Understanding and addressing speech disorders
Does your child have a speech impediment? Or have you noticed that your child just doesn’t talk as much as other kids his age? Are you wondering if your child’s speech and communication skills are developing normally? These are questions many parents ask.
We’ve been discussing Apraxia of Speech in Children this month. If your child is exhibiting any of the characteristics associated with Apraxia of Speech, also known as developmental (DAS) or childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), you will need to make an appointment with a speech language pathologist. Because apraxia of speech is a communication disorder, the most qualified professional to help diagnose and treat your child is an SLP. While your pediatrician may help with other medical issues related to apraxia of speech, speech language pathologists have undergone extensive study and certification to accurately evaluate and treat speech disorders.
What is Developmental Apraxia of Speech?
A is for Apraxia. On Monday, we took at look at Apraxia of Speech in children. Specifically, we outlined the types of apraxia of speech and related symptoms. The most common type of apraxia of speech in children is developmental, which means it is a neurologically based speech disorder. While some children with Developmental Apraxia of Speech (DAS) had specific prenatal or birth injuries, for the most part, there is no specific cause of DAS. This month, we will plan to take a look into the subject of Apraxia of Speech in children in more depth.
5 Ways to Use Technology for Speech Therapy at Home
This week, Microsoft made a big announcement that it will soon be offering Office for the iPad! This is great news for those looking to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations on the iPad or mobile device. This latest announcement further demonstrates the prevalence of technology in our lives presently and in the future. Can technology help dedicate time to working on speech therapy at home? Absolutely! If you have access to mobile device such as an iPad, there are many free apps and online resources that can help your child improve his or her communication skills with speech therapy at home.
What is Apraxia of Speech in Children?
What is Apraxia of Speech in Children? With apraxia of speech, a person finds it difficult or impossible to move his or her mouth and tongue to speak. This happens, even though the person has the desire to speak and the mouth and tongue muscles are physically able to form words. Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder, where the child has a problem saying sounds, syllables and words. She knows what she wants to say, but her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.
Six Simple Worksheets for The Sound of “S”
Spring has sprung, and what better time to practice those “s” sounds! Did you know that the “s” sound is one of the most mispronounced sounds in the English language? According to Pronunciation Workshop, approximately half of all “s” sounds in English are pronounced as a letter “z” or “th.” For a child with a speech impediment, the “s” sound proves particularly challenging. Common in articulation disorders, a child drops the “s” sound all together such as “and,” instead of “sand”. Or a child may mispronounce the “s” sound at the beginning or end of a word, giving him a lisp.
Speech Buddies Coming to A School Near You! Sign Up to try a Professional Set for FREE!
Articulate Technologies is taking its Speech Buddies tools on a road trip! Now through the middle of May, we will be visiting schools in California, Washington, Colorado & Arizona. While we have toured schools throughout the Southeast region for the past year, we are excited to bring Speech Buddies to schools and SLPs in the Western part of the country.
What Can You Expect from Speech Therapy at School?
Your child has a speech impediment and is scheduled to begin kindergarten in the fall. Like most parents, you are filled with excitement about the upcoming year. For parents whose children have speech disorders, the excitement can be coupled with anxiety about how the other children in the class will react to your child’s speech impediment and how well your child will learn in a classroom setting. As we mentioned in our previous blog, research has shown that children with speech disorders are more likely to be the target of bullying and teasing. What can you do to help prepare your child, teacher, and your child’s class? You can start by addressing the issue with your school’s Speech- Language Pathologist. An on-site, school SLP is an excellent resource for parents to help prepare their child with language and confidence-building skills for the school year.
My Child is Being Teased for Her Speech Impediment. What can I do to help?
“People tease me because of the way I talk.” “The other kids at school don’t like my words.” Do these statements sound familiar in your home? The unfortunate fact is that children who have a speech impediment are often subjected to teasing from their peers. According to a study by Professor Gordon W. Blood, Ph.D., CCC-SLP:
children who stutter are 61% more likely to be targeted by a bully.
Teasing and bullying at school can be a frightening experience.
7 Inexpensive Resources: Speech Therapy for Kids
This week, on Speech Therapy for Kids, we offer you a “Top Seven” list of inexpensive speech therapy resources for your kids. There are many reasons why having a handful of speech therapy resources are valuable for parents. Often, parents are unsure if their child needs to see a speech therapist and would like to try some exercises with them at home first. Also, sometimes it’s not possible to schedule a visit to a speech therapist because of financial reasons or because there are no therapists nearby. Or, parents with kids in speech therapy want to supplement the lessons with activities at home. The following list provides supplemental and alternative resources for parents and kids.
