“Are we there yet?”

While Cleveland is a ‘go to’ destination for many people during the Summer months, you may be leaving for a get away of your own.  Whether basking in the sun, sleeping under the stars or reading every historical marker/plaque across the country is your idea of a vacation, it’s easy to weave in a few moments of language enrichment or practice.

Enjoying time with family and friends does not necessarily mean you can’t work on your speech-language skills.  If your child is working on articulation, listen for correct production of sounds and use reminders to help correct errors.  If your child is working on language, use these games to practice vocabulary. If your child is working on following directions, these games are perfect for working on those skills (not to mention passing time in what can feel like and endless car ride!).

I Spy…“I spy with my little eye, something blue.” Directions: One person spies something and recites the line, ending in a clue. Everyone else takes turns trying to guess the mystery item.

I’m Going on a Picnic/Trip/Space Adventure….. Directions: The first player says “I’m going on a picnic/trip/space adventure (or whatever interests your child)  and I’m putting in my suitcase…” followed by something that begins with A (apple/air/ape). The second player repeats what the first person said, but adds something that begins with B (“I’m going on a trip and I’m putting in my suitcase and apple and bermuda shorts.”). And so on with C, D, and the rest of the alphabet. If someone forgets an item, he/she is out OR you can allow everyone to chime in to help OR the next person just starts over with A.

Add-on Storytelling…..One person starts a story with only one or two sentences and stops in the middle of the next sentence (“Once upon a time, there was a lovely princess.  The princess lived in a huge…..”). The next person starts their story where the previous person left off (“igloo on a mountain. The princess has long brown hair and her eyes were …..”) You cannot negate or poo-poo another’s idea, you can only build on the story (“on the top of her head.  She was a martian princess from the land of ….”)The stories are sure to start get everyone giggling. An adaptation to this game could be an adult tells the full story and the children add the descriptors/objects/verbs when the adult pauses.

20 Questions …… Directions: One person thinks of something (you may want to determine a category or area to narrow the choices for beginners), and everyone else has only 20 YES/NO questions to ask to try to guess what it is. If someone guesses correctly before the 20th question, that person get to think of an item and ANSWER the yes/no questions. If no one figures it out, the person answering gets to go again.

Category Naming Game…. Directions: The ‘announcer’ (typically a parent) sets a time limit (ie: 60 seconds), that person announces “Name all the pick a category you can think of starting NOW!” The player starts naming all the items in that category.  If the player names an incorrect item, the announcer starts counting down from 10, if the player cannot come up a correct item in the category by the time the announcer gets to 1, it’s the next players turn.

Safe Travels!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech

FREE in the CLE!!!

Free!  That’s correct….FREE!!!! Finding fun and FREE ‘field trips’ for you and your family!  Check out these resources to find a different museum or playground. Let’s not forget local theaters providing free movies or our amazing libraries providing incredible free programs for young and old.  These ‘field trips’ are a great way to introduce new vocabulary, interact with others, practice speech-language skills, and most importantly, spend time TOGETHER! Unplug for a few moments, call a friend or family member, pack a lunch and spend some time exploring all the Cleveland Area has to offer.  

While this may sound like a travel ad, language is built around the events one experiences.  Practicing going out in public places and building on those experiences are a amazing way to build those shared memories and language base. AND because admission is FREE, visiting some of these places is a great way to build up the time for which your child can tolerate a location.  Let’s take the Mondays at the Zoo: Since admission is free, plan on seeing only 1-2 animals, having lunch or a snack and then leave.  The next Monday, plan on visiting the same 1-2 animals and add 1-2 more, have lunch/snack and leave. Repeat.

It’s Fun and It’s Free!  Enjoy your time together! Don’t forget to share with your SLP where you will or did visit.  She or he can easily weave the vocabulary into therapy and/or preview what may occur, vocabulary, etc. Most of all……..have FUN!!!!!

Links for suggestions of FREE events:

Free in the CLE

Cuyahoga Library System

Cleveland Library System

Westlake Porter Public Library

Lakewood Public Library

Rocky River Public Library

Avon Lake Public Library

Summer Movie Express ($1/movie)

Free Outdoor Movies

Free for young and young at heart

15 Free things to do with Kids

 

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy

Summer is HERE!!!

