PediaSpeech

Stuttering: Resource Catalog

2012-02-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

Click here to view The Stuttering Foundation's new resource catalog for those who stutter.

For more information on stuttering and speech therapy please visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826.

Animal Rhymes

2012-02-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

Rhyming activites are a great way to improve phonological awareness. Phonological awareness refers to an individual's awareness of the phonological structure, or sound structure, of spoken words. It is essential for future reading skills.

Click here for some great animal rhymes ranging in skill level!

"I'm stopping for a moment just to say 'How-do-you-do?'

I've just been decorated with this ribbon of deep blue

Because of all the gracefulness with which I trot and prance—

No wonder that you give Sir Horse your most admiring glance!"

Photo Friday!

2012-01-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

Having fun with Ms. Beth!

Click here to find out more about Beth Frilingos M.Ed, CCC-SLP.

Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Services for People With Severe Disabilities

2012-01-27T16:17:00.000-05:00

Follow this link for answers to your biggest questions about services for people with severe disabilities.

For more information on speech and occupational therapy services, please contact us at 770-209-9826 or visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/.

Meet Sarah!

2012-01-27T14:54:00.001-05:00

Sarah Hay PhD, CCC-SLP is one of our newest additions to the PediaSpeech family!
Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders at Auburn University, her Master’s of Science in Communication Disorders from Baylor University, and her Doctorate from the University of Memphis. Her doctoral dissertation was on processing limitations in children with dyslexia. Sarah has 10 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, treating both adult and pediatric clients. Her specialty is in language development with a focus on reading and processing disorders. She has worked in multiple rehabilitation hospitals with both adult and pediatric patients who were diagnosed with various disorders including, expressive, receptive, speech, and cognitive disorders and dysphagia. She has also worked in multiple school districts where she treated children ranging in ages from 3 to 21 with expressive and receptive language disorders, apraxia, articulation disorders, fluency disorders, emotional disorders, and autism.

Sarah moved to Atlanta in 2011 and is enjoying exploring her new home. She loves to garden, cook, travel, and spend time with her amazing family. She has two beautiful poodles, Gilbert and Oliver and one perfect little kitty, Sister.

14th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol

2012-01-20T11:40:00.000-05:00

14th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol

My Life is For Real!
Celebrate Community, Advocacy, and Friendship

Thursday, February 16, 2012
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. T-shirt distribution, activities and exhibits at the Georgia Freight Depot
First come, first served

11:00 a.m. Rally Program on the Capitol Steps

12:00 p.m. Unity March to the Georgia Freight Depot
Exhibits at the Georgia Freight Depot
Box Lunches -- first come, first served

To register, please dial 404-656-6593

Free Access Pass to National Parks for Families with Special Needs!

2012-01-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Free Access Pass to National Parks for Families with Special Needs!

The Access Pass is a free lifetime pass to over 2000 federally owned parks in the USA. If you live in the USA, chances are that one of these parks is near you. For parks that charge admission per vehicle, everyone who is in the vehicle with the Access Pass holder is admitted for free (for individual tours and campsites, there may be discounts, but fees still have to be paid).

This includes sites operated by:

The National Park Service (includes all National Parks, National Monuments, National Historic Sites, and more)
USDA Forest Service
Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Land Management

The Access Pass is available to US citizens or permanent residents of all ages who have a permanent disability. A permanent disability is a physical, mental or sensory impairment that severely limits one or more life activities. In the application for the Access Pass, the applicant must prove the existence of a permanent disability with one of the following documents:

Statement by a licensed physician
Document issued by a Federal agency such as the Veteran's Administration, Social Security
Disability Income, or Supplemental Security Income
Document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency

For more information, visit this site!

iPad App Recommendations

2012-01-13T16:42:00.003-05:00

2-year olds

Old Mac HD
Itsy Bittsy HD
PickPix Tot
LanguageMatch
iLanguage (Language Builder)
BabyBus Body Parts

3-year olds

Winnie the Pooh Puzzle Book
Receptive Identification 1–kindergarten.com
Receptive By Function–kindergarten.com
Receptive Combined-kindergarten.com
Speech with Milo Verbs
Clean Up- (pictures of nouns and categories)

4-year olds

Speech with Milo Sequencing
Inferences (superduper.com)
iConversation

5-year olds

Memory- Simon Says (number, colors and letters)-$1.99

Reading (4 and 5 year olds)

ABC Phonics Rocks!
Build A Word
Word Wizard
Montessori Crosswords
ABA Problem Solving Game-What rhymes?
Rock and Learn Easy Reader 1 and 2
Word Bingo
Dexteria (Letter tracing-OT app)
Sound Literacy (Orton-Gillingham Tutor app $30)

Math Apps

Epic Math (counting, learning numbers)
Mathalians (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division-Kindergarten-5th or 6th grade)
Hang Math
Math Regrouping
Squeebles (multiplication tables)
MakeChange (counting money)

Occupational Therapy: Developing Scissor and Fine Motor Skills

2012-01-13T12:35:00.001-05:00

Here are some activities for developing pre-scissor and fine motor skills!

Crawling activities - through a tunnel or home made obstacle course.
Balloon Volleyball - hit a balloon or light beach ball with your hands and see how long you can keep it up in the air
Walking on hands, pretending to be different animals (e.g. bear, lion, frog, rabbit.)
Wind-up toys
Finger or glove puppets
Stringing beads
Play dough – encourage the child to pull pieces apart, roll with rolling pin, squeeze and pinch. Making biscuits or cookies could also achieve the same goals
Jigsaw puzzles
Games that involve turning knobs and handles (e.g. Pop-Up Pirates, Downfall, Etch-A-Sketch.)

For more information on fine motor skills visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826!

Photo Friday!

2011-12-16T16:28:00.002-05:00

Types of Picture Books to Improve Your Toddler's Language

2011-12-16T16:22:00.002-05:00

Click here to read an article from the ASHA Leader with tips for selecting picture books that encourage language development.

For more information on speech and language development visit www.pediaspeech.com or call us at 770-209-9826!

Tips for Helping Individuals Living with Autism Have a Happy Holiday Season

2011-12-08T14:30:00.005-05:00

1. Preparation is crucial for many individuals.
2. Decorations around the house may be disruptive for some.
3. If a person with autism has difficulty with change, you may want to gradually decorate the house.
4. If a person with autism begins to obsess about a particular gift or item they want, it may be helpful to be specific and direct about the number of times they can mention the gift.
5. Teach them how to leave a situation and/or how to access support when an event becomes overwhelming.
6. If you are traveling for the holidays, make sure you have their favorite foods, books or toys available.
7. Know your loved one with autism and how much noise and activity they can tolerate.
8. Prepare a photo album in advance of the relatives and other guests who will be visiting during the holidays.
9. Practice opening gifts, taking turns and waiting for others, and giving gifts.
10. Prepare family members for strategies to use to minimize anxiety or behavioral incidents, and to enhance participation.
11. If the person with autism is on special diet, make sure there is food available that he/she can eat.
12. Above all, know your loved one with autism. Know how much noise and other sensory input they can take. Know their level of anxiety and the amount of preparation it may take. Know their fears and those things that will make the season more enjoyable for them.
13. Since holidays may place extra stress on a child, this may not be the time to introduce them to new demands.
14. During dinner, it may be a challenge for your child to eat at the same table as the entire family. Have options available.
15. If feasible, hire a respite provider or babysitter to be available during a section of the holidays so that other family members may be able to enjoy the day.
16. Realizing that the holidays are stressful, make sure that some of the individual's favorite foods are available during dinner.
17. In preparation for the family holiday event, rehearse conversation topics in advance with your loved one. Develop a signal to help them understand when they should shift topics. Make a list of acceptable topics and a list of those they should not discuss. Practice this list in advance.
18. Equally important is to prompt family members about topics of discussion that they can engage your son/daughter in and those they should avoid.
19. Most important, remember to relax and not get unduly stressed. Your loved one may in all likelihood react to that stress.
20. Have a wonderful holiday season

Read more of this article here.

Social Space Camp!

2011-11-23T11:08:00.004-05:00

Join us for a weekly social group aimed at improving pragmatics, social development, and sensory motor skills for elementary age children (K-3rd grade).

We will be working on tasks such as eye contact, initiating and maintaining conversation, sensory processing, and fine motor skills, while exploring our solar system!

The group will be held on Fridays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. starting January 20, 2012 through February 24, 2012.

Social Space Camp costs $150 (Only $25 per session). Advance payment is required.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
Call us at 770-209-9826 (ext. 1) to get signed up!

www.pediaspeech.com

Sensory Friendly Movie Event

2011-11-23T11:02:00.002-05:00

The Golden Soldiers, Inc. is a faith based, 501c(3) non-profit organization focused on spreading the meaning of the Golden Rule as well as hosting events in honor of individuals with special needs.

The Golden Soldiers, Inc. is pleased to announce that they will be partnering with Regal Cinemas in Alpharetta Georgia beginning January 2012. The Golden Soldiers, Inc. partners with multiple movie theaters to bring this wonderful experience to as many families of children with special needs as possible.

The Golden Soldiers, Inc. will rent out the movie theater and invite families to attend a special showing of an all ages friendly movie.

Please visit our website - http://www.thegoldensoldiers.org for further information about
the movie and registration for this event.

