Summer is slowly coming to an end and back to school prep days are just around the corner. We still have a few weeks of summer fun left, so why not combine the fun with some super exciting beach activities! Check out this awesome article from LLA Therapy on how to make the most of your summer with Speech On The Beach!
Checkout this AWESOME article we found on Yahoo.com!! It talks about what a mother who has a daughter with Autism thinks people should know. If your child has Autism, this might be a good article to read to learn how to express to those around you what exactly Autism is!!
This year Independence day, aka 4th of July, is on a Wednesday. Independence day is the anniversary of the public announcement declaring the United States of America’s independence from Great Britain back in 1976. This year marks the 242nd anniversary! Checkout these super fun 4th of July themed activities, let freebies ring:
Complete the sentences with irregular plural nouns. Twelve sentences with terms. Children are to place the correct term in each sentence.
This USA themed packet is perfect for patriotic sessions! Students simply color, cut, and glue. This packet features /k, l, sh, r, s/.
Checkout this link for a packet of independence day themed writing prompts.
Just a reminder, Christine Wilson Speech Language Pathology will be CLOSED on Wednesday, July 4th, and Thursday, July 5th. We hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!!
As some of you may know, Christine Wilson will be moving to Texas at the end of July. Christine Wilson Speech Language Pathology has been open since 2011. When Christine found out her husband was taking a permanent job in Texas, she couldn’t bare the thought of having to close her practice. The perfect solution was hiring a new Speech Language Pathologist to follow in her footsteps! Everyone, we would like to introduce you to:
Karen was born in sunny Los Angeles, CA. but has lived all over the United States. Her and her husband both served in the United States Army. Karen served in the Army for eight years, and then realized she wanted to become a Speech Language Pathologist! Upon completing her Bachelors degree from the University of Central Florida, GO KNIGHTS, she obtained her Masters via online at Western Kentucky University. She has had five years of experience with a wide range of communication disorders in the school setting. Karen is eager to branch out and learn the clinical side of speech therapy.
Please help us in welcoming Karen to Christine Wilson Speech Language Pathology!!
A tongue thrust is considered an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD). The tongue moves forward in an exaggerated way during speech and/or swallowing. The tongue may lie too far forward during rest or may protrude between the upper and lower teeth during speech and swallowing, and at rest.
Although a “tongue thrust” swallow is normal in infancy, it usually decreases and disappears as a child grows. If the tongue thrust continues, a child may look, speak, and swallow differently than other children of the same age. Older children may become self-conscious about their appearance.
Some children produce sounds incorrectly as a result of OMD. OMD most often causes sounds like /s/,/z/, “sh”, “zh”, “ch” and “j” to sound differently. For example, the child may say “thumb” instead of “some” if they produce an /s/ like a “th”. Also, the sounds /t/, /d/, /n/, and /l/ may be produced incorrectly because of weak tongue tip muscles. Sometimes speech may not be affected at all.
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) with experience and training in the treatment of OMD can help with:
APHASIA! June is the month we bring awareness to Aphasia. Do you know what Aphasia is? Do you or a loved one have Aphasia? Checkout this post from ASHA for more information and raise your awareness:
Aphasia can lead to a number of different problems. You may have trouble talking, understanding, reading, and writing.
You may find that you:
You may:
You may have trouble with the following things:
Aphasia is most often caused by stroke. However, any type of brain damage can cause aphasia. This includes brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, and brain disorders that get worse over time.
You should see a doctor if you have trouble speaking or understanding what people say. A doctor will determine if there is a medical cause for your problem. A speech-language pathologist, or SLP, will test your speech and language skills. The SLP will ask you about the problems you have and what you want to work on. The SLP will test how well you:
There are many ways to work on your language. The type of treatment you get depends on what you want and need. You may work with an SLP on your own or in a small group. You may want your family to be a part of your treatment. They can help you use the skills you learn with the SLP at home. You may also join a support group or Stroke Club for social activities.
