Start the Spring Clean-Up! – Language and Chores

The days are getting longer and the temperature is rising – slowly. Spring is almost here.  As the cold of winter begins to leave, our attention begins to turn to the warmth and work on Spring.  The work of Spring? Those chores and jobs we promise to complete every Spring. This year try to incorporate all family members in completing jobs

Everyone can participate in giving the house, yard, and dreaded garage a little Spring pick-me-up.  Simple parts of a more complex task provide your loved one the sense of accomplishment and participation.  

Laundry, of which there is a never ending supply, is a wonderful task for have your loved one to help. Matching socks and separating clothes into different piles (ie: shirts, pants, towels, etc) or folding simple items like towels are great ways to incorporate everyone in this task.  Think of the language involved as well – naming the clothes, learning back and front, naming the fasteners on the clothes; language is truly everywhere!

Sweeping or vacuuming, tasks that surprisingly are exciting for some of our loved ones.  Adapted the handle on the broom so it is not too long and have your loved one help clean up the floors.  Practice ‘dancing’ with the vacuum cleaner and before long these tasks will become old hat. Remember all that language – floors versus ceilings, back and forth, clean, dirty – all language concepts that build your loved ones language foundation.

Let’s not forget the work outdoors.  When the sun is shining and even when it’s cloudy, work seems less “work” when your outside. Pulling weeds or raking are wonderful tasks your loved ones might enjoy. Picking up twigs or rocks and putting them in buckets are tasks that may seem uneventful, however you never know what your loved one might really enjoy. And talk about language!

Cleaning out the garage.  It sounds crazy but given a very specific job, your loved one can participate in getting it ready for the Spring and Summer.  Stacking flower pots or moving lawn bags or practicing using the broom outside are all ways your loved one can participate (and yes, use and learn language).

Working as a team, you and your loved ones can accomplish great things!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

How to Navigate Testing..1, 2, 3

high stakes testing can cause stress for all students

Navigating High Stakes Testing

The end of March marks the start of the ‘testing’ season for student’s in the elementary, middle, and high schools. These high stakes tests are stressful for everyone, but imagine the stress your loved one might be experiencing knowing these tests are looming in the near future. Your loved one may appear more irritable or extremely giddy. Your loved one may want to sleep more or have more energy than you’ve ever seen. You may be eaten out of house and home or begging your loved one to eat just something. Stress looks different on everyone, but what is a parent or caregiver to do?

Breathe.

Helping Your Child

Helping your loved one cope with high stress situations is a life lesson that will span the ages. Helping your loved one not only cope with the stress, but providing much needed relief can make these days and weeks less ….. stressful.

You know your loved on the best and can probably tell their stress level just be the look in their eye. Unfortunately, being able to relieve that stress may take more convincing and patience on your part.

Creating Zones Can Make the Difference

Create a ‘stress-less zone’. Make a special corner of a bedroom or living room the ‘stress-less zone’. A comfy pillow and cozy blanket may be the needed tools. Consider some music (some students prefer the louder the better rather than quiet music) and lighting (dim or bright) as the invisible walls of the ‘stress-less area’. Aromatherapy may be an option to add to the stress-less zone. Expensive oils may or may not be needed; consider an old t-shirt with familiar perfume or cologne on it or a stuffed animal with powder on it – any smell that is soothing to your loved one.

Create a ‘crash zone’ for your loved one. An old mattress or gym pads on the floor or a mini trampoline may provide just the place to for your loved one to ‘crash’ into at the end of the day. Old school blow up punching doll or an actual punching page may prove to be effective tools to de-stress. A few empty cardboard boxes that can be stomped and crushed may also be great additions to this area.

Create a ‘silent zone’ for your loved one. An area that is void of all stimuli. An area in the corner of a closet may be just the spot to recenter and decompress. Make the area as simple as possible with a mat or a single pillow. Remove as much visual and auditory clutter as possible. A place where silence is truly golden.

Multi-Zone Area

Create a ‘zone’ for your loved one that is combination of the few mentioned here and those that you know work best. Take the time to designate the space and materials to creating these ‘zones’. Your loved one may not be able to express how much it is appreciated or how they enjoy their special zone, but you will know by the look in their eye.

Final Thoughts

While these tests are high stakes and often bring a high level of stress, it is important to remember the test does not make or break your child. Tests are a snapshot of 1 minute of 1 day. You cannot test compassion, sensitivity, love, care or creativity with a test – all of the characteristics that make your child amazing.

new school year

Imagine…Create….Language : Stem and Speech Therapy

new school year

We are a quarter of the way through 2019 already!  Hard to believe how fast time flies…..especially when you are having fun.  March ushers in a month of leprechauns and basketball and the strange time of year when it’s still not warm enough to go outside but staying inside isn’t the best option either. It’s that time of year when ideas and creativity to keep our loved ones engaged and busy don’t come as easy as they did a few weeks ago.