A sensory friendly movie is a movie which is shown without previews, the sound is not as loud as a regular movie, and the lights are not as dim. You can also talk, shout, scream and run around the movie theater during these events!

Special Time with Santa

2011-11-18T16:47:00.003-05:00

Special Time with Santa

December 3, 2011 at Summit Learning Center

700 Holcomb Bridge Road

Roswell, GA

Crafts, music, and fun for all and a special time and phoro with Santa! To set your appointment please call 770-904-4474

Click here for more information.

Foods that Encourage Chewing

2011-11-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

Beginning Stage:

Cubes of hard cheese such as cheddar, Monterrey jack, and American
Cubes of white meat, chicken roll, and turkey roll
Partially cooked carrots, potatoes, green beans - cubed or cut in lengths for biting
Grilled cheese sandwiches - cubes or strips
French toast - cubes or strips
Firm omelets - cubes or strips
Waffles - cubes or strips
Crunchy cereals - Kix, cheerios
Fresh bananas - cubed
Canned fruits - pears, peaches, etc.
Tofu cubes - may need to add flavoring

Second Stage:

Cubes of harder food - bologna, turkey hot dogs, poaches chicken
Cold meatloaf cubed
Firm, solid meatballs
French fries - strips
Chicken nuggets - cubes or strips
Ravioli - cubed
Ziti noodles cooked al dente
Toast - cubes or strips
Pepperidge Farms "Goldfish" crackers
Fresh fruits in cubes or strips - peaches, pears, etc.
Firmly cooked vegetables - cubes of strips

For more information visit: http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Tips for talking with a child who stutters...

2011-11-10T10:50:00.006-05:00

Use a relatively slow, relaxed rate in your own conversational speech - but not so slow as to sound unnatural. Try to sound like Fred Roger's from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Listen to what the child is saying. Respond to that, rather than the stuttering.

Give appropriate responses to what the child is saying such as head nods, smiles, and "uh-huhs."

Keep natural eye contact when the child is talking.

Don't rush the child by interrupting or finishing words for him. Don't let others rush or tease the child.

Source: The Stuttering Foundation

For more information on stuttering, speech-language therapy services, or any other communicaton disorders contact us at 770-209-9826 or visit us at www.pediaspeech.com!

Photo Friday!

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

For information on speech and occupational therapy services in the Atlanta area visit our website http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826.

A Daily Dose of Laughter in a Book

2011-11-03T11:45:00.012-04:00

We all know how important a daily dose of laughter is! Here are some funny books for several age ranges.

Good Night, Gorilla
Author: Peggy Rathman
Ages: Infant-4 yrs.

10 Minutes Till Bedtime
Author: Peggy Rathman
Ages: Infant-4 yrs.

Sheep in A Jeep
Author: Nancy Shaw Margot Apple
Ages: Infant - 4 yrs.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
Author: Kevin Henkes
Ages: 4 - 6 yrs.

My Little Sister Ate One Hare
Author: Bill Grossman
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Author: Dr. Seuss
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Miss Nelson is Missing
Author: Harry Allard, James Marshall
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Art Dog
Author: Thacher Hurd
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Pinkerton Behave
Author: Steven Kellogg
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Sayonara, Mrs. Kackleman
Author: Maira Kallman
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Doctor DeSoto
Author: William Steig
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Julius, the Baby of the World
Author: Kevin henkes
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Martha Speaks
Author: Susan Meddaugh
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

The Stupid Have A Ball
Author: Harry Allard
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Author: Glen Rounds
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.

Washday on Noah's Ark
Author: Glen Rounds
Ages: 5 - 8 yrs.

Harry's Mad
Author: Dick Ming-Smith
Ages: 5 & Up

Gooney Bird Greene
Author: Lois Lowry
Ages: 6 & Up

Circle of Doom
Author: Tim Kennemore
Ages: 9 - 11 yrs.

It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale
Author: Margot Zemach
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Anastasia Krupnik
Author: Lois Lowry
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Skinny Bones
Author: Barbara Park
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Harris and Me
Author: Gary Paulsen
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Reluctabtly Alice
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Author: Louis Sachar
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

Henry Huggins
Author: Beverly Cleary
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

The Not-Just-Anybody Family
Author: Betsy Byars
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.

What Would Joey Do?
Author: Jack Gantos
Ages: 10 - 15 yrs.

The Canning Season
Author: Polly Horvath
Ages: 12 and up

Source: Parents' Choice Foundation

Parents' Choice Foundation

2011-11-03T11:35:00.002-04:00

The Parents' Choice Foundation's purpose is to search out and recommend products that help kids grow - imaginatively, physically, morally, and mentally - fairly priced products that are fun, safe, and socially sound.

Parents' Choice reviews books, toys, music, television, software, videogames, websites, and magazines for children of families of all achievements and backgrounds.

Visit the Parents' Choice foundation at: www.parents-choice.org

Photo Friday!

2011-10-28T16:26:00.004-04:00

PediaSpeech at the Atlanta Down Syndrome Assocation's Buddy Walk!

Click here to view all of the photos!

For information on speech and occupational therapy services in the Atlanta area visit our website http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826.

Apps for Autism

2011-10-24T10:48:00.002-04:00

Check out this great segment from 60 Minutes about how Apps are helping people with autism communicate!

Click here to watch this great video.

"Autistic people whose condition prevents them from speaking are making breakthroughs with the help of tablet computers and special applications that allow them to communicate, some for the first time."

Photo Friday!

2011-10-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

For information on speech and occupational therapy services in the Atlanta area visit our website http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826.

Reading to Children

2011-10-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what to say to a young child who can't answer you with words? Read a book. Even the youngest child loves the sound of voices. Reading books to little ones at an early age is important. Reading children's stories out loud is one of the best activities an adult can do with a child.

Reading to children helps the brain grow.
Children who are read to are better able to learn to read themselves.
Reading with a child is a simple way to establish a strong bond.

The best part about reading stories to children is that we can all do it! We don't have to be expert readers. Children love it when you talk about and point to the pictures in a book. Children especially love snuggling up and enjoying a special story. Isn't it great to know that something so simple can make such a difference?

So, if you haven't read a book to a child today, pick up a book and get started reading! The greatest gift we can give children is the gift of our time. Any day is a good day to offer the gift of yourself by reading a book to a child.

Tips:

Use words like up, down, right, left.
Talk about opposites: in and out, up and down, on or off, hot or cold, fast or slow.
Use different words that mean the same thing. If your child talks about the time after dinner, respond using the word "evening."
Pick out a new word, and tell your child what it means.
Visit your library for books on subjects that interest your child. Many children love books about animals or machines, and these books can introduce new words.

Useful Links:

Literacy Websites for Preschoolers

The National Center for Family Literacy

National Children's Literacy Website

National Institute for Literacy

Reach Out and Read

Reading is Fundamental

AAP Literacy Kit

Source: Bright from the Start

Top 10 Websites for Educational Games

2011-10-20T11:32:00.001-04:00

Funbrain - One of the most popular educational gaming sites around. Not only does this site cover a variety of subjects, it caters to K-8th graders, and has nice teacher resources as well.

Game Classroom - Excellent, safe, teacher approved, state standard aligned games for grades K-6. Also, lots of teacher resources to find such as: videos, lesson plans, worksheets, etc.

Gameaquarium - A great site for games for kids K-6 in all types of subjects. Videos, eBooks, and teacher resources can be found on here as well.

Braineos - Is a nice site where games are based on flash cards. Also, a registered user can include their own study lists/flash cards in the games.

Tucoola - A wonderful site for skill building games for younger kids where parents can track their progress.

Tutpup - A cool site for math and spelling games where kids can compete w/ other kids online. Best of all this site is COPPA compliant.

BrainNook - Is an innovative site that allows kids to play educational games for math and english in safe virtual worlds. In these worlds kids will interact and compete w/ other kids. Also, a teacher portal is available to allow teachers to sign up their class.

Clever Island - Clever Island offers fun educational games for kids 3-8 in a variety of subjects such as: math, reading, spelling, etc.

What2Learn - An excellent site for educational games where a teacher can track students progress through a paid account. Also, users can create custom made games as well.

Abcya - A great site for elementary students that covers a wide variety of subjects. Also, has educational apps for mobile devices.

Photo Friday!

2011-10-14T16:14:00.003-04:00

For more information on occupation therapy and speech therapy in the Atlanta area visit www.pediaspeech.com or call us at 770-209-9826!

Helping Children with Challenges Thrive

2011-10-14T11:40:00.004-04:00

Check out our recent article featured in Decatur Living Magazine!

Click this link: "Helping Children with Challenges Thrive"

For more information on occupation therapy and speech therapy in the Atlanta area visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826!