School’s OUT …….Summer’s HERE……and within two  seconds, the kids are bored! Nothing says Summer like the sweets sounds of “There’s nothing to do” and “I’m bored” seeming on loop from most children’s mouths.  AND if they are not outright saying it, you know they are thinking it by the glazed look in their eyes when they are offered a suggestion of how to fill the ‘endless’ hours of a day.  

Believe it or not, most children crave schedules and structure.  Seems completely against all that the lazy days of Summer imply, but on the whole, children (and most adults) are more productive and have fewer meltdowns when a schedule is in place.  I have no empirical data to offer on the previous statement, just years of experience at home, in school and in the clinic watching the change in those around when even the simplest schedule is laid out.

Toddlers to Teens to Twenties and older benefit from knowing what’s happening, what is expected and how long it will last. This is not to say every minute of every day of every activity needs to be spelled out, but here are 2 techniques that might be worth a try in mapping out the days of Summer.

The Verbal Set-up: Simple, easy and always with you.  This schedule techniques is used by millions, yet has never been given the credence  it deserves. At breakfast (no tv on, no digital devices, just their little eyes focused on Y.O.U), lay out how the day is going to roll. Chunk the day up because that’s a lot to think about and chances are you will not have had all the necessary cups of coffee yet for maximum functioning ability!

“Good morning, here’s our morning: We are going to finish breakfast. Then change – don’t forget to brush your teeth. We have 2  places we need to go to – the store and the library. First we’re headed to the library – this will be a SHORT visit. We need to run in and get the books I have on hold.  We will not be going to the children’s section, THIS TIME. I will need someone to help carry my library card going in and someone to carry the books – volunteers? Then we are headed to the grocery store.  I will have a list of what we need. This isn’t a LONG visit, we should be able to get what we need and get out quickly. I will need help finding some of the stuff and I know I can count on you all. After the grocery store, we are coming right home.  We will all put the groceries away. Once the groceries are put away you can go outside (or play or whatever they can do at that time).

Pictures Speak Louder than Words: A little more involved, but might be just what is needed. You know the type of pictures your child tunes into most (photos, your artistic renderings, clipart, etc.).  Spend some time gathering these pictures (ie: get the old 35mm camera out use your phone and take pictures of your car, the stores/locations you visit most), print and laminate (easiests cheapest lamination is clear contact paper or packing tape). Start the same way as the ‘Verbal Set-up’, in a calm undistracted situation (typically when eating 😉) and lay out the schedule, again chunking it.

“Good morning, here’s our morning: We are going to finish breakfast. [photo of empty plate (can stand for finishing any meal)] Then change – don’t forget to brush your teeth. [photo of closet or draw with clothes (can stand for change clothes anytime)] We have 2  places we need to go to – the store and the library. [photo of car and specific buildings]. First we’re headed to the library – this will be a SHORT visit.  We need to run in and get the books I have on hold. We will not be going to the children’s section, THIS TIME. I will need someone to help carry my library card going in and someone to carry the books – volunteers? Then we are headed to the grocery store.  I will have a list of what we need. This isn’t a LONG visit, we should be able to get what we need and get out quick. I will need help finding some of the stuff and I know I can count on you all. After the grocery store, we are coming right home. [photo of home] We will all put the groceries away.  Once the groceries are put away you can go outside (or play or whatever they can do at that time). [photo of playroom/outside, etc.].

If you would like more information or need help in getting started using these techniques, ask your Speech Therapist.  If you don’t have one to ask, give Kelly a call at Lakeshore Speech (1-440-471-7190).

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy

The Month of Better Speech and Hearing – May!

In our continued tribute to Better Speech and Hearing Month, it seems only fitting to recognize that Speech-Language Therapists are masters at being flexible in designing individual services for their clients as well as the location for which these services are delivered.  

Ellen’s flexibility was outstanding when she delivered speech services in her client’s home…….which was residence to more than 25 cats…. all of which were “Range Free”. Being ‘range free’ means no rules or expectations. Let that sink in for a moment, you know it did….straight through the carpeting! It’s safe to say, Ellen’s been the cat’s meow for quite some time!

