A Fresh New Look!

Lakeshore’s waiting room has a new look!  We are so excited for you to see the new decor at Lakeshore.  Please make sure to check out the parent resource area. Here you will find information about activities and opportunities in our area for  your child and you and your family. This area will also house any information important to your weekly visits. Vacation reminders, quick check-out documents such as making payments, program fliers and more will be in this area for your convenience.

We now have media streaming information pertinent to Lakeshore Speech, therapy, informational resources and the like.  Please email VernaAnn at vkotansky@lakeshorespeech.com if you have an idea for information to be included.

As we continually strive to make Lakeshore a comfortable place not only for our clients, but for those who are waiting, we ask you to be aware of the following requests:

  1. Please remember to bring quiet activities for children who will be waiting.
  2. Please do not let children touch the hardware/locks on the windows.
  3. Please refrain from discussing sensitive material about yourself or your child in the waiting room.
  4. Please feel free to email or talk with Ellen (espear@lakeshorespeech.com) or Kelly (krigo@lakeshroespeech.com) if you have any suggestions or if there is something we could provide to make your time in our waiting room more comfortable.

Enjoy the day!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Language in the Sun and Heat!

It’s getting hot out there! It’s a great time to  turn the heat up on your child’s language skills in everything you do.

No need to put down your ice cream cone or even get out of the pool; you have everything you need to enhance your child’s language skills!  Language is everywhere, so working on language skills is always at your fingertips. Whether you are camping, at the pool, at the beach, at the amusement park or coloring with chalk on the sidewalk, working on direction following skills, vocabulary skills, sentence development and articulation skills is a snap!

For your own sanity, set aside a small amount of time (5-10 min) to focus on a specific skill during an activity.  As you become more comfortable incorporating these therapy moments, you can expand on the amount of time. Choose a small part of the larger skill your child is working on in speech therapy (ask your Speech Therapist to help identify these specific skills if you need help). In the time span you have allotted,work with your child on the language skill and when the time has expired, STOP working! Over time, ‘working’ on the skills will become second nature.  Your child won’t even realize she/he has been ‘doing their speech homework’. Here’s a little example to give you a more clear idea.

Location – ice cream stand/shop

Speech Skill – closing lips for the M sound (the larger speech goal is producing words with B, P, and M).

Time allotted: 5 minutes

 

Parent: “Let’s play an ice cream game after 5 licks, you tell me how it tastes.  You say, ‘mmmm’.”

Child (in a perfect world, where ice cream doesn’t drip down arms and onto shoes): licks ice cream 5 times, says ‘mmmm’.

Parent: “Great!  Now, after 5 licks you tell me again how it tastes.  You say, ‘mmmmmmmm’.”

Child (again in the same perfect world):licks ice cream 5 times, says ‘mmmm’.

5 minutes is up!

Parent: “That was a fun game!  Let’s finish our ice cream.”

There is a high probability that your child will continue the ‘game’ without being prompted.  Chances are high that others, especially siblings, will want to ‘play the game’ too. Now the 5 minutes you had set aside will grow to 10 minutes!

Remember to be kind to yourself!  Don’t try this suggestion when all forces are against you!  Once a day, twice a week, whenever you can sneak in a few extra minutes of practice–it will pay off quickly!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

Let Freedom Ring!!!!!

Don’t let the ‘ring’ ruin the day!

July 4th week!  Picnics! Parades! Fireworks! Tantrums!  Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly, tantrums! Otherwise known as ‘melt-downs’, ‘explosions’, ‘losing your marbles’, whatever the name, the result of these moments in time can create a stressful situation for everyone involved, child, parent, siblings, and casual observers. As mentioned in previous posts, one way to better manage these moments is count on them and plan for them.

Count on the fact that there will be something your child will not understand, wants but won’t be able to clearly communicate, be afraid of, not want to wait for, etc.  You probably already know what that ‘something’ is without having to even be in the situation. This year, proactively prepare your child for these situations.

Parades- in the town I live in, the 4th of July parade is one of the premier events of the Summer – one NOT to miss! The parade route is lines with friendly faces 3 and 4 deep.  There will be at least 3 bands, firetrucks, and emergency trucks to entertain young and old. AND the best part – CANDY!!!! Every float will be tossing candy to the crowd! Fun?!??!  Not for everyone! If your community has a parade or if you will be at a parade at anytime with your child, consider a few of these tips:

  • Find a location along the route that is less populated and stake your claim.
    • Typically the start of the parade or early into the route is less crowded.  
    • Ask the homeowner if you can sit on their tree lawn (this simple question could be the start of a new friendship).
    • Ask if you can put lawn chairs or a blanket in the area that you will be sitting either the evening before or early in the AM – now you don’t have to be haired looking for a place to sit/stand during the parade.
  • Consider using some sort of music or headphones to help regulate the noise.
    • If your child will wear ear plugs or has noise canceling headphones make sure to use them before the parade starts – don’t want your child to be startled by the marching band’s drumline or the fire engine’s siren.
    • If your child will listen to music, have his/her favorite playlist on a portable device.  She/he can still enjoy the parade while listening to preferred music which will help dampen the other sounds.
  • Typically, the parade line-up is available somewhere – city website, friend of a friend is the chairperson, etc.
    • Use this to preview the parade  – “First we will see the fire trucks, then we will see the marching band, then we will see the baseball teams, etc.”.
    • Use this information to help anticipate what is happening next – “After the clowns, we will see and hear the huge fire truck.”
    • Use this information to plan your entry and exit – “After the dance float, the parade is over and we will go home.”
  • Somehow, someway, make sure your child’s name and YOUR cell number are on your child.
    • Use a marker and write it on his/her arm.
    • Make a name tag and put it on your child’s BACK
    • If she/he will keep a necklace or bracelet on make one  – Pintrest is FULL of ideas.

Picnics – Many choices and  many new foods can make for a frustrating mealtime for everyone.  Not only preparing the meal (or part of it) is stressful, but worrying that your child may or may not eat all day adds another layer of stress.  Do yourself a favor and try one or all of these tips.

  • Offer to bring something that requires little to no preparation – you’ll have your hands full – paper products, beverages, chips are all great options without the fuss.
  • Bring food you know your child will eat – it’s OK if she/he is not eating what everyone else it eating – it’s a picnic.  What’s on the plate is not what’s important; those sitting around the table are!
  • Make your child’s favorite breakfast – and plenty of it – so you know he/she has eaten a complete meal, even if the rest of the day is a steady diet of chips and watermelon.
  • Bring a special blanket or lawn chair for specific for your child.  Maybe it has a character on it that is calming or ‘hugs’ your child when he/she sits in it. Don’t give it up to anyone else, make it a special ‘safe’ place for your child.
  • Create or bring a small tent for your child.  Give them a space (much like the chair or blanket) that is away from the bustle of others – you may want to crawl in it with them at some time :).
  • Make a quick choice board of the different foods.
    • Bring tape, scissors and a piece of paper to the picnic.
      • Cut labels off of foods and tape them on the paper
    • Use your cell phone
      • Take pictures of the different food items
      • Put them in a collage – instant communication board

Fireworks – amazing and scary all in one! Hopefully some of these ideas will end up in you and your family enjoying the fireworks versus fearing the fireworks.

  • Location, location, location –
    • Find a location where you can see the fireworks but maybe not hear them
    • Find a location where you can watch them from inside (ie: upstairs bedroom window)
    • Find a location where your child (and you) feel safe
  • Headphones/music – see above in the parade section
  • Watch them on TV

Remember, these are just moments in time, so enjoy every one!  Prior planning puts everyone in a better place! Happy Fourth of July!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy.

Sit down, Stay a while!

Summer not only is a time to travel, but a time when others may be traveling and staying with you!  While these visits are important and eagerly anticipated, having Gramma and Papa or Auntie and Uncle staying in with you can really create situations where you and your child may not be at your best.

For some children, upsetting the routine at home can create a rather unsettling feeling that may last for the day, the week, or the month.  Children may ‘express’ these feelings verbally, vocally or physically. Working through daily meltdowns is not a vacation for anyone – parent or visitor.

Proactively planning for visitors, no matter the length of the visit, should not only include cleaning and food prep, but working with your child AND your visitors so everyone can enjoy the time together.