Simple Speech and Language Stimulation Techniques for Children 1-3 Years

2011-10-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

Not Anticipating: Do not anticipate your child's every need or desire before he/she has a chance to make them known to you. If your child gets what he/she wants without communicating for it, he/she will not even bother to point, gesture, or possibly talk.
Delaying Responses: Delay your responses to your child's pointing, gestures, or babbling when he/she wants things. When your child points or gestures without attempting to talk, he/she is still trying to communicate, and you eventually have to respond to the non-verbal communication. However, just pretend you don't understand what he/she wants for 15-20 seconds and then respond appropriately. If he/she attempts to say any meaningful word(s), respond right away. Show your child that the payoff for attempting to use words is much greater - things happy faster.
Parent's Speech: Name nouns (objects) and verbs (actions) in real life and in pictures. Use slow, clear, simple speech when talking to your child. By the age of one, never talk baby-talk to your child. Always try to make your child feel good about making the effort to speak.
Read books: Choose colorful books with large, simple pictures.
Self-Talk: Talk out loud about what you are seeing, hearing, doing, or feeling when your child is nearby or within hearing range. He/she does not have to be close to you or paying attention; he/she only has to be in hearing range. Be sure to use slow, clear, simple words and short phrases.
Parallel Talk: Talk out-loud about what is happening to your child. Use words to describe what he/she is doing, seeing, hearing, or feeling when your child is nearby or within hearing range.
Reinforcement (praise): Respond quickly to your child's speech attempts and verbal requests by your actions and/or verbal responses.
Echo-Expansion Modeling: As a general rule, add one or two words to what your child says when you respond back to him/her. A child loves to hear his own words repeated back! If your child's word order was wrong, correct it when you repeat. (i.e. change "up" to "come up," change "mine" to "this is mine"
Expectations: Your expectations, according to the level your child is at, are very important. You must always let your child know your expectations concerning his speech. If he has said a word or phrase on his own a few times already, and then doesn't use it again in the same or similar situation, make your child aware that he/she has been saying something which you know he/she can say and you're not happy about it. Let him/her know you expect them to keep using that word or phrase.
Other Suggestions: a. Ask questions: Ask your child "What's that?" or "What am I doing?" with objects, actions, or pictures.
b. If your child is not at the imitation level, take the pressure off him/her for speech. Just model the words and phrases to him/her. Give time to respond - but don't pressure to do so.
c. Encourage independence and separation from you if your child is overly shy or attached to you.

Foto Friday!

2011-09-30T16:47:00.000-04:00

For more information on speech and occupational therapy visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826!

Why OT?

2011-09-22T12:06:00.004-04:00

"An occupational therapist? So what, you do like, physical therapy?"
"Oh, you help people get jobs."
These are just a couple typical responses to what the OT profession actually does. Within the profession occupation is defined as anything that provides meaning in a person's life. Occupations relating to children include participating in school, play, and self-care activities. Occupational therapists working in pediatrics focus on helping children engage in those occupations and fostering independence when disabilities, chronic conditions, or life events prevent them from doing so at a successful and fulfilling level.
Through providing meaningful activities occupational therapists address deficits in fine-motor, visual perception, cognition, and sensory-processing skills. These are the foundational skills necessary for successful participation in higher level tasks that comprise the occupations of play, school, and self-care.

Photo Friday!

2011-09-16T15:48:00.003-04:00

For more information on speech and occupational therapy in the Atlanta area visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826!

Handwriting tips from Kris

2011-09-16T12:57:00.003-04:00

How much do you think about handwriting? Unless you share a similar profession as myself, you likely answered, “very little, if at all.” Where did we learn how to write? Or how to hold a pencil? These skills didn’t just develop naturally; we had to be taught at some point. Unfortunately, the increasing pressure on teachers to stick to curriculum and time lines, handwriting has been placed on the back burner. One resource that is available for handwriting skills is occupational therapy. Occupational therapists (OTs) address the foundation skills necessary for successful writing. These skills include fine-motor control, posture, visual perception, and visual-motor (eye-hand) coordination. The following are some quick tips for improving handwriting legibility:

Like any sport, it is all in the set up.

The non-writing hand needs to hold the paper.
Left-handers may angle their paper because, believe it or not, it is good to actually see what you are writing.
Feet should be flat on the floor.
Knees and hips should be at a 90 degree angle.

Hold on… not too tight.

Hold pencil firmly, but be sure not to choke it.

Go and stop at the same time?

Our “go” fingers are our thumb and first two digits. They do all the movement.
Our stop fingers are the ring and pinky finger. They stay flexed into the palm.

Think big!

Start writing on big lines. Make homemade paper with large writing lines. You may even want to try not using any lines at first and letting your child make the motions of writing the letters.
Write on an easel or paper taped to the wall or refrigerator. This helps to strengthen the arm muscles needed to write for longer periods. It will also help your child learn the direction strokes go to make letters rather than just memorizing them.

These are just a few things to implement at home, but being creative with your instruction is also important. Make writing interesting, otherwise frustration may set in. Let your child write the shopping list, write on the windows with special markers found at office supply stores, use play-dough, glitter glue, or other mediums to write with. Anything will seem better than a worksheet. Try these simple ideas and remember that praise for a job well done will lead to motivation for successful handwriting.

Kristopher Osher M. OT OTR/L received a Bachelor's degree of science in occupational therapy and Master's of occupational therapy from Eastern Michigan University in December 2008. He worked for Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services for two and a half years in the Fulton County School District.

For more information on Occupation Therapy and Speech Therapy services for children in the Atlanta area call us at 770-209-9826 or visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/.

Having fun at PediaSpeech!

2011-09-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Click here to check out some great photos recently taken at our Decatur location!

For more information on speech therapy and occupational therpay services in the Atlanta area visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ or call us at 770-209-9826!

Occupational Therapy's Role with Autism

2011-09-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

Occupational therapy services focus on enhancing participation in the performance of activities of daily living (e.g., feeding, dressing), instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., community mobility, safety procedures), education, work, leisure, play, and social participation.

Occupational therapy services can focus on personal development, quality of life, and the needs of the family for children with Autism. The occupational therapy evaluation process is designed to gain an understanding of the individual’s skills—his or her strengths and challenges while engaging in daily activities (occupations). The occupational therapy intervention process is based on the results of the evaluation and is individualized to include a variety of strategies and techniques that help clients maximize their ability to participate in daily activities at home, school (if relevant), work, and in the community environment. Progress or a successful outcome is noted through improved performance (or adaptation), enhanced participation in necessary or meaningful daily activities, personal satisfaction, improved health and wellness, and successful transitions to new situations and roles.

Occupational therapy practitioners help people with autism adjust tasks and conditions to match their needs and abilities.

What Can Occupational Therapy Practitioners Do for People with Autism?

Evaluate an individual to determine whether he or she has accomplished developmentally appropriate skills needed in such areas as grooming and play and leisure skills.
Provide interventions to help an individual respond to information coming through the senses. Intervention may include developmental activities, sensory integration or sensory processing, and play activities.
Facilitate play activities that instruct as well as aid a child in interacting and communicating with others.
Devise strategies to help the individual transition from one setting to another, from one person to another, and from one life phase to another.
Collaborate with the individual and family to identify safe methods of community mobility.
Identify, develop, or adapt work and other daily activities that are meaningful to enhance the individual’s quality of life.

Contact PediaSpeech for more information on Occupational Therapy!
770-209-9826
www.pediaspeech.com

Source: The American Occupational Therapy Association

Photo Friday!

2011-09-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

Occupational Therapy

2011-09-01T13:06:00.001-04:00

Occupational therapy practitioners bring specific knowledge and expertise to
appropriately address children’s needs and collaborate with parents and other
members of the team to:

provide strategies to facilitate full participation of all children in daily routines;
assess children’s developmental and learning needs;
plan and implement relevant intervention strategies and developmentally appropriate activities;
reduce environmental barriers that limit a child’s participation in family, learning, and community-based activities;
identify needed assistive technology devices and supports; and prepare children and their families for transition to preschool, school, and other community-based programs.

Contact us to find out more about our Occupational Therapy service
http://www.pediaspeech.com/
770-209-9826

Source: The American Occupational Therapy Association

Even a Mild Hearing Loss Can Effect a Child's Speech and Language

2011-08-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

Anne L. Oyler, AuD, CCC-A, Associate Director for Audiology Professional Practices at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association discusses how even a mild hearing loss can effect a child's speech and language.

Listen to Your Buds!

2011-08-26T11:40:00.000-04:00

Listen To Your Buds is a public education campaign that is aimed at preventing noise-induced hearing loss by helping parents teach their children how to use personal audio technology safely.

Learn More About the Campaign.

Typical Pre-Reading Skills Development

2011-08-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

3-4 Years

Spontaneously Produces Rhyme: The child sings and chants rhyming words without awareness of what rhyme is.

Ex: Child is pretending to read a book and says “pig wig jig”

4-5 Years

Ability to Identify Rhyme: The child identifies that some words have the same ending sounds or sound the same at the end.

Ex: Pig, wig. "Do pig and wig rhyme?"

Ability to Segment Syllables: The child identifies the number of syllables in a word by tapping, clapping, or in some way indicating that he or she hears the number of syllables in a word.

Ex: Let’s clap out the word hamburger. ham-bur-ger OR how many beats (or parts) do you hear in baseball?

Ability to Blend Syllables: Given a word that has been segmented into syllables, the child states the word created by blending the syllables together.

What word am I saying? Ham-bur-ger OR what does the word ma-ca-ro-ni say?

5+ Years

Ability to Generate Rhyme: The child says words that rhyme when asked.

Ex: Tell me a word that rhymes with pig OR tell me as many words as you can that rhyme with dad.

Ability to Delete Syllables: The child deletes a syllable from a word and states what remains.

Ex: Lightbulb. "Say lightbulb without bulb."

6 Years

Ability to Blend Phonemes: Given the sounds in a word that has been segmented, the child blends the sounds to form the word.

