One Size Does NOT Fit All

Baby New Year has arrived!  The season of parties and changed schedules is coming to its end.  Back to the ‘normal’ routine! But what about those resolutions? The promises you make to yourself that come with the fine print that reads, “I maintain the option to not follow through with these resolutions because while I mean well, life truly gets in the way.”

A close friend shared her New Year’s resolution; she was NOT going to ‘sweat the small stuff’. My response was true to the bestie code: ‘Great idea!  That’ll really make a difference! I support you!’ And when we parted ways, I got to thinking how as adults we want our children to know and recognize the difference between small, medium, and large problems however lose sight of those as we become adults.

Sometimes we need to step back and take an inventory of how we categorize problems or issues.  While the resources I am using are predominately for children, it may be worth the extra 3 minutes to read through the rest of this post to reset your personal inventory and help your loved one manage his/hers.

Small Problems:

  • Affects 1-2 people
  • No one was physically hurt
  • Feelings were minimally hurt
  • Takes 5 – 15 min to ‘fix’
  • Problem can be solved by the individual OR can be ignored completely

Medium Sized Problems:

  • Affects 3-5 people
  • May be a small physical injury
  • Feelings were hurt, person/people upset
  • May take 15 min to a couple of hours to ‘fix’
  • Problem may need another adult to be solved

Large Sized Problems:

  • Affects 6 or more people
  • May be a significant physical injury
  • No easy or quick solution to ‘fix’ hurt feelings
  • May take days to weeks to ‘fix’
  • Assistance of other adults is required to solve the issue.

While these are definitely oversimplified for some of life’s problems, they do provide a pause when thinking of day to day situations.  Food for thought to start the New Year.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Programs Available Starting January 2019

Lakeshore Speech Therapy is as busy as the North Pole this time of year! We are excited to share upcoming programs starting in January.

Teen Social Skills Group: This social skills group is designed specifically for teens. The purpose of our group is to practice expanding and building social skills in the areas of communication, problem solving, social media, friendship, fitting in, empathy and leadership skills.

And

Assistive Technology for Executive Functioning: High School students can drop in for an hour session on how to use assistive technology to increase organization, work completion, and ultimately independence. Skills necessary for college and the workplace.

Please click on the links above for more information about both of these great opportunities.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Holiday Prep – Part I

The weather reminds us the season of Holidays is at hand. Cooler days and nights, leaves and snowflakes falling.

While your are prepping your house for the Holidays, don’t forget to prep your friends and family as well. Earlier this year, we suggested ideas for making your loved one’s time celebrating the 4th of July more enjoyable. Now is the perfect time to begin preparing for you and your family to create an environment during these Holidays that supports your loved one as much as possible.

Location of celebration. While your family may have always celebrated the Holidays at Aunt Millie’s house, is it really the best place? Does Aunt Millie’s house have enough room so your loved one can comfortably participate in the festivities? Does Aunt Millie’s house have a place where your loved one might be able to ‘escape’ the whirl of activity? You may need to suggest a different venue for the Holiday celebration, a venue that better supports your loved one. If a venue change is not possible, you may need to suggest or abridge the time you spend at Aunt Millie’s to a time frame that better supports your loved one.

Time of celebrate. Is there a law stating all Holidays must be celebrated at dinner time? This year you may need to suggest a different time of day to celebrate the Holidays, a time of day when your loved one is at her/his best. Holiday brunch? Holiday lunch? Holiday snack time? You know your loved better than anyone. When she/he is at their best, YOU are able to relax and enjoy the festivities as well.

Timing of events. Is the best part of the celebration held for later in the day or evening? Can the highlight of the day be the first thing that happens? Relieving the anticipation of the highlight will decrease unexpected behaviors, which better supports your loved one.

This is not a finite list of considerations.  These are examples to get you thinking of the best plan for you and your family. These are examples to begin your prepping for the Holidays to best support your loved one so ultimately everyone can enjoy being together for the Holidays.

 

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Halloween Ready!

You used your parental superpowers to navigate the full moon last week, and you will use those powers again this week, especially on Wednesday, October 31st.  Check your list: comfortable costume – done; communication method – done; prep for the big night – read on.