We have your back and hope our ideas spark new life into your family’s March schedule.

Introduce basic S.T.E.M. activities like making your own bubbles or making your own robot.  Spending time to create opens the door for imagination as well as language. You don’t need to be a computer programmer to build your collection of S.T.E.M. activities.

  • Idea #1: Build a Robot
    • Collect different boxes, toilet paper tubes, plastic containers, etc.
    • Grab a few rolls of tape and string or yarn
    • Create a ‘problem’ that requires your loved ones to have to make a robot to ‘fix’ the problem. Problems like too many socks are getting lost in the wash or nobody knows when the garbage is full.
    • This activity will work on helping your loved ones better understand directional and location concepts, follow directions, ask for help, name items, work with others, share, etc.
  • Idea #2: Practice Continuing Patterns
    • Collect different dried foods – pasta, beans, cereal, dried fruits
    • Create patterns (basic to complex) and have your child continue the pattern
    • Flip roles and see if you can continue the patterns
    • This activity will work on helping your loved one with sequencing tasks, vocabulary, patterning, following directions, etc. – skills needed to master math and language goals.
  • Idea #3: Build a Roller Coaster
    • Collect paper tubes from toilet paper, paper towels, and wrapping paper, tape, and marbles or small toy cars.
    • Explain to your love one you are going to create the next big roller coaster for the summer!
    • Tape together some tubes, cut other in half and create a roller coaster to go in your cardboard amusement park!
    • Use a marble or small toy car to test out your coaster!
    • This activity will work on helping your loved one with shared attention, vocabulary, directional concepts, following directions, listening, taking turns, etc.

Your S.T.E.M. activities do not have to be complex or expensive.  Play with some of these ideas and if you and your loved ones create a masterpiece, share it with us on Facebook!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

Communicate Love All Year Through

expressions of love on Valentine's day

February – the month of love; loving and caring for our family, our friends, our significant other. Don’t keep the love only in the month of February. Life gets in the way of the best plans. Set a small goal for you and your loved ones to communicate how much you love and appreciate each other (and others) on a more regular basis.  

The suggestions made for wishing others a Happy Valentine’s day can be incorporated throughout the year.  Change the message (ie: Get well; Have a great day; etc) or just sending love, not only helps your loved one practice communication skills but strengthens the bond between the well wisher and the recipient.

Start the ‘Star of the Month’ in your house.  Choose one person – start with YOURSELF – and share some information your family may (or may not) know.  Pick a special time – after dinner, during dinner, before bed – for the ‘Star’ to communicate a special something.  The ‘Star’ can share favorite foods, places, colors, animals. The ‘Star’ can share a favorite memory or story. For loved ones that communicate using alternative means, use a basic communication board or basic signs to share this information.  Use a family picture to communicate a favorite story or memory. Use labels from favorites foods to communicate that information to the rest of the family. The ‘Star’ practices communicating effectively and everyone learns more reasons to love and appreciate the ‘Star’.

Communicate love and appreciation at lunch.  Put a ‘love note’ to your loved ones lunch boxes, backpacks, or briefcases. A little reminder mid-day that someone is thinking of them and wanting their day to be special.  These ‘love notes’ do not need to be complicated or even in written form for that matter. Search for and print out pictures of favorite cartoon characters or superheroes and just put them where your loved one will see them.  Blot lipstick on a piece of paper and send a ‘kiss’ to your loved one – no words necessary. Cut a napkin in a heart and/or buy special character napkins to include in lunches every once in a while.

No matter your age, communicating a simple ‘I’m thinking about you’ message makes the day better and brighter.  

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Boxing Day!

Here’s to the success and survival of the big day!  Given the millions of new toys that may now ‘live’ in your home, nothing is quite as exciting for some children as the boxes that once housed those toys. Why is that a thing? Generation after generation have been stymied by the same question.

Who are we to question? Turn those hours of climbing in boxes into therapy opportunities.

Large or small, playing with boxes, or any toys, is a wonderful way to practice shared attention, turn taking, and sharing. These exchanges, for a moment or a while, are so important to developing conversation skills, play skills, and social skills.

Large boxes – let the creativity go wild. Large boxes are ideal for creating a playhouse, cave, tent, or castle. Add a few blankets and pillows and a flashlight and you have the makings of hours of imaginative play.  Not only are these great vessels to take imaginations to the outer limits, these are wonderful oases of quiet. The language opportunities are never ending. Every empty box needs decorations. A few crayons and stickers and a masterpiece is born. Requesting crayon colors or stickers or continuation of the activity are all ways to get a little language practice in with no one being the wiser.