Ex: Listen /s/ /I/ /k/ "What word did I say? That’s right, sick."

Ability to Segment Phonemes: Given a word, the child segments the phonemes in the word.

Ex: What are the words you hear in ship? That’s right /sh/ /i/ /p/ OR does mom start with /m/?

6-7 Years

Ability to Judge Whether Words Rhyme: The child compares a group of words and chooses the one that rhymes OR the child chooses one that does not rhyme with the other.

Ex: Pig, wig, cup, jig – which doesn’t rhyme? OR pig, wig cup – which words rhyme?

Ability to Caregorize Rhyme: The child forms classes of words that go together because they rhyme. This is a precursor to understanding word families.

Ex: Group these words together so that the words in the groups rhyme. "Ready, listen: bat, head, bed, sat, cat, led."

7 Years

Ability to Delete Phonemes: The child deletes a phoneme from a word and says the new word or a nonsense word.

Ex: Say dog without the /g/ OR say dog without the first sound OR duck /uk/. "What sound did I leave out?"

7+ Years

Abilty to Manipulate Phonemes: The child is able to manipulate the phonemes in words by substituting, changing, or transposing phonemes.

Ex: Say muck. Now say muck with a /d/ instead of an /m/ OR duck, muck. "What sound did I change?"

Ability to Manipulate Syllables: The child manipulates syllables in words to form new words or nonsense words.

Ex: Say hamburger. Now say hamburger with "gum" at the end instead of "ger."

Photo Friday!

2011-08-12T15:46:00.000-04:00

PhonologicalAwareness.org

2011-08-11T15:25:00.001-04:00

Visit http://www.phonologicalawareness.org/ for great tips and activities to help get your child ready to read!

Welcome our new Occupational Therapist!

2011-08-11T15:02:00.003-04:00

We are happy to introduce you to Kris Osher, the newest addition to the PediaSpeech Family! Kris is an Occupational Therapist with experience working with multi-age and ethnically diverse children.

Kris received a Bachelor's degree of science in Occupational Therapy and Master's of Occupational Therapy at Eastern Michigan University in December 2008. He worked for Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services for two and a half years in the Fulton County School District. He has lived in the Atlanta area since January 2009. Kris also coaches high school Ultimate Frisbee at Atlanta International School in Buckhead.

He has experience working with diagnoses including cerebral palsy, autism, pervasive developmental disorder, extreme behavioral disorder, autism, and down’s syndrome. He also has experience in treating hand-writing remediation, basic and advanced fine-motor skills, typing, sensory processing, adaptive skills/basic activities of daily living, and life skills.

Kris will be working in both the Norcross and Decatur offices. His first day is Tuesday, August 23rd.

By providing more opportunity for Occupational Therapy we are better serving your child and our mission of treating the whole child.

Call or e-mail us to set up your appointment!
770-209-9826
info@pediaspeech.com
www.pediaspeech.com

Photo Friday!

2011-08-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

Normal Speech Development: When should I expect my child to talk?

2011-08-04T11:12:00.004-04:00

All children develop speech and language skills at different times. We as speech language pathologists, however, become concerned when children are falling significantly below their age level for both understanding and talking. Here are a few guidelines you can use to see if your children are developing speech and language skills appropriately:

7 months - 1 year:
Hearing & Understanding

Enjoys games like peak-a-boo and pat-a-cake
Turns and looks in the direction of sounds
Listens when spoken to
Recognizes words for common items like "cup", "shoe", "juice"
Begins to respond to simple requests ("come Here", "want more")

Talking

Babbling with both long and short groups of sounds "tata upup bibibibi"
Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
Imitates different speech sounds
Has 1 or 2 words ("bye, bye, dada, mama")

1-2 Years
Hearing & Understanding

Points to a few body parts
Follows 1-2 step directions and understands simple questions ("Roll the ball, "kiss the baby", "Go get your shoes")
Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
Points to pictures in a book when named

Talking

Says more words every month
Uses some 1-2 word questions ("where kitty?", "go bye-bye"?, "what's that?")
Put 2 words together ("more cookie", "no juice", "mommy book")
Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words

2-3 Years
Hearing & Understanding

Hears when you call from another room
Answers simple "who?", "what?", "where?", "why" questions
Follows 2-3 step directions

Talking

Has a word for almost everything
Uses 2-3 words to talk about and ask for things
Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time
Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them

3-4 Years
Hearing & Understanding

understands differences in meaning ("go-stop", "in-on", "big-little", "up-down")
Follows 2 requests ("Get the book and put it on the table")
understands action words ("jump, run, wash") and descriptive words ("big, wet, little")

Talking

Talks about activities completed earlier such as from school or a friends home
People outside the family understands the child's speech
Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words
Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words

4-5 Years
Hearing & Understanding

Pays attention to short stories and answers simple questions about it
Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school
Understands spatial concepts (under, in back of, next to, in front of)
Makes inferences ("what will happen if.") from pictures and stories
Understands and can produce rhyming words
Can clap out multi-syllable words

Talking

Voice sounds clear like other children's
Uses sentences that give lots of details ("I like to read my books")
Tells stories that stick to topic
Communicates easily with other children and adults
Says most sounds correctly
Uses the same grammar as the rest of the family

For more information visit: http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Photo Friday!

2011-07-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

Meet "Finney!" A loved PediaSpeech client!

Protecting Your Children's Hearing

2011-07-29T11:58:00.000-04:00

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is caused by exposure to loud sounds and usually occurs painlessly over a period of time. However, it may occur from one exposure to an extremely loud noise. Research suggests that NIHL is occurring at younger ages and with more frequency. Noise from personal headphones, jet skis, concerts, lawn equipment, power tools, firecrackers, household appliances, toys and musical instruments all have the potential to cause hearing loss. NIHL can be prevented. Teach your children to know when loud is too loud.

It's too loud if...

You must raise your voice to be heard.
You have difficulty understanding someone who's an arm's length away.
You have pain, ringing or buzzing in your ears after exposure to loud sounds.
Speech sounds muffled or dull after noise exposure.

Here are some simply prevention steps:

Avoid and limit periods of exposure to noise.
Buy quiet! Don't buy noisy appliances, equipment or toys.
Don't put objects in the ears such as cotton swabs.
Monitor hearing when ototoxic drugs are prescribed.
Wear hearing protectors:
Ear plugs can totally block the ear canal. They come in various pre-made shapes and sizes, or they can be custom-made by taking an impression of the ear.
Ear plugs can reduce noise 15-30 dB depending on how they are made and fit.
Ear muffs fit completely over both ears. They must fit tightly so that sound is blocked from entering the ears. Like ear plugs, they can reduce sound 15-30dBs.

Find more information here!

Photo Friday!

2011-07-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

School Tips for Parents: Academic Success and Social Participation

2011-07-21T16:27:00.000-04:00

Occupational therapy can help students succeed in academic performance and social participation. In the school setting, occupational therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes, including social skills, math, reading, writing, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, prevocational or vocational participation, and more. The goal is for students to build upon their strengths while developing academic and social skills necessary for future independent living.

Click here for tips for academic success and social participation.

Source: http://www.aota.org/

Contact us for more information on Occupational Therapy!
http://www.pediaspeech.com/
770-209-9826

Occupational Therapy & Autism

2011-07-14T13:46:00.001-04:00

Autism is a developmental disability that affects how the brain functions. People with autism may have a difficult time relating to the outside world and may have unusual reactions to the people around them. People with autism may demonstrate aggressive behavior that may cause injury to themselves or others. The disorder also may cause sensitivity to the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

Occupational therapy can provide intervention that helps children to develop appropriate social, play, and learning skills. The therapist aids the child in achieving and maintaining normal daily tasks such as getting dressed and playing with other children.

Contact us for more information!
www.pediaspeech.com
770-209-9826

Photo Friday!

2011-07-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

Kai the cutie at PediaSpeech!

Using Photo Books to Increase Vocabulary, Grammar, and Narrative Skills

2011-07-07T14:40:00.000-04:00

Looking for summer activities to help kids with language skills? ASHAsphere blogger Becca Jarzynski suggests using photo books to increase vocabulary, grammar, and narrative skills.

"Making photo books with your kids is a fabulous way to help increase their language skills. It matters not if you are a mom simply looking for creative ways to provide your toddler with a language-rich environment or a dad looking for ways to help your kindergartner learn to tell stories.... Read more of the article A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words: Using Photo Books to Increase Vocabulary, Grammar, and Narrative Skills" here!

Sensory Integration

2011-07-01T10:54:00.001-04:00

Sensory Processing (sometimes called “Sensory Integration”) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.

A child with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses. This can create everyday problems such as: motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts if not treated effectively.

A referral for an occupational therapy evaluation may be necessary if your child has difficulties in several of the areas listed below or major functional problems in one area.

Unusually fussy, easily startled, or difficult to console as an infant
Slow to achieve motor milestones, such as rolling over, creeping, sitting, standing, or walking
Strongly dislikes and protests baths, hair washing, haircutting, or nail cutting
Uses inappropriate amounts of force when handling objects, coloring, writing, or interacting with friends, sibling, or animals
Leans on people, slumps when sitting, tires/fatigues easily, has poor muscle tone
Falls frequently, bumps into furniture or people, is clumsy, or has difficulty judging position of his/her body in relation to space

Find more information on Sensory Integration and Occupational Therapy at http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Now Hiring!

