue reading →

New Jersey Leads the Nation in Autism Services

by Jacky G. State Resources
Autism Services and Awareness

Image source: Katscafe.org

A speech therapist can help children with a wide range of issues, from kids with articulation disorders treatable with Speech Buddies to children with severe autism who have extremely limited speech. Autism spectrum disorder affects children in so many different ways. And with the ever-growing public awareness of autism comes a growth in autism services, particularly in New Jersey. New Jersey offers much more in terms of autism services than other states, and this may be because autism rates are much higher in New Jersey than elsewhere in the U.S. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism affects one in 88 children nationwide. In New Jersey, the incidence rate of autism is about one in 50. So what’s so special about New Jersey that would increase the rate so much?

Continue reading →

How to Use Telepractice for Speech Therapy

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Wearing Headset for Speech Therapy

Image source: Bbc.co.uk

I have the dubious pleasure of living directly across from the major shopping center of my town. With the holidays right around the bend, I find myself thinking of excuses to avoid driving anywhere as much as possible. The traffic and hassle is simply not worth it. If you’re like me, the last thing you need is another soccer practice, piano lesson, or speech therapy session to drive your child to. Enter telepractice! Telepractice is a method of delivering services, like speech therapy, to a client via Web cam or similar device. (Speech Buddies also offers an online component via the Speech Buddies University.) For more on speech therapy telepractice, check out our previous posts or head over to the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for their articles on telepractice. And then kick off your painful shoes, put your feet on the Ottoman, and enjoy taking a break from the commute.

Continue reading →

What is Speech Therapy and What Does a Speech Therapist Do?

by Jacky G. Speech Therapist
Becoming a Speech Therapist

Image source: Infographixdirectory.com

For the uninitiated, “speech therapist” might conjure up images of a clinician patiently trying to correct a stutter or a lisp. And indeed, speech therapists do treat these issues with a variety of tools – from exercises with Speech Buddies to audio feedback with a tape recorder. But speech therapy is a very broad field, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can help your child with everything from pitch regulation to complete sentence formation. So today, in our fourth and final installment of our introductory guide to speech therapy, we’ll answer a common question, “Just what the heck does a speech therapist do all day?”

Continue reading →