A Fresh New Look!

Lakeshore’s waiting room has a new look!  We are so excited for you to see the new decor at Lakeshore.  Please make sure to check out the parent resource area. Here you will find information about activities and opportunities in our area for  your child and you and your family. This area will also house any information important to your weekly visits. Vacation reminders, quick check-out documents such as making payments, program fliers and more will be in this area for your convenience.

We now have media streaming information pertinent to Lakeshore Speech, therapy, informational resources and the like.  Please email VernaAnn at vkotansky@lakeshorespeech.com if you have an idea for information to be included.

As we continually strive to make Lakeshore a comfortable place not only for our clients, but for those who are waiting, we ask you to be aware of the following requests:

  1. Please remember to bring quiet activities for children who will be waiting.
  2. Please do not let children touch the hardware/locks on the windows.
  3. Please refrain from discussing sensitive material about yourself or your child in the waiting room.
  4. Please feel free to email or talk with Ellen (espear@lakeshorespeech.com) or Kelly (krigo@lakeshroespeech.com) if you have any suggestions or if there is something we could provide to make your time in our waiting room more comfortable.

Enjoy the day!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Language in the Sun and Heat!

It’s getting hot out there! It’s a great time to  turn the heat up on your child’s language skills in everything you do.

No need to put down your ice cream cone or even get out of the pool; you have everything you need to enhance your child’s language skills!  Language is everywhere, so working on language skills is always at your fingertips. Whether you are camping, at the pool, at the beach, at the amusement park or coloring with chalk on the sidewalk, working on direction following skills, vocabulary skills, sentence development and articulation skills is a snap!

For your own sanity, set aside a small amount of time (5-10 min) to focus on a specific skill during an activity.  As you become more comfortable incorporating these therapy moments, you can expand on the amount of time. Choose a small part of the larger skill your child is working on in speech therapy (ask your Speech Therapist to help identify these specific skills if you need help). In the time span you have allotted,work with your child on the language skill and when the time has expired, STOP working! Over time, ‘working’ on the skills will become second nature.  Your child won’t even realize she/he has been ‘doing their speech homework’. Here’s a little example to give you a more clear idea.

Location – ice cream stand/shop

Speech Skill – closing lips for the M sound (the larger speech goal is producing words with B, P, and M).

Time allotted: 5 minutes

 

Parent: “Let’s play an ice cream game after 5 licks, you tell me how it tastes.  You say, ‘mmmm’.”

Child (in a perfect world, where ice cream doesn’t drip down arms and onto shoes): licks ice cream 5 times, says ‘mmmm’.

Parent: “Great!  Now, after 5 licks you tell me again how it tastes.  You say, ‘mmmmmmmm’.”

Child (again in the same perfect world):licks ice cream 5 times, says ‘mmmm’.

5 minutes is up!

Parent: “That was a fun game!  Let’s finish our ice cream.”

There is a high probability that your child will continue the ‘game’ without being prompted.  Chances are high that others, especially siblings, will want to ‘play the game’ too. Now the 5 minutes you had set aside will grow to 10 minutes!

Remember to be kind to yourself!  Don’t try this suggestion when all forces are against you!  Once a day, twice a week, whenever you can sneak in a few extra minutes of practice–it will pay off quickly!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

New Faces at Lakeshore Speech!

Lakeshore is growing!

Ellery Martinko is now the proud Mama of handsomely adorable baby boy!  The newest member of the Lakeshore family is keeping Mommy Ellery busy, however, he is allowing her to return to Lakeshore to see clients.  We couldn’t be more thrilled for Ellery and her family! Congratulations!

Mary Clare Carson has returned to Lakeshore for the Summer months.  Mary Clare took some ‘time off’ from Lakeshore  but is back!  We are excited to have her back for the Summer! Her friendly smile shines as bright as the July sun! Welcome back, Mary Clare!

Neysa McKenney is new to Lakeshore Speech, however is NOT new to serving children. Neysa joins the Lakeshore Team with over 35 years experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist.  We are delighted to have Neysa working with us and our Lakeshore Families.  Please help us welcome Neysa to Lakeshore!

You can read more about these wonderful women and all the therapists at Lakeshore by following this link: About Lakeshore Speech.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Let Freedom Ring!!!!!

Don’t let the ‘ring’ ruin the day!