Halloween evening is filled with anticipated wonder.  This anticipation can lead to anxiety which can cause unexpected behaviors.  Preparing your loved one in advance may eliminate or diminish the anxiety.  These proactive techniques are not difficulty, expensive or complex.  

Communicating to your child about what they can expect on Halloween evening can make a significant difference.  This communication can look like a bedtime story – “Once upon a time, a little girl/boy was excited for Halloween. Her/His name was (your child’s name). Child’s name was going to be dressed as a (your child’s costume).  On Halloween day, she/he went to school and had a great day.  When child’s name got home from school she/he made sure her/his homework was done. Child’s name and her/his family had dinner. After child’s name ate her/his dinner she/he changed into her/his costume. Etc…..”

This communication can look like a picture book.  Draw basic stick figures to represent the expected activities o Halloween.  Please feel free to utilize these sequence pictures as well. trickortreatsequence.png

This communication can look like a social story.  We have provided a social story about Halloween for you. Social stories are more effective when read frequently.  While this is coming to you a few days before Halloween, reading the story two to three times prior to the event can decrease anxiety as well as increase success. halloween-social-story

Remember to breathe and enjoy the moment…… these moments go by too quickly.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

Dress for Fall

Fall is officially upon us!  Crunching leaves, cooler air, pumpkin spiced everything.  There’s no denying it, Fall is here! For those who appreciate a cup of hot cocoa, the changing of the leaves and busting out the sweaters and long pants, your time has arrived.  Living in Northeast Ohio poses some issues when it comes to predicting Fall weather. We experience Spring, Summer and Heat Wave all in span of 3 days. Adjusting our wardrobes to match this  temperature roller coaster can also create issues for those who don’t understand what is going on with Mother Nature or those who are very sensitive to what they wear.

The “battle of the outfit” does not have to be a daily event. Using simple materials around your home, you can focus less on getting your loved one in  clothes to match the weather. These techniques not only bridge the gap of the daily runway, but promote vocabulary growth, inferencing, and reasoning.

Materials you will need to gather:

Items: 

Pictures of (at least 2 copies of each): 

  • Long sleeved shirt & short sleeved shirt                
  • Long pants & shorts
  • Sweatshirt or sweater
  • Socks and shoes
  • Sandals or flip flops
  • Lightweight Jacket
  • Heavier jacket/winter jacket

Resources:

  • Fliers from department stores and catalogues are great resources
  • Free icons @ www.flaticon.com
  • Free icons @ www.do2learn
  • Images from the internet

Items:

Pictures of weather/temperature:

  • Sun (3)
  • Cloudy (3)
  • Rain (3)
  • Warm (3)
  • Cold (3)

Resources:

Items:

Blank week calendar (large enough to hold 2-3 pictures)

Resources:

Items:

Glue, scissors, velcro or funtack, blank paper/cardstock

Resource:

Around the house (or in the ‘junk drawer’)

The overall goal is for the adult to indicate the weather and temperature on a specific day (using the weather temperature pictures) as well as the type of clothing needed for that day (using the clothing pictures).  Eventually, the individual may want to fill in the calendar with the corresponding pictures, but initially, this is intended to be a visual cue to decrease misunderstandings, etc. Too often the beautiful sun is shining but it’s nowhere near a day for flip-flops and shorts.

Please feel free to discuss creating this type of visual cue for your loved one with your Speech-Language Pathologist. If you would like more information, please feel free to call us at Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy

Friday Night Lights

Friday night lights! High school traditions!  Go Team!

Fall is the time of year to grab your favorite sweatshirt and enjoy an evening of high school football.  “Enjoy” – that’s the difficult part especially for some. The many sounds and smells as well as the number of people all in one place can cause loved ones with integration issues difficulty in large  crowds. There are a number of proactive steps families can take to help loved ones adjust to these situations.