Do you speak more than one language? You may talk better in one language and have more trouble in the other. Or, you may have trouble in both. You should work with an SLP who speaks both languages if you can.
In severe cases, you may need to find other ways to answer questions or tell people what you want. These may include simple hand gestures, writing, pointing to letters or pictures, or using a computer. This is augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC.
The SLP can help you get ready to go back to work or school if that is your goal. You may need to change how you do your work. Or you may need special equipment to help you communicate. Your SLP can work with your boss or teachers to make these changes.
See ASHA information for professionals on the Practice Portal’s Aphasia page.
These tips may make it easier for you to understand and talk with others. Share these tips with your family and friends.
To help me talk with you:
If you or a loved one has Aphasia and need speech therapy, look no further! Contact Speech Language Pathologist Christine Wilson today.
Monday, May 28th, is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the day when we remember the sacrifices of soldiers who have given their lives to defend our freedoms and our country. While we honor soldiers and what they do for us, we can also improve speech and language skills. Checkout these awesome activities from Speech and Language Kids!
Vocabulary and Writing
Unless your child has a close family member who is in the service, he/she might not know a lot about soldiers and what they do. For this activity, find a coloring sheet of a soldier (try searching “soldier coloring sheet” on Google Image Search) and have your child color it in. While he’s/she’s coloring, ask him/her if he/she knows what a soldier is, what a soldier does. Find out first what he/she knows. If he/she comes up with some good things that soldiers do, you can write that on his/her coloring sheet. If not, try sharing some things and writing them down. For older children, skip the coloring page and go straight to writing a paragraph about soldiers. Make sure the paragraph starts with an opening statement (something general about soldiers), includes 3-5 details about soldiers, and ends with a closing statement that wraps it all up. Here are some things that you can share with your child about what soldiers do:
Vocabulary
Tell your child that you are going to make a care package for someone in the military who is far away from home because they’re protecting our country. Talk about the things that a soldier might need. For ideas, visit the “what to send” page on All Soldiers Inc. Include any notes or pictures that your child thinks a soldier may enjoy. Once you get the package together, go onto a website like All Soldiers Inc. and find a place to send it to. This website will even let you pick the person you want to send it to and will give you information like where they’re from and what kind of conditions they’re living in.
For older children, talk about wars and choose one to research online. Just give your child a short overview of why the war happened and how it was resolved. This may interest some children very much and others not at all, keep your child’s interests in mind.
We hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend and thank you to all the soldiers who have and currently protect our country!!
May is the month of better hearing & speech. Each week there was a different topic from ASHA. We’ve had a spurt of older clientele in the last month or so, and this week is great for awareness! On week four, ASHA focuses on older Americans & falls.
Checkout ASHA for “did you know” information and facts in regards to falls.
Since May is the month of Apraxia Awareness, I figured I would find Apraxia focused activities! Checkout Speech and Language Kids for some awesome ideas. Also checkout Bilinguistics for 5 activities you can build into your daily routine. Go ahead, click on the links and check them out!
A great way to encourage a child to pronounce sounds correctly is to expose him/her to early developing speech sounds before he/she can even talk by reading books loaded with these sounds.
Speech therapists commonly use a strategy with children with articulation and phonological disorders called “auditory bombardment.” This technique repeatedly exposes the child to the correct production of mispronounced sounds. This increases the child’s ability to hear incorrect sounds in his/her own speech.
Early developing sounds include p, b, t, d, k, g, and m. Often children will naturally omit these sounds from the ends of words or in the middle of multi-syllabic words. This is a common pattern in articulatory development. Just provide a good speech model by over-emphasizing the target sound. Below is an example of a book that includes many early developing sounds. The number of times a sound occurs is listed under the book.
Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss:
p – 19
m – 20
g – 7
d – 25
b – 15
k – 32
t – 50
Reading sound-filled books to your child when he/she is a baby increases sound production and the opportunity to hear early developing sounds pronounced correctly. Before bedtime tonight, snuggle up next to your child and read a book!
New Tampa Speech Therapy 