July 4th week!  Picnics! Parades! Fireworks! Tantrums!  Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly, tantrums! Otherwise known as ‘melt-downs’, ‘explosions’, ‘losing your marbles’, whatever the name, the result of these moments in time can create a stressful situation for everyone involved, child, parent, siblings, and casual observers. As mentioned in previous posts, one way to better manage these moments is count on them and plan for them.

Count on the fact that there will be something your child will not understand, wants but won’t be able to clearly communicate, be afraid of, not want to wait for, etc.  You probably already know what that ‘something’ is without having to even be in the situation. This year, proactively prepare your child for these situations.

Parades- in the town I live in, the 4th of July parade is one of the premier events of the Summer – one NOT to miss! The parade route is lines with friendly faces 3 and 4 deep.  There will be at least 3 bands, firetrucks, and emergency trucks to entertain young and old. AND the best part – CANDY!!!! Every float will be tossing candy to the crowd! Fun?!??!  Not for everyone! If your community has a parade or if you will be at a parade at anytime with your child, consider a few of these tips:

  • Find a location along the route that is less populated and stake your claim.
    • Typically the start of the parade or early into the route is less crowded.  
    • Ask the homeowner if you can sit on their tree lawn (this simple question could be the start of a new friendship).
    • Ask if you can put lawn chairs or a blanket in the area that you will be sitting either the evening before or early in the AM – now you don’t have to be haired looking for a place to sit/stand during the parade.
  • Consider using some sort of music or headphones to help regulate the noise.
    • If your child will wear ear plugs or has noise canceling headphones make sure to use them before the parade starts – don’t want your child to be startled by the marching band’s drumline or the fire engine’s siren.
    • If your child will listen to music, have his/her favorite playlist on a portable device.  She/he can still enjoy the parade while listening to preferred music which will help dampen the other sounds.
  • Typically, the parade line-up is available somewhere – city website, friend of a friend is the chairperson, etc.
    • Use this to preview the parade  – “First we will see the fire trucks, then we will see the marching band, then we will see the baseball teams, etc.”.
    • Use this information to help anticipate what is happening next – “After the clowns, we will see and hear the huge fire truck.”
    • Use this information to plan your entry and exit – “After the dance float, the parade is over and we will go home.”
  • Somehow, someway, make sure your child’s name and YOUR cell number are on your child.
    • Use a marker and write it on his/her arm.
    • Make a name tag and put it on your child’s BACK
    • If she/he will keep a necklace or bracelet on make one  – Pintrest is FULL of ideas.

Picnics – Many choices and  many new foods can make for a frustrating mealtime for everyone.  Not only preparing the meal (or part of it) is stressful, but worrying that your child may or may not eat all day adds another layer of stress.  Do yourself a favor and try one or all of these tips.

  • Offer to bring something that requires little to no preparation – you’ll have your hands full – paper products, beverages, chips are all great options without the fuss.
  • Bring food you know your child will eat – it’s OK if she/he is not eating what everyone else it eating – it’s a picnic.  What’s on the plate is not what’s important; those sitting around the table are!
  • Make your child’s favorite breakfast – and plenty of it – so you know he/she has eaten a complete meal, even if the rest of the day is a steady diet of chips and watermelon.
  • Bring a special blanket or lawn chair for specific for your child.  Maybe it has a character on it that is calming or ‘hugs’ your child when he/she sits in it. Don’t give it up to anyone else, make it a special ‘safe’ place for your child.
  • Create or bring a small tent for your child.  Give them a space (much like the chair or blanket) that is away from the bustle of others – you may want to crawl in it with them at some time :).
  • Make a quick choice board of the different foods.
    • Bring tape, scissors and a piece of paper to the picnic.
      • Cut labels off of foods and tape them on the paper
    • Use your cell phone
      • Take pictures of the different food items
      • Put them in a collage – instant communication board

Fireworks – amazing and scary all in one! Hopefully some of these ideas will end up in you and your family enjoying the fireworks versus fearing the fireworks.

  • Location, location, location –
    • Find a location where you can see the fireworks but maybe not hear them
    • Find a location where you can watch them from inside (ie: upstairs bedroom window)
    • Find a location where your child (and you) feel safe
  • Headphones/music – see above in the parade section
  • Watch them on TV

Remember, these are just moments in time, so enjoy every one!  Prior planning puts everyone in a better place! Happy Fourth of July!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy.