The ABC’s of Stuttering in Children

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development News Parents' Corner Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

What is causing my child to stutter and how long will it last? Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

What Causes Stuttering and Can It Be Fixed?  Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which words, sounds or syllables are repeated or last longer than normal. Stuttering, also called stammering or disfluency, causes a break or a pause in the flow of speech. Young children may stutter when they are first developing their speech and language skills. The stuttering occurs when their speech skills cannot keep up with what they are trying to say. Stumbling over words or speech affects about five percent of children, and generally lasts for several weeks or several years.  Most children outgrow this stuttering phase within their first four years.

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Super Low Cost Speech Therapy Tips and Tricks!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Language Development News Parents' Corner School Speech delay Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques State Resources
Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Speech and language disorders affect children of all races and social-economic groups. If left untreated, speech disorders can affect a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others. Parents are constantly searching for low cost speech therapy tools and ideas. But where do you begin? The Internet is jam-packed with tools, gadgets, whistles and websites that can be confusing and misleading for parents. We have narrowed down a few low cost speech therapy ideas for you to try. Of course, we always recommend that you check in with your pediatrician or licensed speech therapist first before taking on any therapies on your own.

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Little Ways To Make Learning Fun!

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Games and Activities Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Card Games, Field Trips and Playing with Your Kids are Excellent Ways to Make Learning Fun! Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.

Card Games, Field Trips and Playing with Your Kids are Excellent Ways to Make Learning Fun! Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.

School is just about back in session after the long holiday break and your kids are chomping at the bit to get back to the books!  Is this the case at your house? Perhaps NOT!  For many kids, the thought of school, homework and learning are dreary tasks and not something typically viewed as fun. For many, learning and study correlate with serious and tedious. Believe or not, there are ways to make learning fun and effective and something your children will look forward to. Of course, there is always the moaning and groaning about getting back to a busy homework schedule, tests and turning in assignments but with a few tips and tricks, you can turn the negative into a positive and make the learning experience more fun for the kids.

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Three Ways to Boost Language Skills With Story Time!

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Source: Betterworldbooks.com

Story Time Is An Excellent Opportunity to Engage Your Child and Boost Language Skills. Here Are Some Favorites. Source: Betterworldbooks.com

Goodnight Moon, Charlotte’s Web, Dr. Seuss!  These and other perennial favorites are excellent book choices when it comes to reading to your child! There are so many books available for children, parents are often confused what books to check out at the library, or what books to purchase that will both entertain their child and make important connections in early language skill building. But, equally as important as the book content alone when it comes to building language skills, is HOW you read to your child.  The interaction itself is what makes an impact. Some suggestions in improving the quality of reading to your child include, follow your child’s lead, ask questions to see help your child feel connected to the story and encourage your child to talk about the story and how it may relate to his or her life. Take time to talk about the letters, sounds, shapes in the story. Each of these is a crucial component to building language skills. Check out our six favorite basic books to boost language skills in your child.

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5 Best Apps for Building Language and Speech

by Courtenay M. Apps Games and Activities Language Building Skills Language Development Parents' Corner Speech Therapy Techniques
Our Five Favorite Apps to Help Build Language and Speech Skills

Apps for Building Language Skills Are An Excellent Addition to Your Tablet or Smart Phone.

How do you find apps for your kids that are not only fun, but provide the necessary tools to build language and speech skills? The first years of a child’s life are the most important part of developing speech, language and cognitive skills. It’s important for parents to create activities to help develop these language skills by providing stimulation and creating opportunities to foster these developing language skills. Downloadable apps are an excellent way to build language skills and engage your child. And, apps make a great Christmas gift!

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Easy At Home Speech Therapy Ideas

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Games and Activities Language Development Parents' Corner Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Parents can conduct at-home speech therapy techniques with their children with easy, everyday activities.

Parents can conduct at-home speech therapy techniques with their children with easy, everyday activities.

For a child with any type of speech delay or language problem, professional speech therapy is an invaluable tool.  Therapy does not have to be limited to visit to a speech therapists office however. There are many options for parents who are looking for a little help in dealing with their child’s speech disorder. Often, professional speech therapists are expensive, not covered by insurance and sometimes just not a feasible option for families living in rural areas. Additionally, if your child is visiting a speech therapist regularly, there are times (such as Summer vacation) where at home therapy can help keep your child progressing. What are some “at home” options for your child?  Do they really work? Many of you are thinking, “I am not a certified speech therapist”, where would I even begin to start?

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What Are Normal Speech Development Milestones and How Do I Know If My Child Is Meeting Them?

What Are Normal Speech Development Milestones and How Do I Know If My Child Is Meeting Them?

by Courtenay M. Language Development Speech Therapy Techniques

When it comes to speech and language development in children, many parents wonder if their child’s language development is “normal”, or if he or she is achieving the recommended speech development milestones when he is supposed to. Speech and language milestones relate to the ability to understand words and sounds, and the ability to use speech and gestures to communicate what they want.

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Toys and Games Designed to Help Increase Vocabulary and Build Language Skills

by Courtenay M. Games and Activities Language Building Skills Language Development Parents' Corner Speech Therapy Techniques
Toys Can Be Excellent Building Blocks to Increase Vocabulary

Toys Can Be Excellent Building Blocks to Increase Vocabulary

It’s that time of year again! Everywhere you look is another advertisement for yet another toy that your child MUST have!  Barbie, Play Dough, Nintendo Wii, Lego sets…these are always great gifts that most children will love. But, what about toys that are fun for kids and can help build language skills and increase vocabulary at the same time?  Is that even possible? The answer is yes. But will the kids enjoy these toys? Again, the answer is YES, and you may be surprised that some very famous toys are actually excellent language building blocks.

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Tips for Building Early Language Skills with Your Child

by Courtenay M. Games and Activities Language Building Skills Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
child reading with mom

Reading with your child is one of the best ways to help build language skills. Source: news.appstate.com

Mama!  Dada!! Like many parents, you have likely been waiting months for your child to finally say a real word!  Sure, the grunts, pointing and babbling sounds are cute, but that moment your child utters her first word is priceless!   Once the first word is spoken however, there is no turning back. What was once a semi-peaceful trip to the grocery store is now filled with endless, “Ball”, “Mama”, “Apple”, “Want Dat”.  Car rides are no longer excuses to escape with Adam Levine.  Instead the sounds of “Stop,” “Go”, “Car”, “Fire Truck” are yelled triumphantly and continuously from the back seat. Are there ways in which parents can start building speech and language skills early?  How early is too early?
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Word-Final Disfluencies: How Can I Help My Child?

by Chris O Language Development Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Word-final Disfluencies

Word-final disfluencies are often classified as forms of stuttering that occur at the ends of words or sentences. However, the treatments for this disfluency type are often more typical of therapies used for other disfluencies and not necessarily stuttering. Image source: busybeespeech.blogspot.com

Uniqueness is a beautiful thing – unless that is it comes to struggling to find a diagnosis and treatment plan for an uncommon speech disorder. Then unique can translate to undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, either one of which can be frustrating and challenging for families. If you’re a parent of a child with word-final disfluency, chances are that at least one time you’ve been told that your child’s speech pattern is unique, but not necessarily something to worry about or for which to seek therapy. Unique can be beautiful, but if you’ve got that feeling in your parental gut about that not-so-normal-stuttering speech pattern, there are steps you can take to help your child. Continue reading →