2011-06-30T14:33:00.002-04:00

PediaSpeech is now hiring an experienced Occupational Therapist in the Atlanta area. Must love kids!

Visit. http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Photo Friday!

2011-06-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

Especially for toddlers - Looking at Books Together: Storytelling & Listening

2011-06-23T16:27:00.002-04:00

Before a child reads on her own, she needs to share books with adults. Shared reading is one way to become aware of the rules about printed material. Reading to toddlers improves their understanding of both printed material and oral language. This article includes ideas to help strengthen your toddler’s understanding of printed materials—an important early literacy skill.

Toddlers learn about reading when they look at and talk about words in a story with an adult. This exploration of books helps toddlers understand that printed letters and words have meaning.

You can help your toddler understand that the printed mat- ter (pictures, letters, and words) in a book has meaning. Talk with your child while pointing out pictures, words, or letters that match what you are saying. Ask your child to point to the picture of her favorite animal. You find and point to the word that labels the animal.

Most days present natural opportunities for sharing a book with your toddler. Before a nap or while waiting for dinner are good times to pick up your toddler’s favorite books to share.

Be sure the books interest your child. Toddlers always seem to have one or two favorite books that you can keep on hand. You can also introduce some new books about things that she likes.
Let your toddler be a leader, choosing which book she wants to read.
As you talk about the book, point to pictures, words, and letters. Tell your child, for example, “This word is dog. Can you show me the picture of the dog?” Or “This letter is A. That is the first letter of your name, Alan.”
When you are reading a sentence, move your finger under the words you are reading. This shows your toddler that English words are read from the left to the right side of the page.
Occasionally point to a letter like B. Explain, “This letter is a B and it makes the Bbb sound, like in the word baby.” Ask her to say Bbb or baby. This helps her begin to see the connection between letters and their sounds.
As you “read” the book, let your child hold it and turn the pages. Don’t worry about skipping pages. With a toddler, reading every page is not necessary. Letting your child hold the book and explore it encourages her to take an active part in the reading experience.
Smiling and commenting on her exploration of the book or her attempts to answer your questions encourages her. A little encouragement will help keep her involved in the activity.

How do you know this practice worked?

Does your child seem to enjoy looking at books with words?
Does your toddler notice the printed words or letters as you talk about them?
Does your child point to letters and words, trying to say them?

Source: Center for Early Literacy Learning

Photo Friday!

2011-06-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Isabella and Ms. Carly working hard!

How to Read Books with Children with Language Delay

2011-06-17T13:05:00.001-04:00

"Reading books with your child can provide experiences and vocabulary that he or she may not be exposed to on a daily basis. Experience allows children to gain understanding. When a child understands vocabulary and situations, he or she has the foundation to use these words in verbal language.

Always read with your child face to face with the book next to your face, not in front of your mouth. This will allow your child to see how you move your mouth when you say words, see your facial expressions and engage in eye contact. With a baby, you can create this opportunity while he or she is on the change table, floor, car seat, bouncy chair or on your thighs facing you.

Reading with your child everyday should start from birth. At this time, you can read anything to your son or daughter, even The New York Times. What matters is HOW you read it. Read with feeling, show emotion and pause to allow your baby to vocalize back to you.

Initially, choose books with a story and meaning. Vocabulary board books (e.g., books by Roger Priddy or select DK Publishing books) will be boring for you and not provide much benefit for your baby. Reading longer stories during the first months will help to build your child’s attention. Books like The Three Bears by Byron Barton, Summer by Alice Low and Chewy Louie by Howie Schneider will be fun for you and your baby.

If your toddler has trouble paying attention to a book, try reading when he or she is “trapped” (e.g., in the highchair eating, in the car seat while traveling, just waking up from a nap in the stroller). I once worked with a two year old boy who would only happily pay attention to an unfamiliar book while standing in his crib facing me. Once he became familiar with a book, we could read the book elsewhere.
Choosing the right books can help target speech and language skills you want to develop.

If your child is not talking, choose books that contain words that begin with bilabial sounds. These are sounds where your upper and lower lips come together (/m/, /b/ and /p/). Bilabial sounds are generally early sounds produced by children because they can see how an adult is moving their lips, which is helpful for imitation. Favorite books that include bilabial sounds are It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny (Marilyn Sadlow), The Berenstain’s B Book (Stanley and Jan Berenstain) and any book that contains animal sounds (moo, baa, maa). Overemphasize /m/, /b/ and /p/ and make eye contact with your child when saying bilabial sounds in any book.

Selecting books with repetitive phrases may allow your child to participate during story time. Great examples include: Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell), The Very Busy Spider (Eric Carle) and The Gingerbread Boy (Richard Egielski). Give your child the opportunity to complete the repetitive line, or if he or she is ready, the whole line. Hopefully, these words will carry over into daily vocabulary.

Rhyming books help children with word prediction, which is crucial for reading development. Once familiar with a rhyming book, have your child try to fill-in the rhyming word. Dr. Seuss’ The Foot Book begins: Left foot, Left foot, Right foot, Right – Feet in the morning, Feet at _____ (child should say “night”).

If your child’s speech therapist has determined that understanding and using prepositions is an important goal for your child, use books to reinforce what occurs in therapy. Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, Up Above and Down Below by Sue Redding and Around the House the Fox Chased the Mouse by Rick Walton are all loaded with prepositions.

A child with more developed language who has difficulty providing details and descriptions may benefit from “reading” wordless picture books to you. Pictures in the story should be described so that the story makes sense. You can use picture books with text, as long as the pictures are detailed themselves. (You may cover the text with your hand if your child can read.) This works best with Caldecott Medal / Honor Books. Excellent examples include Knuffle Bunny books (Mo Willems), No, David! (David Shannon) and Where The Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak).

Other favorite wordless picture books include A Boy, a Dog and a Frog Series by Mercer Mayer, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola and The Jack Series by Pat Schories. If you feel your child leaves out important information, ask an open-ended question (e.g., “Ooo – What’s happening over here?”). Provide a description if you feel this is too challenging. Perhaps this will increase your child’s awareness to be more specific and when you sit down to read the book again, the new information will be included.

Sometimes it is helpful if you “read” a wordless picture book to your child first. Describe what you see or make-up the story-line. For example, when David, the main character in the book No, David! is about to fall off the chair while reaching for a cookie, you can say: “Be careful David, you’re going to get hurt!” or “No cookies before dinner!!”

Source: ASHA.org

Click here to find the full article and useful links.

Photo Friday!

2011-06-10T13:45:00.002-04:00

Avery working hard at PediaSpeech!

Especially for Preschoolers: Write Right

2011-06-09T14:08:00.002-04:00

Preschoolers are just starting to understand the difference between writing and drawing. Many can write their names and some letters. To be ready to learn adult spelling, they need lots of writing practice. Even using spelling and letter shapes that are not always correct.

What is the practice?
Invented spelling is having preschoolers write using whatever letters or symbols they can. It works best when an adult helps the child “sound out” words and shows interest in the child’s attempts. There are many chances to put invented spelling into your daily routine with your child.

What does the practice look like?
By drawing a picture and writing about it with a mix of letters and “sounded-out” words, a child begins learning the rules of writing. In the same way, a child writing his name on a sign for his room, even if letters are missing, learns that he can write things others can understand.

How do you do the practice?
You can encourage your child to use invented spelling in lots of ways during the day. Look for chances for writing or drawing. Since you know your child’s personality best, figure out what activities your child likes most.

Give your child lots of chances to observe and help you with writing during your day. For example, he can help make a grocery list by adding one or two items using invented spelling. Let him leave a note for another family member to find. He can sign his name to a letter you write to a friend. Such activities let your child practice writing and spelling skills and experience some everyday uses for writing.
Give your preschooler various writing materials, including nontoxic markers, pencils, crayons, greet- ing cards, construction paper, lined paper, and chalk boards. All of these offer slightly different writing experiences and encourage your child to experiment.
As your child begins to write, help by showing interest in what he is working on. Remind him to think about the sounds of the letters. Have him spell words the way they sound, rather than spelling them for him. This teaches him to listen for the sounds in words. It also helps him link what he hears with what he writes.
Encourage your child to “read” her stories or any other written work. This reinforces the link between what she has written and its meaning.

How do you know the practice worked?

Is your child eager and enthusiastic about writing notes, letters, and/or her name?
Does your child offer to help you with writing in your daily routine?
Is his/her writing gradually becoming clearer and more adult-like?

Source: http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/

Visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/!

Eating Healthy. Growing Strong

2011-06-09T14:06:00.003-04:00

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Academy of Pediatrics have joined with the best-selling children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to help families learn about healthy eating habits.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar eats many foods on his journey to becoming a butterfly. You can help your child on his or her own journey to grow up healthy and strong. To help you in this journey, we have created the following resources:

Tips for Healthy Eating at Home Simple tips from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Academy of Pediatrics for eating healthy with your kids at home.
Reading Guide Discuss healthy active living using The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle!
Growth Chart (PDF) Download a special The Very Hungry Caterpillar growth chart and keep track of your child’s journey to becoming healthy & strong.
Learn more about the collaborators and the campaign.
Find out how this collaboration started and explore additional resources available for parents and healthcare professionals.

Visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/!

Treating Speech Problems in Children With Autism

2011-06-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

Children on the autism spectrum frequently have speech and language disorders with related attention and sensory processing problems. This combination of factors makes speech development and learning particularly complex.

Click here to read the full article on treating speech problems in children with autism.

Upcoming Sensory Friendly Films

2011-06-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

AMC Entertainment® (AMC) and the Autism Society of America have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the "Sensory Friendly Films" program. In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing - in other words, AMC's "Silence is Golden" policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

Upcoming Movie Showings:
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
Saturday, June 4, 2011
10:00am

"Cars 2"
Saturday, July 2, 2011
10:00am

Three theaters in the Atlanta market have been selected to host "Sensory Friendly Films".

AMC Discover Mills 18
678-847-9265

AMC Phipps Plaza 14
404-231-1492

AMC Southlake 24
770-473-0719
For tickets to this unique experience, please visit the theater's box office the day of the event.

Pre-Phonemic Listening Skills

2011-05-26T11:31:00.001-04:00

Before children begin to speak and develop literacy they show the ability to distinguish non-speech environmental sounds (e.g. a been bag falling on a wooden floor vs. a plastic ball falling on a wooden floor) and to identify objects by the sound they make (e.g. a horn, a bell, a helicopter).

In this post you will find a few speech therapy activities for exercising these early listening skills. These are not just for kids who can't talk yet. Think of these as warm-up or introductory activities to do before practicing more advanced skills. The goal for most children is to become more conscious of differences in sounds, and in their ability to hear and process those sounds.

Sound screen

Gather 6-10 things that make noise. These may include:

Musical instruments
Wooden sticks for tapping together
Keys for rattling
A bottle... to tap on or blow across the top

Stand or sit across from your child with some sort of visual barrier between you so you can make noises without your child seeing what you're doing. One by one, make a noise with each object and ask your child to practice listening skills by identifying the object that made the noise. After your child guesses, show the object you used.
Give your child a turn to be the one who makes the noises for you, and you practice your listening skills.
When done, place the noisemakers in an open box or on an accessible shelf or table for a few days, and encourage your child to play with them independently.

Sounds Shake

For this activity, you'll need about an even number (a dozen or so) of small plastic containers that are not see-through. Old 35mm film canisters are ideal. Those colored plastic eggs that people put candy in at Easter also work well.
Put small objects like beads, paper clips, rubber bands, rice, dry beans, salt, etc., into pairs of containers.
Place all the containers on a table or on the floor between you and your child.
Pick up two of the containers; shake first one, then the other. Ask your child if they sound the same or different.
If they sound the same, open both to see what made the sound. If different, put one down and pick up another container and repeat the test. Continue until you find a match, then open them to verify that they really are the same.

Sound Scan

Stand outside with your child (in the yard, on a porch, in a park, or on a sidewalk). Close your eyes together for about a minute and listen quietly. Then open your eyes and discuss what you heard while you were listening.

What did you hear that was far away?
What did you hear that was near by?
What did you hear that was loud?
What did you hear that was quiet?
What did you hear that made a high sound?
What did you hear that made a low sound?
What did you hear that sounded big?
What did you hear that sounded small?

Sound Localization

Have your child stand in the middle of a room wearing a blindfold or with hands over eyes (no peeking!). Toss a beanbag onto the floor a meter or so from where your child is standing, and have your child turn toward where the beanbag landed. Remove the blindfold so your child can see how accurate s/he was. As a variation on this activity, you can have your child hold a beanbag and try to hit yours after you toss it.

Source: Speech-Language-Development.com

Photo Friday!

2011-05-20T15:19:00.002-04:00

10 Ways to Motivate Your Child to Learn

2011-05-20T15:17:00.000-04:00

Fill your child's world with reading.
Encourage him to express his opinion, talking about his feelings, and make choices.
Show enthusiasm for your child's interests and encourage her to explore subjects that fascinate her.
Provide him with play opportunities that support different types of learning styles - from listening and visual learning to sorting and sequencing.
Point out the new things you learn with enthusiasm.
Ask about what he's learning in school, not about his grades or test scores.
Help your child organize her school papers and assignments so she feels in control of her work.
Celebrate achievements, no matter how small.
Focus on strengths, encouraging developing talents.
Turn everyday events into learning opportunities.

Read the full Scholastic article here!

How to Detect Communication Disorders in Children

2011-05-20T15:03:00.000-04:00

Click here to read the article "Parents Advised on How to Detect Communication Disorders in Their Children" by the America Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Speech and Language of the Four-Year-Old

2011-05-13T16:35:00.000-04:00

At age four, your child...

points to colors red, blue, yellow, and green.
identifies crosses, triangles, circles, and squares.
follows commands even though objects not present.
understands "early in the morning," "next month," "next year," and "noontime."
can speak of imaginary conditions such as "suppose that" or "I hope."
asks many questions although more interested in how answers fit his/her own thoughts rather than just the explanation.
has a sentence length of 4-5 words.
asks "who?" and "why?"
begins to use complex sentences.
uses contractions such as "it's a" or "there's a."
uses past tense correctly.
copies a line and a circle.
has a vocabulary of nearly 1,500 words.
uses the following sounds correctly: m, n, ng, p, f, h, w, y, k, b, d, g, r.
stays with one activity for 11-12 minutes.

You can stimulate your four-year-old's speech and language by...

helping your child classify objects and things - like talking about what kinds of things you can ride in.
teaching your child correct use of a telephone.
letting your child help you plan activities such as what you will make for Christmas dinner.
giving your child more responsibility.
talking with your child as you would any other person.
letting your child tell and make up stories for you.
continuing to show your pleasure at his development in speech, language, and thought.
not expecting absolute perfection in the way he pronounces words.

For more information about speech and language in children please visit www.pediaspeech.com!

Speech & Language of the Three-Year-Old

2011-05-13T16:22:00.000-04:00

At age three, your child....

can match primary colors, and name one color.
knows night and day.
understands "yesterday," "summer," "lunchtime," "tonight," and "little-big."
begins to obey prepositional phrases like, "put the block under the chair."
uses words to relate observations, concepts, ideas, and relationships.
frequently practices by talking to himself.
knows his or her last name, sex, name of street on which he/she lives and several nursery rhymes.
can tell a story or relay an idea to someone.
has a sentence length of 3-4 words.
has a vocabulary of nearly 1,000 words.
can produce consistently m, n, ng, p, f, h, and w.
may repeat sounds, words or phrases, which is perfectly normal at this age.
can draw a circle and vertical line.
can sing songs.
expresses fatigue verbally.
can stay with one activity 8 or 9 minutes.
asks "what" questions frequently.

You can stimulate your three-year-olds speech and language by...

continuing to extend his conversation.
using words he has trouble with frequently in your speech.
teaching your child relationships of words, objects, and ideas.
talking about similarities or differences between things.
encouraging your child to tell stories using books and pictures.
letting your child play with other children.
reading longer stories to your child.
paying attention to your child when he's talking - remembering that repeating words and sounds is normal during this period of growth.

For more questions about the speech and language of children please visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/!

Photo Friday!

2011-05-06T16:06:00.001-04:00

Speech and Language of the 2 1/2 Year Old

2011-05-06T15:18:00.006-04:00

At age 2 1/2 your child...

has a 250 word vocabulary

gives first name

uses past tense and plurals and combines nouns and verbs

understands simple time concepts: "last night," "tomorrow"

refers to self as "me" rather than by name

tries to get adult attention: "watch me"

likes to hear same story repeated

uses "no" or "not" in speech and may say "no" when means "yes"

builds tower of 8 blocks

talks to other children as well as adults

begins to control behavior verbally rather than just physically

answers "where" questions

can name common pictures and things he or she comes in contact with regularly

uses short sentences to announce what he or she has done or will do like, "Me do it," or "Me want to jump"

matches 3-4 colors

knows big and little

holds up fingers to tell age.

You can stimulate your 2 1/2 year old child's speech and language by...

letting your child tell you answers to simple questions

reading books everyday, perhaps as part of the bedtime ritual

listening attentively as your child talks to you

talking to the child a little beyond his or her level of understanding

describing what you are doing, planning, thinking

exposing the child to many new experiences and talking about them before, during, and after the event

having the child deliver a simple message for you ("Mommy needs you, Daddy")

carrying on conversations with the child, preferably when the two of you have some quiet time together

asking questions to stimulate additional thought and language

showing the child you understand what he or she says by answering, smiling, and nodding your head.

prolonging some sounds in words the child may find difficult to say, such as "Put on your sssssock(sock)." Have the child watch your face as you say the sound correctly.

expanding what the child says. If he or she says "More juice," you say, "Adam wants more juice."

playing and singing songs and records

introducing new concepts and vocabulary to your child

encouraging your child to talk.

Visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ for more information or to seek a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Picture This: Symbols & Signs

2011-05-04T13:15:00.001-04:00

The practice below will help your child recognize people, objects, and actions in pictures. Using pictures as part of everyday activities will make it easy for a child to tell you he/she notices things.

This practice uses pictures of people and things a young child is familiar with to communicate recognition. Take diaper changing for example. A mom puts a picture of herself changing her baby’s diaper on the wall by the changing table. While changing her baby’s diaper, she points to and talks about the photo. The baby smiles and gets excited. Mom responds, showing how pleased she is about her daughter’s effort to communicate.

Try these things to make it easy for a child to show you she recognizes pictures of people and things.

