Easy Exercises for Improving Executive Functioning

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

working memory components

Source: learnnc.org

Living in a digital age, most of us rely heavily on electronics to keep ourselves scheduled and organized. Why? Because the cognitive burden of storing so much information in our heads can be overwhelming. We can thank or blame executive functioning for this- the coordination of our brain’s many components that help us remember, organize, prioritize and problem solve. For many children with executive functioning disorders or struggles, language processing can be a significant challenge. In fact, children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) often have executive functioning challenges that specifically should be addressed in speech therapy. Just like organizing a drawer, organizing your thoughts can be challenging when memory, impulse control and reasoning are impacted.

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Treating Cluster Reduction for S in Speech Therapy

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

s cluster family graphic

Source: http://firstgradefuntastic.blogspot.com

Speech therapists must target a variety of phonology and articulation issues in therapy.  Today we’ll talk about treating cluster reductions for the /s/ sound. The /s/ sound is found in a variety of combinations with other letters, called “blends.”  Some /s/ words with a blend can include “spider” (the consonants blended together are s and p), “skate” (s and k) or “spoon” (s and p). When someone reduces the number of sounds in a blend, it is called cluster reduction. A child might have difficulty if you hear them saying “poon” for “spoon,” “sate” for “skate” or “pider” for “spider.” They might not be as tricky as teaching the /r/ sound, but clusters have their own treatment techniques in speech therapy.

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5 At-Home Speech Therapy Activities for Valentines Day

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

How to sign I love you

Source: Signingsavvy.com

Holidays are a great opportunity for building language-based activities at home and incorporating the entire family.  They are fun, motivating and usually involve sweets (yum!). Celebrate Valentines Day with a variety of speech and language therapy techniques that are easy to incorporate into your traditions, or build new ones!

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Is It a He Or a She?!? Speech Therapy Activities for Pronouns!

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Therapy Activities for Pronouns

Image source: Plumeblue.com

With so many speech therapy activities that emphasize articulation, fluency, and pragmatic language use, pronouns can sometimes get overlooked. Does your youngster mix up his “he’s” and “she’s?” It’s perfectly normal for a young child to occasionally mix up pronouns, and remember that every child’s language development is different. The typical toddler will begin to learn more nouns and pronouns when he reaches 24 to 36 months of age. When your kidlet is 24 months old, he will typically begin to use “I,” “me,” and “you” correctly; however, it’s common to mix up the “I” and “me.” He’ll likely master it by the time he reaches the ripe old age of 36 months. But you can help encourage your child’s language development and correct his pronoun usage with at-home speech therapy techniques. Collaborate with your youngster’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) for age-appropriate techniques, and check out our suggested speech therapy activities below for inspiration.

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Is It Possible to Stimulate a Baby’s Language Development? Yes! Try These Speech Therapy Activities

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Language Development - Speech Therapy Activities

Image source: Redapplereading.com

Yesterday, we covered a recent scientific study that explored the relationship between the ability of an infant to sit upright and his cognitive development. Being able to reach, grasp, and manipulate objects around the infant encourages his learning and growth. While it’s important to help your baby learn to sit upright, there are numerous other speech therapy activities you can do to encourage your baby’s early language development.

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