Holidays can be a time when the normal routine is disrupted. It’s time to get back on track and follow your daily routine.
Continue readingFollowing Your Schedule: How to get Back on Track
A Powerful Communication Board for Your Playground
Introduce a Communication Board to your local Playground!
Imagine this: the sun shining, laughter echoing, and kids of all abilities playing together on the playground. Wouldn’t that be incredible? YOU can make this happen! Introducing a special communication board to your community playground, ensures that every child, regardless of their communication abilities, can join in the fun.
**Why a Playground Communication Board?**
Some of our friends need a little extra help talking. A communication board on the playground opens up a world of play and connection for everyone. It’s not just a board; it’s a bridge that connects hearts and creates lasting friendships.
**How Can You Help?**
We believe in the power of community! By making a commitment to provide a playground communication board to your local playground, you become a superhero in making the playground inclusive and accessible for all. Here are 5 easy steps for how you can be a part of this exciting journey:
**Make a plan:**
Ask yourself (and your committee) these questions as this project takes shape:
- What playground would benefit from communication boards?
- What languages are predominantly spoken in your community?
- How would the communication boards best be installed (ie: free standing in a frame, attached to a fence, attached to a piece of equipment, secured to a side of a building, etc.)
**Research Your Options**
When looking for a company to provide the communication signs, you want to ask the following questions:
- Has a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist developed the vocabulary?
- Can the communication sign be 100% customized if need be at a reasonable price?
- Is the overall price reasonable?
- Is communication with a REAL PERSON easy, efficient and effective?
- Does the company stand behind the quality of their communication signs?
Everyone likes to be part of a great idea that helps everyone in the community.
- Research different funding opportunities in your community.
- Get creative and host a mini-fundraiser in your neighborhood, school, or workplace. Bake sales, garage sales, or even a fun-themed event can make a big impact.
- Reach Out to Local Businesses – local businesses love supporting community projects. Approach them and see if they would be interested in sponsoring our playground communication board.
**Making it all come together**
Once your vision is set, you’ve made your selection and the funding is in place, it is important that the production of the communication sign is fast and accurate:
- Ensure you receive a draft copy of the artwork/layout prior to production.
- Share your agency’s and/or funding source’s logo to be included on the communication sign
- Expect frequent and clear communication
**Celebrate**
When your playground communication board arrives, plan for a playground part to unveil this great accomplishment. Celebrate the fact that you have made a firm statement in your community that:
- Inclusivity Matters: Every child deserves the chance to play and communicate on the playground.
- Building Friendships is Important: The communication board isn’t just a tool; it’s a bridge to new friendships and shared adventures.
- Community Unity Matters: Together, you helped to create a community that embraces and supports every child’s unique abilities.
Bonus tip:
**Stay Connected:**
Record your journey on social media with regular updates, stories of triumph, and a behind-the-scenes look at how your contributions are making a real difference.
Join us at Resources at Lakeshore Speech, LLC. in creating a playground that speaks the language of joy, friendship, and inclusivity. Together, we’re building bridges that last a lifetime! Request a free quote today.
Talking & Growing: New Year’s Resolutions for Speech Therapy
A brand new year is days away, and that means we get a chance to make some new resolutions! This year, let’s think about making some special resolutions for speech therapy.
**Practice Every Day:**
One resolution could be to practice your speech exercises every day. Turn practice into playing a game. The more you practice, the better you will become!
**Use My Special Words:**
Use the special words your speech therapist teaches you as much as possible. These words help you talk smoothly, and they make you feel super proud!
**Speak Slowly and Clearly:**
Work on speaking slowly and clearly. This way, everyone can understand you when you talk.
**Tell More Stories:**
Make a resolution to tell more stories or help your child tell more stories. Share your adventures, dreams, and funny moments. It’s a fun way to practice talking.
**Ask Questions:**
Ask more questions and join in conversations. Questions help you learn new things, and it’s a cool way to make friends!
**Read Out Loud:**
Reading out loud is like a speech party! Pick your favorite books and read them to friends, family, or even to a pet. It’s great practice!
**Be Patient and Positive:**
Sometimes, it might feel tricky, but you might want to promise to be patient. Stay positive and celebrate even the small wins. Every step is a step forward!
**Thank Your Speech Helpers:**
We help each other, and this year, thank your speech buddies. We’re in this together!