Take pictures of people, things, and actions your child knows and likes. Try non-glossy pictures or photographs that have little or no glare. Show the pictures to her as part of activities like looking at a book. This will encourage her to “tell you” she knows what she sees by vocalizing, getting excited, or making gestures.
If your child has trouble seeing, use large pictures or drawings to make it easier for her to see them. Try using real objects rather than pictures to make it easier for the child to recognize familiar things.
Make a homemade book of four or five pictures of familiar people. “Make up” a story about the people as you show your child the pictures. Try using pictures of your child’s favorite toys.
Use pictures of activities like eating, drinking, and bath time to show your child what is about to happen. It will not take very long for her to know what is about to happen.

How to tell the practice is working:

Is your child beginning to recognize more and more pictures?
Is your child “telling” you what she sees in pictures more often?
Does your child “know” what is about to happen next when she sees familiar pictures?

Source: Center for Early Literacy Learning

Photo Friday!

2011-04-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

We specialize in Cleft lip & palate

2011-04-14T14:18:00.001-04:00

Cleft lip and palate are birth defects that occur during the first 3 months of pregnancy when parts of the lip or palate do not completely fuse together. A cleft lip is an opening in the lip and a cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth.

While speech problems are common in children with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate, children with cleft palate more commonly need the help of a speech-language pathologist.

Before a cleft palate is repaired, there is no separation between the nasal cavity and the mouth. This means that a) the child cannot build up air pressure in the mouth because air escapes out of the nose, and b) there is less tissue on the roof of the mouth for the tongue to touch. Both of these problems can make it difficult for the child to learn how to make some sounds. It is not unusual for a child who is born with a cleft palate to show a delay in both the onset of speech and the development of speech sounds.

Once the palate has been repaired, the child may be able to learn more consonant sounds and say more words, but speech may still be delayed during the early years. Articulation problems (difficulties in making certain sounds) may persist in some children throughout early childhood.

An evaluation by one of our speech-language pathologists will help decide if speech therapy services or other types of interventions are needed. Our speech-language pathologists will be able to improve your child’s speech production, language development, and minimize any feeding difficulties.

For more information:
Call us at 770-209-9826!
Visit us at www.pediaspeech.com!

Resource: Songames for Sensory Integration

2011-04-11T14:32:00.000-04:00

Songames for Sensory Integration
by Aubrey Lande and Bob Wiz

"Fun songs and music with sensory integration and communication activities with children."

Click here to order audio cassette from Amazon

Photo Friday!

2011-04-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

Infant Feeding Guidelines

2011-04-07T14:14:00.002-04:00

The first year of an infant’s life is his/her most rapid growth period. Nutrition is important for good health and growth. The types of foods your baby needs will change during the first year.

A normal full term baby needs only breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula for about four to six months.

Baby foods fed from a spoon will be added to your baby’s diet when he is able to:

Sit with support.
Control head and neck movements.
Lean forward and open mouth when he is hungry.
Show he/she is full by leaning back and turning away.

Feeding Tips

During the first few months, hold your baby when he/she is eating. Do not prop bottles. Propping the bottle promotes tooth decay and ear problems and also may increase the risk of choking.
Babies cry for many reasons. If your baby has recently eaten, the cries may not be from hunger. Overfeeding may cause obesity and feeding problems.
If formula is used, mix only enough for one day. Refrigerate and throw away any left over after 24 hours.
Formula or breast milk provides the healthy baby with enough fluids so that extra water is not needed. Once baby foods have been started, water may be needed during hot weather or if your baby is ill. Do not use well water.
Continue breast milk or iron-fortified formula until age one year unless your pediatrician advises otherwise. After one year of age, 2% or whole milk may be used. Skim milk should not be used in children under 2 years of age.
Juice is part of a healthy diet. 100% fruit juice without added sugar is best. Fruit juice should be limited to 4 oz. per day. Avoid sweet drinks such as sodas, Kool-Aid, sweet tea, and Gatorade.

Source: Bright from the Start

Click here for the full article.

Pour for P.E.A.C.E!

2011-04-05T14:12:00.001-04:00

Join as Grow Kids, Inc. toasts to the Month of the Young Child and the importance of working together to grow kids better! Enjoy discounts on glasses of wine and merchandise.

When: Tuesday, April 19, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Pour Wine Market, 1418 Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319
Why: Maximize your gift! Pour is donating 20% of all wine sales to Grow Kids. Drink for a good cause!

Grow Kids, Inc. aims to Promote Engaged Adults, Caregivers, & Educators in order to create safe spaces, green places, and happy faces where kids from birth to five can optimally learn and grow.

For more information about Grow Kids, Inc. visit www.growkidsinc.org!

Photo Friday!

2011-04-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

April is Poetry Month!

2011-04-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

April is Poetry Month! Click here to check out the 2011 Shel Silverstein Poetry Month Activity Kit!

Shel Silverstein was an American poet and author of children's books. Some of his most famous children and poetry books incluce: The Giving Tree, The Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Falling Up. Click here to find other fun ideas for teachers and parents on his website.

Photo Friday!

2011-03-25T12:30:00.003-04:00

Max "the cutie" at PediaSpeech!

Childhood Apraxia

2011-03-25T12:29:00.000-04:00

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined and specific series of movements of the speech mechanism.
Most children who are diagnosed with CAS have receptive (or understanding) skills within normal limits. These children perform much better when asked to repeat simpler motor sounds, such as vowels or consonants in isolation. When asked to repeat a succession of vowels and consonants, many children with CAS have difficulty.

Click here for more information.

Approaches to Treating Apraxia

Our therapists at PediaSpeech are trained using multiple methods for treating apraxia including P.R.O.M.P.T. (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Motor Phonetic Targets) and the Kaufman Speech Praxis Treatment Technique.
All of the techniques used at PediaSpeech include a motor hierarchy that builds on the individual child's skill level. This method allows the child to build confidence in their speech and therefore, they want to learn more.

Visit us at http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Photo Friday!

2011-03-18T14:56:00.002-04:00

Kai at PediaSpeech!

Auditory Processing Disorder

2011-03-18T14:55:00.001-04:00

A child with an auditory processing disorder (APD) has difficulty processing or interpreting auditory information. This is a common disorder in children, even in those children with normal hearing abilities and normal intelligence.
A child with an auditory processing disorder may have difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise, such as a noisy classroom. The child may be unable to understand and follow spoken directions. The child may have difficulty discriminating and identifying individual speech sounds.
Some symptoms of APD are as follows:

Behaving as if a hearing loss is present, even though hearing sensitivity is known to be normal
Requiring frequent repetitions - saying "what?" or "huh?" or "I didn't hear you"
Having difficulty paying attention to auditory tasks and/or being easily distracted by background noise
Having difficulty following complex or multi-step directions; having difficulty being able to localize sound
Having difficulty with phonics or speech sounds
Possessing poor reading, listening, or spelling skills
Turning in a below-average academic performance despite normal I.Q. scores
Showing a speech and language delay that is not improving despite therapy
Having a short attention span
Showing delayed responses to auditory information

Treating Language-Based Reading Disorders

Speech Pathologists are uniquely qualified as sound and language specialists to train written language skills. Our Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are trained using a combination of skills derived from Orton-Gillingham instruction, and Lindamood-Bell Training, cogitative retraining, and behavioral intervention.
We believe in a team approach to curing reading disorders. We believe in including child, parents, teachers, other therapists, and physicians. We go to many locations in the Atlanta area to help children where they need it most - in the academic setting.

Orton-Gillingham Instruction

Orton-Gillingham is a phonetically based, structured approach effective in teaching reading, spelling, and writing of dyslexic students. Sound systems are taught employing all of the learning pathways--auditory, visual, activity based, and tactile.
The Orton-Gillingham curriculum teaches, at appropriate developmental times, phonograms for decoding and encoding spelling rules and generalizations, writing, and syllable types.

Lindamood-Bell Training

Individuals become aware of the mouth actions which produce speech sounds. This awareness becomes the means of verifying sounds within words and enables individuals to become self-correcting in reading and spelling, and speech.
It is common for individuals to gain several grade levels in decoding ability in four weeks to six weeks of intensive instruction, or to make further gains in speech-language after hitting a plateau under traditional speech therapy.

Visit us at http://www.pediaspeech.com/!

Photo Friday!

2011-03-11T14:04:00.002-05:00

Finny playing in the ball pit at PediaSpeech!

PediaSpeech now specializes in Cleft Lip & Palate

2011-03-11T13:57:00.005-05:00

Cleft lip and palate are birth defects that happen while a baby is developing in the uterus. During the 6th to 10th week of pregnancy, the bones and tissues of a baby's upper jaw, nose, and mouth normally come together (fuse) to form the roof of the mouth and the upper lip. If the tissue in the developing mouth and the palate don't fuse together, a baby could be born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, or both.

A speech-language pathologist is necessary when dealing with a Cleft lip and palate.

Visit http://www.pediaspeech.com/ for more information!

Source: kidshealth.org

Photo Friday!

2011-03-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

Max working hard and having fun at PediaSpeech!

PediaSpeech offers the Fast ForWord program!

2011-03-03T14:56:00.004-05:00

PediaSpeech offers the Fast ForWord programs, a research-based computer program that develops brain processing efficiency through intensive, adaptive software exercises.