Location….. If you child will be sacrificing their bedroom to Gramma and Papa or Auntie and Uncle you may want to :

  • Weeks ahead of the visit warning your child verbally of the change
  • Having a ‘pretend’ visitor (a nice use of that entirely too large of a stuffed animal living in your attic) stay in your child’s room; giving them the opportunity to sleep in the location they will be sleeping in when the ‘real’ visitor is in town.
  • Have your child help in preparing their room for the visitor
    • let them pick out the color sheets that will be on the bed
    • Make a ‘game’ of hiding toys/games, etc.

Routine…. Without a doubt your child’s routine is going to be ‘off’ while there are visitors in your home.  You may want to consider:

  • Getting the daily routine down on paper (use pictures, words, etc)
  • Reach out to your visitors and share the ‘typical’ daily routine and explain to them the importance of them understanding the routine, not that they will need to follow it minute to minute, but to realize how or why your child might be acting differently (ie: Typically after lunch, your child has rest time, however while visitors are in town, he/she may not get rest time until later in the day – this change MAY result in a meltdown.)
  • Practice changing up the daily routine weeks prior to the visitors arriving.
  • Give ample time for your child to process the ‘change in routine’ (some children will require a warning days prior to a major changes, others manage the change given a moments notice).

Have a Plan…. Life is life, so anticipate there will be a time and place while your visitors are in town when everything is going along well and BOOM your child unexpectedly melts down. You may want to consider:

  • Having an “emergency melt-down kit” at the ready.  A small bag that contains a favorite snack, fidget toys, favorite smells (ie: cinnamon candy, cotton ball with your perfume/colgan, etc), a ‘lovey’ or stuffed animal), etc.  
  • A playlist on a device (probably your phone) with favorite or soothing music
  • Willingness to leave a location until your child is feeling better (ie: go to the restroom, go outside, take a walk away from the area)
  • Talk less, act more – less is more in these instances. When your child is experiencing difficulty managing, having everyone talking to them could actually increase the confusion and escalate the melt-down. Stay calm, talk less, and move quickly to enact the plan may result in a shorter less dramatic event.
  • Let EVERYONE know the plan.  If you do not want or need help to execute the plan – LET EVERYONE KNOW.  Your visitors, while meaning well, may try to help and in doing so create a larger issue.

Enjoy your time together and create memories that last a lifetime!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech

“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

Better Speech and Hearing Month!!!

Better Speech and Hearing Month reminds us all to celebrate the importance of good speech and hearing, but celebrating the dedicated professionals that change lives by improving speech and hearing is equally as important.  This week we give a nod to the creativity and fortitude of the SLPs at Lakeshore Speech in paying for their college degrees.

While delivering phone books (remember those?) ranks on Ellen’s resume of jobs , her main form of employment was playing volleyball!  Her athletic abilities really paid off as she also was a waitress at the Flat Iron Cafe. Hard work pays off on the court and off!

VernaAnn’s college work resume includes working at her family’s music stores, serving as a security guard for her college’s hockey team (all 5’2” of her), and resident adviser.  Oh, yea, there was that stint at the Hallmark Store where she dressed as the Easter Bunny…..’What’s up, Doc?’

Elizabeth’s jobs have always involved working with children. As a  babysitter, camp counselor, lifeguard, and swim instructor Elizabeth is dedicated to creating a better world for the wee-ones.

While not the ideal job for someone that promotes talking, Mary shelved books at the library to pay the bills.  She also served food at the University’s cafeteria and was a waitress.  Then there was that job when she worked at the  concession stands at dragways….ask her more about that job!

Ellery’s lovely smile could be found working in a golf pro shop at a country club when she knew little to nothing about golf. She also transcribed parent interviews for a professor completing a on a study about childhood obesity.  

Gina’s resume includes caring for individuals with Autism  as a day camp counselor. She also worked as a waitress and a college dining hall employee!

To pay the college bills, Wendi worked as a convenience store clerk.  She also worked as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant.

When one steps back and looks at the common thread of all these jobs, one word comes to mind – SERVICE.  These incredible women worked to serve others to help pay the bills that eventually led to their true passion of serving those with speech-language and hearing needs.  

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