Top 4 Cleft Palate Speech Therapy Techniques

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child with Cleft Palate

Image source: Nhs.uk

Orofacial clefts, or cleft lip and cleft palate, are among the most common birth defects. In fact, according to KidsHealth, about 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 babies in the U.S. is born with clefts. This medical condition occurs due to improper development in the womb. If your baby has a cleft palate, it will almost certainly be diagnosed at birth. Your child’s pediatrician will evaluate him for treatment. Most of the time, surgery can help. However, surgery may not be performed right away, and your baby may need additional surgeries later on. Your little guy might still experience speech difficulties after surgery, which can be addressed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

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Using Apps for Aphasia Therapy

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Private Investigator Silhouette

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When your child is first diagnosed with a speech disorder like aphasia, you might feel a bit like a private investigator – you’ll do a lot of background research on the issue and figure out what your resources are. One great way to stretch your resources when it comes to speech therapy is the use of specialized tools, such as Speech Buddies for articulation or apps for aphasia therapy. The symptoms of aphasia can range from mild to severe, and they will also vary depending on the part of the brain that sustained damage. Work with your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) to select the right apps for aphasia therapy that would best help his specific trouble areas.

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Educational Apps for Kids: Problem Solving

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Working on Problem Solving

Image source: Blogs.babble.com

Speech and language disorders in children can affect so much more than just a child’s ability to produce sounds, words, and sentences. They can also affect how a child is able to process and analyze information, problem solve, and make himself understood by others. Speech Buddies can help with many speech disorders that affect articulation, but you might also consider using educational apps for kids to address other areas of concern. Many educational apps for kids are available to improve problem solving skills. As a bonus, they tend to involve fun games to keep your child engaged in learning. He might not even know it’s an educational app. Check out our list below to get started.

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Treatment for Apraxia

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child with Apraxia of Speech

Image source: Article.wn.com

For a parent of a kid with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. There are countless occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions to rush off to for treatment for apraxia. There are IFSPs and IEPs to deal with, and a whole host of other acronyms to learn. And when your child has trouble pronouncing two-syllable words, it can be difficult to imagine him as an adult. Will he go to college? Will he have a career? These are overwhelming questions. Although speech therapy progress may seem slow at times, children with apraxia who receive intensive speech therapy at an early age often grow up to do remarkably well. Your child may even grow up to become a keynote speaker at childhood apraxia of speech conferences. In the meantime, work closely with your little one’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) and other professionals to develop the right treatment for apraxia to suit his needs.

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Fun Fall Activities for Speech Therapy

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Fall Foliage

Image source: Nj.com

For many people, autumn holds the promise of beautiful, breath-taking foliage and fun activities like apple picking. If you love this time of year, you’re probably already stocking up on hot chocolate and visiting your local farmer’s market for bagfuls of colorful pumpkins and acorn squash. (Or, if you’re like me, you’re stocking up on heavy-duty hand lotions to combat dry, lizard-like winter skin.) But if you’re a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or a parent of a speech disordered child, you’re also probably looking for ways to incorporate the season into speech therapy lessons. There are lots of fun activities to do in the fall. With a little tweaking, you can customize your family outings into engaging speech therapy activities. Plus, you’re more likely to keep your child’s attention with hands-on activities than with flashcards.

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Is Your Child Bored with Speech Therapy?

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Throwing Temper Tantrum

Image source: People.howstuffworks.com

We’ve all been there before: your toddler gets hungry or bored in the supermarket and throws an embarrassing temper tantrum in aisle 3. Or your teenage son starts getting fidgety during a dinner party and tries to stick his spoon to his nose. Kids will be kids, but what do you do when your child is bored with his speech therapy activities? If your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) has informed you that little Matthew seems to be slacking off in his efforts during speech therapy, he might be getting bored with the activities. Most kids crave entertainment and stimulation. Instead of trying to cajole your child to put in more effort, change the method of instruction. Talk with the SLP about the current activities she is using during speech therapy sessions and review what you’re doing at home. To keep your child engaged in learning, a change is definitely in order.

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Is Your Child Being Bullied?

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Being Bullied

Image source: Telegraph.co.uk

No parent wants to discover that their child is being bullied. But unfortunately, bullying is as common in schools as textbooks. And children with special needs, like those with speech disorders, are 61% more likely to be the target of bullying, according to a study by Professor Gordon W. Blood, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Blood proposed that children with speech disorders are particularly at risk for being bullied because they often appear more withdrawn. This can be due to a lag in communication and/or social skills. So how do you know if your child is being bullied? It can often be a little difficult to tell. Some children may try to cover up the problem. There are some classic signs of bullying that you can be on the lookout for, however.

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Teaching Children Sight Words

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Children Learning to Read

Image source: Learn-spanish-online.maxupdates.tv

Reading is crucial for speech and language development. You might notice that your child “picks up” some words easily, while he struggles with others. There is a good chance that the words your child struggles with the most are sight words. Sight words are words that comprise roughly 50% to 70% of most text. Many of them cannot be “sounded out.” Your child will have to learn to recognize them on sight, hence the term “sight words.” You might sometimes hear “sight words” being referred to as “Dolch words.” They are the same thing. In 1948, Edward William Dolch, Ph.D., compiled The Dolch Word List, which lists 220 sight words.

Teachers often focus on sight words in kindergarten through third grade. Work with your child at home to develop his sight words skills to further his academic success. Collaborate with your child’s teacher and his speech-language pathologist (SLP) to determine the most effective learning methods for your child. For example, if he’s a visual learner, he might do best when presented with an image of the sight word.

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Sight Words Apps for Beginning Readers

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Using iPad App

Image source: Blogs.collegiateschool.org

As your child learns to read, you’ll probably encourage him to cope with the tricky words by sounding them out. But some words do not have straightforward spelling and they cannot be easily sounded out. These words are called “sight words,” and for better or worse, they are used quite frequently in English. Your child will have to learn to recognize them on sight (hence the term, “sight words”). This collection of words is also referred to as the Dolch word list. Encouraging your child to memorize sight words can greatly improve his written communication skills. Your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) can offer advice about improving your child’s reading and writing skills. You can also check out this list of apps that are designed specifically to teach children sight words.

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Fragile X Syndrome: Treatment Options

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child with Fragile X Syndrome

Image source: Childfirstpaediatrictherapy.com.au

Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder that often results in intellectual disabilities. This inherited disorder can cause a wide range of issues, including social and behavioral problems, sensory problems, and speech and language problems. To date, there is no cure for Fragile X syndrome. However, treatment options exist to help your child cope with the symptoms. The sooner your child gets the help he needs, the better the outcome will be.

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