Tag: speech

Days Before Christmas

‘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!

How to Prepare for Gift Giving and Receiving

Getting and giving gifts can be exciting but hard for some individuals. Preparing for this time of the year helps to make everyone’s celebration special.

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How to Fund Playground Communication Boards

Communication boards are important for people with communication differences. Communication boards give people a voice to build relationships. Getting a playground or pool communication board can be more difficult because of the cost. Today’s blog will look at the different ways to get funding for communication boards.

Grants and Foundations

Some groups give money to projects that help people with disabilities. Look for grants from groups that help provide communication devices for people. Apply for these grants to get money for communication boards.

Corporate Sponsorship

Ask local businesses for help. Some companies like to support projects in their community. Make a plan that shows how playground communication boards can make a big difference. This might get businesses to give money to your project.

Crowdfunding Campaigns

Use websites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe to ask for small amounts of money from many people. Share stories about why playground/pool communication boards are important. Your friends and others might give money to help out.

Community Events and Fundraisers

Do things in your town to get people excited about helping. Maybe have a walk or a fun run to get money. Work with local schools and businesses to make events that bring in money for playground communication boards.

Government Grants and Programs

Sometimes, the government gives money for projects that help people with disabilities. Look into these grants and ask for help. Tell them how playground communication boards can make a positive change.

Partnerships with Educational Institutions

Work with schools and colleges that have programs for special education. They might help with resources and money. Partnering with them can make it easier to get playground communication boards.

Conclusion

Getting money for playground communication boards may require you to try different ways to find funding, but you can make it happen. By using these ideas, you can get the help to change the lives of many. As more people understand why playground/pool communication boards matter, it will be easier to get support and provide everyone a voice.

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9 Easy Ways to Create Sensory Friendly Holiday Decor

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. We’ll explore how to create a sensory-friendly holiday environment by making thoughtful choices in your decorations.

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Help your Community – Shop Local

Open front door of Lakeshore Speech Therapy Clinic

In a world dominated by large corporations, the importance of supporting small businesses cannot be overlooked. Choosing to shop small is a powerful decision that goes through communities, increasing economic growth, uniqueness, and a stronger sense of connection.

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Sensory-Friendly Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving with a child with Autism may require some preparations ahead of time and on the special day to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

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Communication Boards by the Pool

pool communication board with watermark from RLS

Pool communication boards can make it easier for everyone to have a good time in the pool, especially people with communication differences.

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Improving Inclusivity in City Parks

young man with cochlear implant pointing to a message on a playground communication board.

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.

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Teletherapy Tips for Families

drawing of therapist performing teletherapy

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

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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!