Medium boxes aren’t just for sweaters or shirts anymore. Line the floor with opened boxes and create games of moving in and out of the boxes – lily pad jumping, indoor hopscotch.  These games can incorporate vocabulary and language concepts of in, out, go, stop, more, waiting for your turn, etc. All important skills for developing and practicing language.

Small boxes – the gems of the box family. Tape these closed and use as building blocks – great for individuals with dexterity issues. Build box towers. Up, on top, bottom, more, help, crash, boom, uh-oh – vocabulary and language concepts waiting to be part of the tower construction.  

Once the boxes lose their charm, it’s off to the recycling bin! However,  the opportunity to practice language and social skills will never lose its charm!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Making Learning Fun for Everyone: Lakeshore Summer Programs

summer programs

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC is proud to announce our 2018 Summer Programs.

While the brochure is available on our website, we wanted to take a few moments to dive deeper into explaining these great opportunities.

Speech Boot Camp –

This camp is designed for children with apraxia, motor speech impairment or phonological disorders to provide intensive and individualized speech therapy over the course of 2 weeks.  This ‘camp’ is a one on one opportunity with Ellen Spear.  Each child would come for 30 minutes of intensive therapy hyper-focused on the child’s needs specific to speech production. Ellen will draw upon her expertise in this area as well as her certification in PROMPT.  This may be the opportunity your child needs to set into motion significant progress related to speech production.  June 18-21 and June 25-28. Space is limited. $60/session – this camp can be billed to insurance or paid privately.

Roller Coaster Makers Camp – 

designed for students entering the 9th – 12th grades who may struggle with social skills, making friends, and working in groups.  This camp will highlight a social skill per day and then incorporate that skill within the day’s construction of a roller coaster.  This camp will  combine STEM skills as well as social skills/executive functioning skills and will be led by VernaAnn Kotansky.  As a certified Assistive Technology Specialist and Speech therapist, VernaAnn will draw upon her love of science and technology to create an open and enriching experience for the teens in this camp.  Direction following will be a must as well as ability to work independently and demonstrate self-regulatory behaviors.  Every camper will take home a roller coaster, but not until the “Gallery of Roller Coasters” is shared with family and friends. June 19 – 22nd – 10am-12pm. $300. Space is limited to 6 students. Private pay only as this group is not a skilled service therefore we are unable to bill insurance.

Lakeshore Has Gone To The Dogs! A Reading Summer Camp – 

designed for students entering the 1st to 3rd grades – Lakeshore is proud and excited to introduce Stan the Therapy Dog and his amazing handler (and elementary school teacher with 20 years of experience) Patti Cramer. This program will run 3 sessions which will focus on practicing reading strategies to improve Accuracy, Fluency and Comprehension.  During each session: Day 1 :Reading Accuracy-assess and practice reading strategies to improve a reader’s accuracy; Day 2: Reading Fluency– Work on pacing, phrasing, punctuation and reading with expression; Day 3: Reading Comprehension– introduce and practice various strategies to improve reading comprehension. Students will read books at their independent level to accomplish these tasks. Students will have one on one time with Patti. They will also work together on these strategies and they will have the opportunity to read to Stan to show off their skills.  Session 1: June 11-13,  Session 2: June 18-20, Session 3: June 25-17  – 10:00-11:30am.  Space is limited to 4 students per session. Cost $250/session. All 3 sessions- $700.  Private pay only as this group is not a skilled service therefore we are unable to bill insurance.

Guided Makers Social Skills Camp –

designed for students entering the 5th – 8th grades who struggle with social skills, making friends and working in groups.  STEM skills are every important in today’s world and this camp will begin to introduce those skills in combination with social skills. Social skills will be introduced daily and campers will practice these  social skills while making “STEM creations” and working in a group.  This camp will be led by VernaAnn Kotansky as well.  Campers will take home their creations.  The camp will culminate with a “Makers’ Gallery” for friends and family to enjoy all the creations! June 12 – 14th – 10am-12pm. $300. Space is limited to 6 students. Private pay only as this group is not a skilled service therefore we are unable to bill insurance.

Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum – 

designed for students ages 8 – 11 years old.  Following the amazing adventures of Superflex, your campers will gain the Superhero skills to combat the likes of the horrible villains ‘Rock Brain’, ‘WasFunnyOnce’, and ‘Glassman’ to name a few. This class will be led by Ellen Spear.  Your child will be engaged in the world of Superflex while learning and practicing the ever important social skills.  Perfect timing for a refresher as they begin to prepare for the start of the 2018-19 school year!  August 6-9th – 3-4pm. $300. Space is limited to 6 students.  Private pay only as this group is not a skilled service therefore we are unable to bill insurance.