**Try New Sounds:**
Be adventurous and try new speech sounds. It’s like a fun challenge to make your speech even more awesome!
**Celebrate Progress:**
At the end of each month, celebrate the progress you’ve made. Maybe treat yourself to something special. Yay for progress!
So there you go, friends! These speech therapy resolutions are yours for the taking. Let’s make it an amazing year of talking, growing, and reaching new speech goals together. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
Exclusive: A Christmas Social Story for All Ages
‘Twas days before Christmas
And all thru the place,
Anticipation was brewing
Behaviors a disgrace.
Young and old are excited
Let’s celebrate – oh Joy!
Use your expected social skills
For every girl and boy.
With gifts a plenty
Don’t forget the magic word,
For friends and family,
“Thank you” must be heard.
All the smells and sounds
For many is bliss,
Yet other lament
“I can do without this!”
Have a plan in place
Creating comfort abound,
Makes for a season
Of happiness all ‘round.
Happy Holidays to all
The message to you each,
Tidings of joy to everyone
From Lakeshore Speech!
Playground Communication Board Funding: 6 Ways to Finance
Playground Communication Board Funding: 6 Ways to Finance Accessibility
Communication boards give non-verbal individuals and those with speech differences a voice to build relationships in public spaces. However, bringing a playground or pool communication board to your local park can feel challenging due to upfront costs.
Fortunately, you don’t have to carry the financial load alone. Today, we’re breaking down six practical ways to secure playground communication board funding for your school, park, or community center.
Proven Sources for Playground Communication Board Funding
1. Apply for Disability Grants and Foundations
Many non-profit organizations offer dedicated grant funding for AAC boards and assistive technology. Look into national disability organizations or regional community foundations that support inclusion initiatives. Applying for these specialized grants is often the most direct route to secure full project funding.
2. Pitch Local Corporate Sponsorships
Local businesses love supporting projects that directly impact their immediate community. Create a simple pitch deck showing how outdoor communication signage makes local spaces inclusive. Pitching a local business owner with a tangible goal (e.g., “$1,500 sponsors one board”) can secure quick funding in exchange for their logo on the sign.
3. Launch Crowdfunding Campaigns
Platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe allow you to collect smaller donations from many community members. When setting up your campaign:
Share personal stories about why inclusive play matters.
Detail exact costs so donors know where their money goes.
Ask local community groups to share the campaign link.
4. Host Community Events and Fundraisers
Organize local events like a 5K fun run, a charity bake sale, or a community walk to raise awareness while collecting donations. Partnering with local schools or parks departments for these events helps get more people excited about funding accessible play equipment.
5. Research Government Grants and Civic Programs
Municipal, state, and federal grants frequently allocate funds for park improvements, ADA compliance, and public accessibility projects. Check with your local city council or parks and recreation board to see if existing public improvement funds can be applied to communication signage.
6. Partner with Educational Institutions
Reach out to local universities, colleges, or school districts with special education or speech-language pathology programs. Educational institutions often have access to unique departmental grants or student research funds that can be co-applied toward public accessibility projects.
Securing Playground Communication Board Funding for Your Community
Finding playground communication board funding requires exploring a mix of local and institutional resources, but the payoff is immense. By combining local business support, grants, and grass-roots fundraising, you can give non-verbal children and adults a voice on every playground.
Ready to start? We are here to help. Contact us or Request a Quote today!
Yours in Speech,
Resources at Lakeshore Speech
Improving Inclusivity in City Parks
Playgrounds are loved by young and old. Playground communication boards play an important role in creating a sense of inclusivity, support and community in city playgrounds.
Continue readingBe Spooktacularly Ready for Halloween with Speech Therapy
Discover how speech therapy can make Halloween a treat. Explore how speech therapy can help practice Halloween-themed conversations, boost confidence, and improve social skills.
Continue reading5 Teletherapy Tips for Families – What You Need to Know
As we are all beginning to adjust to teletherapy as well as online or elearning, we thought it best to share some tips to make you and your loved ones time in therapy, albeit significantly different than ever before, more successful.
- Count on some sort of technology failure – if you count on the fact that the mic won’t turn on or your wifi will be running slow, you won’t panic when it does happen. If there is a technology failure (on your side or on the therapist’s side), the first thing to do is breathe. Next calmly begin to troubleshoot. Prior to the appointment, you may want to trial the mic and speakers on the device you intend to use for therapy. If your bandwidth on your wifi is slow, as those in your home to stay off the network or not engage in activities (streaming videos) that use a lot of bandwidth. If the session can’t happen, you can reschedule. Flexibility is key.