Fast ForWord increase processing efficiency and builds critical reading skills. No other reading intervention program offers a more scientifically proven approach to helping children quickly improve reading comprehension skills. Instant feedback and engaging exercises help motivate children to achieve success in school.

Click here for more information on the services provided by PediaSpeech.

Click here for more information on the Fast ForWord program.

Helping "grow kids" better!

2011-02-24T13:37:00.007-05:00

Grow Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, GA.

Grow Kids, Inc.'s mission is to enhance the developmental environments of infants and young children by building collaborations and providing services that promote safe spaces, green places, and happy faces where children learn and grow.

Safe Spaces - Provide prevention and intervention services to increase protective factors that prevent violence exposure to young children. Build skills that improve the safety of child care centers.
Green Places - Promote environmentally “green” and healthy living to help improve the social-emotional development of young children.
Happy Faces - Provide programs and services that aim to improve the social and emotional development of young children and help strengthen the emotional well-being of the adults that provide the children with care.

How you can help:

Click here to donate.
Click here for information on volunteering.
Click here to follow and support us on Facebook.

Visit www.growkidsinc.org to find out more about their services!

Parents Palooza!

2011-02-24T13:29:00.002-05:00

What: The Ultimate Family Event and Parenting Expo
When: This Saturday & Sunday, February 26-27, 2011!
Where: Cobb Galleria Centre

For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
For 25% off Tickets at checkout, enter the code: AutismSociety

Over 200 Exhibitors:

Product and Food Samples
Dream Maker Talent Search
Speakers Forums
Medieval Times Princess Storytime
Red Hot Fire Truck Events
BeDazzle-Do Whimsical Hair Designs
Prizes
Tumblastic Playscape
Social Network Parent’s Networking Area
Giveaways
Children’s ID Kits
Birth Stories on Demand Live Podcast
Performance by RocKandi
Every Little Bottom Diaper Drive
Inflatables
Radio Disney DJ and Road Crew
Atlanta Family Photo Contest
Parent’s Workshop Speaker’s Forum
Massage
Family Competitions
Chorus Performances
Lighten Up Atlanta Health Challenge
Special Expo Only Discount
Tumblebus
Circus Camp
And MORE

Photo Friday!

2011-02-18T16:26:00.001-05:00

Kai!

PediaSpeech Offers Occupational Therapy!

2011-02-17T13:59:00.004-05:00

Here at PediaSpeech we believe in treating the "whole child" and also offer Occupational Therapy!

Occupational therapy helps children with issues such as: Attention and behavior, emotional reactivity, handwriting, fine and gross motor skills, strength and stability, balance, fear of movement or climbing, sensory processing, and self-care skills.

For more information on Occupational Therapy visit www.pediaspeech.com or call us at 770-209-9826.

Giving children access to print materials is associated with positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes

2011-02-15T13:00:00.002-05:00

What impact, if any, does access to print materials have on children’s educational outcomes?

Children’s book distribution programs were created to provide greater access to high-quality, age-appropriate reading materials to children from low-income homes as one effort to address the achievement gap. In 2010, Reading Is Fundamental commissioned Learning Point Associates to conduct a meta-analytic research synthesis of children’s book lending and book ownership programs to determine the effect of providing access to print materials on children’s educational outcomes.

Meta-analysis of the 44 studies classified as rigorous of the 108 examined in the review found that access to print materials:

Improves children’s reading performance - Findings from the rigorous studies suggest that providing children with print materials helps children read better. Among the studies reviewed, Kindergarten students showed the biggest increase in reading performance.
Are instrumental in helping children learn the basics of reading - The review found that providing children with reading materials allowed them to develop basic reading skills such as letter and word identification, phonemic awareness and completion of sentences.
Causes children to read more and for longer lengths of time - Giving children print materials leads them to read more frequently and for greater amounts of time.
Produces improved attitudes toward reading and learning among children - The review found that when children have greater access to books and other print materials— through either borrowing books or receiving books to own—they develop more positive attitudes toward reading and learning.

This study also found positive relationships between children’s access to print materials and four additional outcomes: motivation to and interest in reading; writing performance; language development; and academic performance in subjects other than reading after performance.

Click here for more information about this study.

Photo Friday!

2011-02-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

Working hard and having fun with Ms. Jennifer at PediaSpeech!

Sensory Processing Disorders

2011-02-11T14:26:00.002-05:00

Sensory Processing (sometimes called “Sensory Integration”) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.

A child with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses. This can create everyday problems such as, motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts if not treated effectively.

A referral for an occupational therapy evaluation may be necessary if you child has difficulties in several of the areas listed below or major functional problems in one area.

Unusually fussy, easily startled, or difficult to console as an infant
Slow to achieve motor milestones, such as rolling over, creeping, sitting, standing, or walking
Strongly dislikes and protests baths, hair washing, haircutting, or nail cutting
Uses inappropriate amounts of force when handling objects, coloring, writing, or interacting with friends, sibling, or animals
Leans on people, slumps when sitting, tires/fatigues easily, has poor muscle tone
Falls frequently, bumps into furniture or people, is clumsy, or has difficulty judging position of his/her body in relation to space

PediaSpeech is proud to offer Occupational Therapy!
Contact us! 770-209-9826
http://www.pediaspeech.com/

Healthy Habits for TV, Video Games, and the Internet

2011-02-04T16:55:00.002-05:00

No doubt about it — TV, interactive video games, and the Internet can be excellent sources of education and entertainment for kids. But too much screen time can have unhealthy side effects.

That's why it's wise to monitor and limit the time your child spends playing video games, watching TV, and playing games on the Internet.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under age 2 have no screen time, and that kids older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

It's also a good idea to make sure kids have a wide variety of free-time activities like reading, playing with friends, and sports, which can all play a vital part in helping them develop a healthy body and mind.

Click here for the full article and some practical ways to make kids' screen time more productive.

Source: kidshealth.org

Frequently Asked Questions from Parents of Children Recently Diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech

2011-01-27T16:08:00.006-05:00

What is apraxia of speech and how does it differ from a developmental delay of speech?

Apraxia of Speech is considered a motor speech disorder. For unknown reasons, children with apraxia have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia of speech may also be called verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia. No matter what it is called the most important concept is the root word "praxis." Praxis means planned movement. So to some degree or another, a child with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech has difficulty programming and planning speech movements. Apraxia of speech is a specific speech disorder.

A true developmental delay of speech is when the child is following the "typical" path of childhood speech development, albeit at a rate slower than normal. Sometimes this rate is commensurate with cognitive skills. In typical speech/language development, the child's receptive and expressive skills are pretty much moving together. What is generally seen in a child with apraxia of speech is a significant gap between their receptive language abilities and expressive abilities. In other words, the child's ability to understand language (receptive ability) is broadly within normal limits, but his or her expressive speech is seriously deficient, absent, or severely unclear. This is an important factor and one indicator that the child may be experiencing more than "delayed" speech and should be evaluated for the presence of a specific speech disorder such as apraxia. However, certain language disorders may also cause a similar pattern in a child. A gap between a child's expressive and receptive language ability is insufficient to diagnose apraxia.

What causes apraxia?

Apraxia of speech is felt to be a neurogenic (neurologically based) speech motor disorder. Many (or perhaps most) children with apraxia of speech have no abnormalities as detected by MRI scans. Others may have specific damage to a part of the brain that can account for the problem. In the latter case, some children are born with such damage and other children acquire damage to the brain by accident or illness. In the last five years there has been significant interest by researchers in the role that genetics may play in childhood apraxia of speech. Some researchers believe that it is likely apraxia is not caused by any one factor and that there may be different subtypes of CAS based on the particular underlying cause. Currently, research is continuing on the underlying causes of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Will my child ever be able to speak "normally"?

With appropriate therapy (see above) and a lot of follow-through by parents and others, many children with apraxia of speech can become effective verbal communicators. Will speech ever be entirely "normal"? We can report that we know of children who ultimately become good speakers and their "problem" is not detectable to nonprofessionals. In other children, lingering articulation issues follow them. Childhood Apraxia of speech is a serious and challenging speech disorder. A lot of hard work on the part of therapist, parents, and child needs to occur. We can honestly say, however, that as parents use the Apraxia-Kids network to report on the successes and accomplishments of their children, we hear many reasons to hope for the best.

Source: apraxia-kids.org

Photo Friday!

2011-01-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

Adorable Avery playing at PediaSpeech!

Did you know?

2011-01-20T15:22:00.001-05:00

Language development begins in the womb. Infants less than an hour old can tell the difference between the language of their parents and a foreign language.
Children are born wanting to talk and communicate with the adults in their lives—that's you!
The first year of life is critically important for language development, even though many babies do not say any words during this period.
How, and how much, you talk to your children from birth to age three has a huge influence on their language skills in school.
Babies can communicate many of their needs and wants before they start talking, and how you respond can help them learn the words and phrases they will use later.

Calcium and Your Child

2011-01-20T12:59:00.003-05:00

Milk and other calcium-rich foods have always been a must-have in kids' diets. After all, calcium is a key building block for strong, healthy bones. But more than 85% of girls and 60% of boys ages 9 to 18 fail to get the recommended 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day.

Click here for an article all about calcium and kids. You will find:

What calcium does
Good sources of calcium
Minding your milk
When kids can't - or won't - eat dairy
Kicking up the calcium
Caring about calcium

Photo Friday!

2011-01-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sweet Isabella working hard with Miss Carly!