What is Speech Therapy and Why Does My Child Need It?

by Jacky G. Speech Therapist
Speech Therapy Infographic

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Raising a child can be the most difficult job in the world. And now your child’s teacher or pediatrician has recommended that you have him evaluated by a speech therapist, and suddenly life seems even more challenging. First of all – don’t panic! It’s perfectly natural to be worried, but rest assured that speech therapy can work wonders for your child, if he does indeed have a speech disorder or delay. Work with your child’s speech therapist to integrate speech therapy techniques into your child’s daily routine. One starting point is Speech Buddies University, which offers customized exercises to accelerate your child’s progress.

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Strategies for Affordable Speech Therapy via Telepractice

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Online Speech Therapy

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Are you looking forward to the holidays? If you’re like me, you’ve spent the last month writing down the perfect gift ideas for everyone on your list. It’s great to take a break from your everyday routine now and then, but holiday spending can put quite a dent in your budget. And raising a child with special needs can stretch your budget to the max. On top of speech therapy sessions, your child might have occupational therapy, physical therapy, applied behavioral analysis (ABA), and countless visits to the doctor’s office. Speech therapy can be affordable, but it might require a little trial-and-error to find the solution that best fits your family’s needs.

This week, we’ve focused on online speech therapy. Learning proper articulation with online resources like Speech Buddies University is a great way to keep your child engaged in the lesson plan. Plus, accelerating your child’s progress with the use of Speech Buddies in addition to other speech therapy techniques can help reduce the total amount of speech therapy required. This can cut your bill drastically – which is definitely helpful when you’re juggling gift-buying for all those fashionistas, jewelry lovers, and others on your holiday list. Here’s a look at some strategies for making online speech therapy (aka telepractice) affordable for your family.

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Speech Therapy at Home with Telepractice

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Telepractice for Speech Therapy at Home

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Do you remember life before the Internet? When I was a kid, we didn’t even have a computer for quite a long time. When we finally got one, the modem was one of those ancient dial-ups. I could start loading a Web page, run around the block a few times, and it would still be loading by the time I got back. We might curse modern technology for its glitches and for constantly making us buy new upgrades, but the truth of the matter is that it quite often makes our lives easier. When your child is diagnosed with a speech disorder, you can find a qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP) via Google. You can also look up activities for speech therapy at home. You can practice speech therapy techniques with your child using the online Speech Buddies University. The simple, easy-to-use interface of Speech Buddies University may be used at various levels and for various target sounds.

And now, you can even take your child to see his speech therapist without getting into the car. Speech therapy at home with telepractice has been making waves in the speech therapy world lately, with good reason. It’s convenient, it works, and it lets you connect with a qualified SLP no matter where you live. So what, exactly, is telepractice?

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Teachers: Essential Questions About Childhood Speech Disorders

by Jacky G. School
Special Needs & Childhood Speech Disorders in School

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Teachers are rarely in it for the money. Many list a desire to see kids succeed as their number one reason for teaching, despite the low wages. But some kids, such as those with childhood speech disorders, need a little extra help. Sometimes, the key to success in the classroom lies in making drastic changes, such as changing the entire physical landscape, as one school in Stockholm, Sweden did. When dealing with childhood speech disorders in the classroom, the best approach is collaboration. Because Open House nights rarely afford the opportunity for in-depth discussions with parents, teachers should instead schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss the child’s speech disorder. It’s also a good idea for teachers to meet with the child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) to discuss how to best meet that child’s needs.

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Texting Dangers Extend Beyond Impaired Driving, Impact Language Skills

by Jacky G. Language Development
Texting Dangers - Teens with Cellphones

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The holidays are right around the corner and the kids are begging for new smartphones. Buying a new phone takes a lot of research. Even with Black Friday coming up and crazy deals on iPhones, it can take some hunting around to find a great cellphone with a reasonable plan. But before you give in to your youngster’s pleas for a fancy smartphone, consider potential texting dangers like the impact it might have on his language development. According to a couple of studies, “LOL” is no laughing matter, and kids who text frequently place themselves at risk for texting dangers like poor language skills.

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