Paint a picture of what the individual will experience during their time at the game.  For example:

  • We are going to park the car in the parking lot (or, in some instances, the – field, street, etc.)
  • We will walk to the gate or entrance of the field.
  • We will have to stand in line to get our tickets.
    • Note: if available, please consider purchasing tickets ahead of time.  Less time anxiously waiting, the better.
  • There will be a lot of people around us; you will hear them talking and shouting.
  • We will walk to our seats
  • We will walk up or down the stadium steps
    • Note: if the stadium steps are open (meaning you can see the ground below) you may want to consider sitting in an area closer to the ground or where the steps are solid.
  • We will sit in our seats
    • Note: if the individual is sensitive to pressure – consider bringing a blanket or stadium chair to decrease the sensation of the ‘hard’ stadium bleachers.
  • Etcetera
    • Don’t forget to include what will be
      • heard (band, horns, cheering, etc.)
      • seen
      • smelled

Carry an ‘important tools’ bag.  This bag should contain items that calm the individual, items that may distract attention from an unpleasant sensation and items that will help to diminish non-preferred sensations. The bag may include noise canceling headphones, headphones and a music source,ear plugs, fidget toys, extra blankets, weighted blankets, etc.

Plan your arrival and departure around preferred events.  If the individual loves watching the marching band, but is bothered by all the whistles during the game, arrive at the game 15-25 minutes late. If the individual does not appreciate the marching band, make arrangements for an activity or get special permission to leave and re-enter the the stadium during halftime.  If the individual does or does not like the mascot, plan your seats in the location accordingly.

Give your loved one a voice during the game.  Pre-record a cheer or a special message on a voice recorded switch.  No need to get too high tech, this is a high energy exciting time, it’s more important to get the message out! If a device is not an option, make a sign that shares the message or use a horn or bell for the individual to be part of the roaring crowd.  If you need more information or ideas, please do not hesitate to ask any speech therapist at Lakeshore Speech.

Friday night lights shine brighter when everyone is involved.  Go Team!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Getting out the door in one piece

A new school year, a new therapy schedule, just the time to create some new habits for a smooth transition.  Being pulled in a million different directions is enough to make anyone harried . You and your family’s stress levels do not need to be off the charts.  Help yourself and those you love create a game plan that is sure to score big this Fall.

Organizing tasks, managing time and executing a plan are all executive functioning skills.  Skills we all (no matter the age) continue to polish and refine throughout our lives. Executive functioning skills are not innate to some, butare skills that need to be taught and practiced.  When executive functioning skills begin to mature and become second nature, the stress decreases significantly.

Your game plan to create an environment that supports and teaches executive functioning skills does not have to be elaborate.  Try a few of these suggestions and see the difference for yourself. .

  • Under 5 years old
    • Specific area or tub or bin where favorite toys are kept
    • Diaper bag filled and ready to go – this bag should be kept in the same location (ie: hook, shelf) at all times so it is easy to find and grab while you are running out of the door.
    • Keep an emergency bag/bin in the car at all times – stock with snacks, diapers, change of clothes (for your child and yourself), wipes, etc.
  • School Age
    • Backpack, coat, boots, etc. all have a specific location.  This does not have to be elaborate. Grab a few empty cardboard boxes, have each child (and adult) decorate the box, arrange boxes near the entrance door. Elminiates the “trail” of belongs going through the house when your children return from school.
    • In/Out Boxes/bins for school papers.  Inevitably, your child will have a ‘home’ folder and/or school papers that need your attention.  Make a simple In/Out box system using gift boxes (reinforced with tape) to ensure these important papers do not get lost in a pile. Work with your child in getting the home folder out of the backpack and into the In/Out box.  You won’t have to worry about losing the papers and can get to them when you have time to focus your attention.
    • “Everything has a place and every place as a thing.” Words to live by!  
      • Key hooks
      • Shoe mats
      • Lunch box baskets
      • Home information Centers
      • School clothes dresser drawers vs play clothes dresser drawers
    • Simple after school “To Do” list :
      • Put folder in IN/OUTBox
      • Change clothes
      • Get a snack
      • Start homework

Your family’s unique style will dictate the creative ways in which you discover to better manage executive functioning skills.  Do not hesitate to consult with a Speech-Language Therapist for specific techniques not only for the entire family, but for specific members who could use individual attention in this area.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC