Distinguishing Delay from Disorder: How long will my child need speech therapy?

Research shows that approximately 15% of toddlers exhibit delayed language skills whereas only 3% of preschoolers present with a language delay/disorder (Paul, 1996). This means that many toddlers with language delays will catch up to their typically-developing peers with speech therapy and/or time.

I don’t have a crystal ball to predict whether a child’s language delay will persist or resolve. However, research on language delays and disorders have identified factors that help us determine whether a child is at an increased risk of a language disorder, or language deficits that persist into school-age years and/or beyond.

Language Development, Preschool Language, Resources, School Age Language, Toddler Language, Speech Evaluation, Speech TherapyAnna OllingerJuly 15, 2020Language Development, Article Review, Speech Evaluation, Speech Therapy, Delay versus Disorder Comment

Core Word of the Week

With the Core Word of the Week, we focus on modeling one core word each week. It’s been amazing to observe the progress for both my kiddos and their families. As for the kids, they’re using core words to communicate in novel and flexible ways. As for the parents, they’ve become experts at modeling their child’s AAC system.

AAC, Language Development, Preschool Language, Resources, School Age Language, Speech Therapy, Teletherapy, Toddler LanguageAnna OllingerJuly 1, 2020AAC, Parent Training, Core Vocabulary, Speech Therapy, Core Word of the Week Comment

Support requesting with communication temptation activities

An effective strategy to target requests is a communication temptation activity. This occurs when an adult temporarily holds a desired object (e.g., snack, puzzle piece, block) slightly out of reach and pauses to provide a child with an opportunity to request.

Language Development, AAC, Preschool Language, Resources, Speech Therapy, Toddler LanguageAnna OllingerJune 18, 2020Language Development, Teletherapy, Resources, Parent TrainingComment

Teletherapy: What I've Learned Thus Far

We are now entering week four of quarantine and remote learning. While we are in an unprecedented era, I’m challenging myself to take advantage of the extra time and invest in learning the ins and outs of a new skillset: teletherapy.