Registration Information – Spots are Limited

Registration deadline for all programs is May 25,  2018. Payment is due in full by the date of the first class for all programs.  There will be no refunds for missed sessions. We reserve the right to cancel and reschedule session days  at any time.  We accept cash, check and most major credit cards as payment. 

Upon registering, we will send you a packet of information that must be completely filled out and returned by June 6, 2018.

We reserve the right to cancel the class entirely should registration not meet minimum requirements.  All clients that did register will be notified at least three (3) days prior to the first class and refunds will be given at that time.

Register for all programs by calling (1-440-471-7901) or emailing Kelly (krigo@lakeshorespeech.com) at Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

 

 

How to Celebrate Autism Awareness Month

Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness month.

We here are Lakeshore are proud to work with families and for individuals on the Autism spectrum. There is no one way, one recipe, one program that fits all children with Autism.  We celebrate these differences!

Celebrate Every Success – Big or Small

Those working with children with Autism strive to finding the keys to unlock communication skills. While progress in finding those ‘keys’ at times can feel painfully slow, your speech-language pathologist is here for you to continually push, model, and encourage you and your child.  Even the smallest step of forward progress is cause for celebration!
Lakeshore Speech celebrates with you and your child!

How to Celebrate Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Child Apraxia

What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Childhood Apraxia of Speech is some degree of disrupted speech motor control.In other words,  a child diagnosed with CAS experiences  difficulty rapidly and accurately moving and sequencing  the tongue, lips and palate for the required movements for continuous and intelligible speech production.  While the data on incidents of CAS in children is lacking, the estimates of some sources indicate that CAS is low incidence with perhaps 1 – 10 in 1000 children affected or 3 – 5 % of speech-impaired preschoolers.

What does this look like at home, one the playground, in preschool?

A child with CAS may experience a limited number of vowel sounds, difficulty imitating mouth movements and/or words/sounds, or a variety of errors that may be unusual or idiosyncratic.  Children with CAS may or may not experience receptive language deficits.  Depending on the child, negative behaviors associated with not being understood may also be evident.

What does a parent do?  Where do you go?

An experienced Speech-Language Pathologist in the area of CAS can help navigate families and children through the CAS journey.  As a parent/caregiver, do not feel intimidated asking if your SLP has experience in the area of CAS.  The therapists at Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC. are happy to answer your questions about CAS as well as provide specific therapeutic interventions.

February is CAS awareness month.  If you would like more information, please feel free to ask your Speech-Language Pathologists as well as visit The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Learn How to Use and Model Social Skill Filters

How to Use and Model Social Skill Filters

“I can’t believe you just said that!” We have all experienced a moment when our child blurts out a thought  that should have stayed in their heads.

Join Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, of Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC, as she helps children use their “social filter” and understand how words and actions have an effect on others. Using role play, video, and smalll group activities,  this hour long program will focus on deciphering the hidden rules of  inside thoughts vs expressing a thought out loud.. We will  determine whether we need to use our “thinking bubble”  or “talking bubble” across a variety of different social situations and learn about the where, when, and who of venting.

Where: Lakewood Public Library
When: Saturday, February 3, Sessions begin at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm

Online registration at www.connectingforkids.org

How to Use Coupons to Build Communication

child in speech therapy playing with a toy with keys

Coupons can help create communication

Junk mail,  inserts in the Sunday papers….those shiny glossy teeny tiny piece of paper worth $.25, $.50, $1!!!!!  If you are savvy shopper your coupons are organized and ready to go with every shopping trip.  If you are not the organized savvy shopper, your coupons are a crumpled at the bottom of your purse or better yet in a pile on the kitchen counter, never to see the inside of a store.

Coupons are not just for saving a few pennies!  Coupons open the door for communication!  There are a number of easy – and fast – ways to not only create a mode of communication for your child, but to help she/he practice specific sounds, increase story telling, turn taking, and the list goes on!

How to Use Coupons to Create a Communication Board

Coupon Communication Board:  use coupons or the adds surrounding the coupons to make a simple communication board for your child.  Cut the object on coupon object out and tape or glue it in a grid form on a piece of paper.  The next time you are playing 20 questions trying to figure out what your child would like for a snack, a drink, breakfast, lunch or dinner simply pull out your “Coupon Communication Board” and have she/he point to the choice.

Expanding Communication

Coupons expand communication: not only can coupons create a wonder communication board, but those glossy adds make for wonderful ‘stories’ to talk about.  What do you see?  What is that?  Who is that? What are they doing?  Should a doggie be allowed to play with toilet paper?  Does candy really talk?  Touch something blue. Do you see anything that flies?  The number of questions to elicit and expand communication is endless!

No need to go crazy trying to find that ‘just right picture’, they’re right under your nose. Coupons are for communication!

 

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.