This year marks 4 years in private practice and I still pinch myself thinking about how fortunate I am to be a pediatric private practice owner. It’s a privilege supporting kiddos in achieving their communication milestones both big and small.
Read MoreYear after year, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to be doing a job I absolutely love. Being a part of every child’s communication journey is something I don’t take for granted. I work with some pretty incredible kiddos and families that feel more like family than just clients.
Read More2021 has been a wild ride. Another pandemic year has come and gone. There is a sense of unpredictability and anxiety as we head into the holidays as a new variant rapidly spreads. While unsettling to say the least, I’m doing my best to reflect on the good this year brought.
Read MoreIf a family is concerned about their child’s expressive language skills, I often begin to ask questions about ways their child is initiating communication, or how the child independently and intentionally communicates a message to their communication partner. Remember that a child doesn’t have to be talking to initiate communication! Children can initiate communication using eye contact, directed facial expressions (e.g., looks of excitement, surprise, curiosity, frustration, etc.), body movements, vocalizations, gestures, signs, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) use, and/or words. Think about how much a look of frustration or excitement communicates.
Read MoreAs an SLP, it’s my job to empower families to feel successful with speech home practice, or activities and strategies carried out after every therapy session. Speech therapy home practice needs to be tailored to each kiddo and family, easily fit within everyday routines, and feasibly implemented on a regular basis. We want to work together to create a home practice program to which a family can adhere. This results in increased progress towards speech and language goals. I’m sharing a few ways I keep speech therapy home practice simple and organized.
Read MoreWhen it comes to planning therapy sessions, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. One of my most effective therapy materials are stickers and I’ve been on a big sticker kick lately for kids of all ages! Stickers are motivating, cost effective, require minimal clean-up, and are adaptable to the age and language level of each kiddo.
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