- Create a “Therapy Space” or designate a “Therapy Space” for the duration of the session. You may want to create a ‘Therapy in Session’ sign with your loved one and hang it on the door of the room you are in for the session. If you will be in a shared living area, you may want to consider the use of a headphone and mic combination. This will decrease the amount of background noise your loved one will hear as well as the therapist. Consider scheduling therapy at a time when others in your family would be napping or engaged in more quiet activities as well. Creativity is key.
- Count on staying with your loved one for the onset of the therapy session. For individuals that may need support to pay attention, consider this time extra snuggle time. Have your loved one sit on your lap or very close to you during the session to help guide her/his attention to the therapist. This is time for your loved one to receive the critical therapy services needed as well as a time for YOU to better understand the techniques used to elicit specific behaviors, actions, and sounds from your child. Teamwork is key.
- Listen to the therapist and therapy session. Remember, this is your loved one’s therapy time, not necessarily yours. While it may be hard, refrain from answering the therapist’s questions for talking for your loved one. You may consider the situation/task that the therapist is asking your loved one to do is too difficult, but creating these situations to ‘push’ your loved one to the next level is necessary in progress towards mastery of goals. Trust is key.
- Carryover of all the new skills learned during the therapy session (both for you and your loved one) is extremely important for everyone! You will have new skills to support your loved one as he/she works on speech-language skills. Share what you have learned with others in your family. Help everyone realize the necessary supports to help your loved one succeed. Practice is key.
Keeping in mind the importance of flexibility, creativity, teamwork, trust and practice will ensure your loved ones success with this different approach to speech-language therapy.
More information about the telepractice services offered at Lakeshore Speech can be found at www.lakeshorespeech.com/telepractice or by calling 1-440-417-4190.
Yours in Speech,
Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC
Hope in the New Year
Happy New Year! It’s a new decade filled with hope! Hope for a year filled with much health and happiness! Hope that the closets will organize themselves! Hope that somehow, someway tiny building blocks will no longer find themselves in the path of an adult walking barefoot. Hope that dinner will be made and eaten without issue. Hope, hope, hope!
Hope is what keeps us all moving forward. Setting goals or evening having ideas of what hope can bring to the New Year is expected at this time of year; so long as this hope isn’t a disguise for bringing the feeling of failure to the New Year as well.
Sessions with a Speech-Language Pathologist is filled with the promise of hope and belief in your loved one. Your therapist believes in your loved one and his/her language potential all the while continually promoting your good work at home and navigating the developmental process to guide you all towards mastery and success. Walking out of a therapy session, you and your loved one should have a renewed feeling of strength to continue working on the specific skills, techniques, etc. until you see your therapist again.
Cheers to the New Year filled with much hope, happiness and health!
Yours in Speech,
Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC
Revving up the holiday season – Proactive Actions
The holiday season is revving up to get ready to roll. While we acknowledge there are significant stressors for you and your loved ones at this time of year, we could also consider the stress and comfort of extended families and friends. It is not your job to do everyone else’s job, however, taking a few moments to realize the impact you and your loved ones have on others could make family and friend gatherings more enjoyable for everyone.
Providing information about characteristics that are unique to your loved one, may create a more tolerant and understanding environment. A simple phone call, text or email to the host or hostess the explain those ‘quirks’ that you and your immediate family may not even notice. For example, let the homeowner know if your loved one needs to see all the bathrooms upon entering a new location or if your loved one may go around the home and close all the doors.
Help your extended family and friends better understand your loved one’s form of communication. Share his/her successes and any ‘triggers’ that may exist (ie: asking more than 3 times to clarify a phrase or word). Provide a few simple tips for the best way to engage your loved one (ie: asking yes/no questions or asking questions about the here/now vs past/ future).
Anticipate situations that may prove to be very stressful not only for you and your loved one, but the host/hostess. Communicate that you may be bringing a different meal for your loved one to enjoy vs eating the traditional meal. Share that your loved one may take a ‘break’ during the meal and what that can be expected (ie: your loved one may need to take a break in a room where you can guide your loved one to quiet area).
Open and host communication and preparation can create a setting where everyone enjoys their time together creating memories!
Yours in Speech,
Lakeshore Therapy Speech, LLC.