Vacations

As you are reading this, I will hopefully be experiencing a little magic....Disney magic that is!  As many of you know, SO much planning and detail go into a trip like this.  This year, we didn't tell the kids about the trip until 4 days before the actual departure.  Can I just say they were ECSTATIC when they found out.  The pictures from the surprise reveal are priceless!

Many times as parents we can forget how a vacation can disrupt our children's normal schedule.  They will be completely out of their normal routine.  Here are a few tips that you can use for a smooth vacation transisition:

 

• Talk about your vacation and where you will be going.  Talk about the things you may see and the different activities that you have planned.  Explain to them how you will get there....car, plane or train. etc.  If traveling by plane you can act out what may happen during the process.  For example, you can line up chairs and pretend to get onboard an airplane.  Practice going through a security check because this can be scary for a child (and some adults).  Try to find some age appropriate books that talk about travel and vacation.  Clifford the Big Red Dog has a cute book about Emily Elizabeth and her family going on vacation and Clifford finding them because he was so lonely without them. 
• Let your child pack a small bag of things they would like to take on the trip.  You can give your child a bag and ask them to pack a few items. They may choose a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.  Small toys and books are also a great idea.  I have always let my children choose some things they wanted to pack and it makes them feel more independent and they often choose things like lovies that will make them feel comfortable.
• On the big day keep explaining what's going to happen next so they know what to expect.  Traveling doesn't have to be stressful....it should be an adventure!
• HAVE FUN!!

I hope you all have memorable and magical vacations this summer~

I'm excited to announce a new place to find some VERY cute and great ideas for speech and language activites!  My good friend and colleague , Leslie Giambrone and I have started a Facebook page called Chatterbox Girls. We will be posting our favorite products and activities that we have found to be useful and successful in therapy. 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChatterboxGirls

Please find us on Facebook and like our page. We are looking forward to posting things each day that parents can use at home.  Let us know what you think and if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you. Have a great week!!

May is Better Speech and Heaing Month

 According to information obtained from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), more than 5 million children in the United States have a speech, language, and hearing disorder.   Very often, parents are unsure about what to do when they suspect their child may have an issue.  Every May since 1927,  (ASHA) has used the "May is Better Hearing and Speech Month" celebration to provide parents with information about communication disorders.  Speech and language problems can occur at any time in a child's life. They can be caused by accidental injury, illness, or inherited by birth. Child speech and language problems include:

• Stuttering
• Articulation problems ("wabbit" instead of "rabbit")
• Receptive and Expressive Language disorders such as the slow development of vocabulary, concepts, and grammar.
• Voice disorders (nasal, breathy, or hoarse voice and speech that is too high or low)
• Feeding and Swallowing difficulties

Parents who suspect their child has a communication disorder should see an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist. SLP's can identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists work in  many settings such as schools, private practice, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, health departments, and other health education settings.

The good news is most children with speech, language, and hearing problems can be helped.  Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, we can teach the child strategies to help them cope with their communication disorders, or provide them with the appropriate technology. By promoting Better Hearing and Speech Month, our goal is to help parents learn about communication disorders, what they can do to help their children, and how speech-language pathologists can help with their child's communication disorders."

Parents who think their children may have a speech, language, or hearing disorder or know of someone who has a communication disorder should visit http://www.asha.org/findpro/, ASHA's online directory of audiology and speech-language pathology programs, to find an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist or audiologist in their area.

Earth Day Ideas

So..... I'm a little late on Earth Day as it was a couple of weeks ago.  However, I think we can celebrate Earth Day all year long.  I wanted to provide some great activities that can be done in our environment that will also help with speech and language skills:

• Plant some flowers or a tree.  This is a great activity for sequencing.  Talk about what you do first, second, last etc.  It targets following directions, sequencing, labeling, and vocabulary.  As you are planting with your child, talk to them about everything that you are doing.
• Take a walk through your neighborhood or park.  As you are walking point out objects to label and work on descriptive concepts.  For example, I spy something tall and green...what is it?  Have them describe something to you as well.  It's a fun game that most kids enjoy.  You can also pick up liter which is a great lesson to show our kids at a young age.
• Make a bird feeder by using a recycled milk jug that you may have around.  This will be a fun activity that your child will love.  They can follow  directions and decorate the bird feeder with things you may already have such as stickers or use markers to decorate.  Fill up the jug with bird seed and hang it up.  The birds will thank you.

These are just a few examples, but there are many that you could do.  Have fun and let's help keep our Earth happy!