Early in VernaAnn’s career, she would travel to 8 different Amish farms in Lancaster, PA.  Be it that she was ‘English’ these Amish families would not allow her in their homes to deliver speech-language services to their children.  This did not deter VernaAnn from traveling to these farms every week, where she delivered services on the front porches from August to November!!!  Eventually, VernaAnn gained the trust of these families and was welcomed her into their community…. and homes for therapy!

Elizabeth hasn’t had the experience of delivering speech services in a strange place where I worked, however her first job was in a very diverse school in Chicago.  She had a group of 3 boys that focused on social skills. While this seems like a pretty normal occurence for a school speech therapist, the fact that the boys’ native languages were Urdu, Bengali, and Polish made service delivery a little different.  Something is to be said for the universal language of charades!

One would not think that the great outdoors and Speech Therapy are a mix. Gina, however is an expert in this combination.   One summer she would provide therapy services a girl while she was at a day camp in the MetroParks. There was nowhere to sit, so we walked a little way to a picnic table in the middle of a very woodsy area. Suffice it  to say mosquitoes, bees, 90 degree weather, and speech therapy do not mix!

In Mary’s experience-rich career, she has delivered services in a myriad of locations.  None of which are the ideal location you read about in the college textbooks. Mary has delivered speech services under a stairway – no distraction there; in the basement of a century old building next to the boiler – so quiet and acoustically perfect (NOT!); in a parking lot – not that’s what you call fast service; on-line – because, technology  and of course the proverbial “speech closet – which is the smallest place in a school where everyone who enters describes it as ‘cozy’. Rest assured in a shoe box or the Taj Mah Hall Mary’s speech services were delivered with the utmost quality!

Have wheels, will travel!  Speech-therapy knows no vacation.  Ellery has delivered speech services on the open road.  Actually, in the backseat of a 12 hour ride to North Carolina.  You might consider bringing your speech-therapist on vacation, we are pretty sure that being the Aunt of this adorable client might have had a little something to do with Ellery’s dedication.  

Wendi has experienced the ups and downs of delivering speech services…..on a trampoline of course!  Co-treating with a Physical Therapist resulted Wendi’s need for some creative therapy techniques. Wendi gave new meaning to bouncing right along!

No weather or location or animal or language can keep these dedicated women from doing their jobs… delivering amazing speech-language therapy services!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month.   It’s the time of the year when we in the field like to increase awareness of communication disorders and the role your friendly Speech Therapist or Audiologist plays in providing life changing therapies.  While May is a great time to better understand the field of speech-language pathology and audiology, it also provides us opportunity for us at Lakeshore Speech Therapy to share a little bit more about ourselves.

The team at Lakeshore represents a total of over 100 years of experience in the delivery of speech-language therapeutic intervention.  100 years!!!! Individually this outstanding team is dedicated to improving communication for young and old. But where did they get their start? Where did they begin as college freshman and end as professionals with a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology? Let’s find out:

Ellen Spear holds her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Marquette University!   Goooooo Golden Eagles!

VernaAnn Kotansky received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the State of University of New York at Geneseo. Gooooooo Knights!

Elizabeth Lazowski received her Master’s degree from  Northwestern University and is a proud Wildcat!

Ellery Martinko is a proud Viking, graduating from Cleveland State University with her Master’s degree.

Mary Yutzy proudly received her Master’s degree from the University of Akron.  Way to go Zips!

Gina Perciavelli  graduated with her Master’s from Ohio University.  Bobcat’s in the house!

Wendi Willmer graduated with her Master’s from Kent State University.  Golden Flashes all the way!

From Eagles to Knights, Wildcats to Vikings, Zips to Bobcats and Flashes, Lakeshore therapists represent their colleges well!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech

Hand in Hand – Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy

April is also the month to recognize and honor Occupational Therapists!  Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy are the carrots and peas of the therapy world.  OK – Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy might be more like the carrots and peas, however OT and Speech are a close second.

OT provides therapeutic intervention for a plethora of needs children with speech-language deficits may encounter.   From sensory to visual motor to social needs to strength to feeding to many many more, our fellow therapists work to make the lives of their clients as independent and fulfilling as possible.  Speech therapists appreciate and NEED the input of Occupational therapists to develop therapeutic intervention that address the WHOLE child.

We at Lakeshore Speech would like to give a standing ovation to Occupational Therapists!  If you would like more information on Occupational therapy, please feel free to inquire of your Speech Therapist as well as The Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.