Happy to Be an SLP Blog Hop

Welcome to the Better Hearing & Speech Month Blog Hop!  To celebrate BHSM, my bloggy friends and I created some informative and fun posts to increase awareness and chat about some of the topics in our fabulous field.  :)

So grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your thing) and settle down to hop through the blogs and find out some good information to share with your friends, teachers, and parents.  At the end of the hop you'll be able to enter to win some A-Mazing prizes!  To participate just follow the picture links and grab a code letter.  The letters on each blog will spell out a secret code, which you'll need to use for the giveaway at the end.  

Now, I made a little video for my BHSM post!  I'll be talking a little about tips for teachers and parents when dealing with kids who exhibit language learning disorders.  Check it!

Well, I hope that was helpful to you!  Thanks so much for watching and enjoy the hop!  

Here's my letter code!

To go on to the next blog just click the following button. . .

Or if you'd like to start at the beginning click here. . .

Happy hopping!

If you're happy to be an SLP like we are, take a peek at our fabulous video thanks to thedabblingspeechie!!

An InLinkz Link-up

FAQ Friday: Articulation

Happy Friday everyone!  I've had a crazy busy first week of school.  I'm sure you know how that goes.     Gotta love figuring out schedules, finding transfer students, and attending meetings galore.  Ha.

It's FAQ time!  Today's question is one I get asked often.  It's probably my most common question I get asked by friends and parents.

Sometimes, I admit, it's cute when kids mispronounce words.  I had one little one that would always ask me to "peel" her muscles.  Lol.  However, it probably would not be so cute if a nine year old was asking me the same thing.

Parents often want to know if their child's articulation skills are "normal" or developmentally appropriate.  You see, as SLPs it's part of our job to know what sounds are typically mastered at what ages.  There have been extensive studies done to determine this.  Most of the studies show a range in which the sounds are developed.

This chart is from NONA Child Development center.  The beginning of the bars represent when children begin to say the sound, and the end of the bars represent when most children should have mastered the sound.

This one is by Mommy Speech Therapy and is broken down into initial, medial, and final positions and based on the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 2.  

Visit the Mommy Speech Therapy site to download a free copy of your own.

And THIS one includes a break down of boys vs girls sound development.

After researching quite a bit, it looks like several mastery charts show something different.  There seem to be several discrepancies in the studies that I've looked at, especially on the sounds /s, r, v, j, sh, ch/.  This goes to show that every child is so different, so these charts should be looked at more as guidelines than absolutes.

Anyway, I made my own cutesie chart to help give a general guideline to what sounds are mastered at what ages.  I hang this in my speech room for my own reference.

If you or others are having trouble understanding your child, it'd probably be a good idea to schedule a screening by your local SLP, especially if it isn't clear which sounds he can produce and which he can't.  They would most likely be able to tell you if your child's speech is developing appropriately.  :)

FAQ Friday: Baby Signs

Happy Friday!  I'm enjoying my last Friday of summer today.  Gotta love back to school time!  Let's check out the latest FAQ. . .

Today's question has to do with baby signs.  Several of my mommy friends are trying to decide whether or not to teach their babies sign language.  Here's what they're asking.

They want to know if baby signs can cause spoken language delays, meaning will the child rely only on signs and not use words.

Well, not according to extensive research is what the consensus seems to be.

Let's take a look at some of this research.  According to this article on the Baby Sign Language website, studies have shown that using sign language with your baby actually increased their verbal abilities.  It notes a study conducted by the National Institute of Health.  Here's what they found (quoted from babysignlanguage.com)

"The most significant research was an NIH funded study comparing two groups of 11 month old babies. One group was taught baby sign language. The second group was given verbal training. Surprisingly, the signing group were more advanced talkers than the group given verbal training. The lead of the signing group continued to grow, with the signers exhibiting verbal skills 3 months ahead of the non-signers at 2 years old. Their lead seemed to shrink a little after two years old, but even at three years old – the signers were still ahead¹."

They even checked on these kids at 8 years old and found that IQs of the kids that signed were 12 points higher than those that did not!

On BabySigns website, you can find even more research references that support the use of signing with your child.  In addition to the study mentioned above, it also includes research conducted from centers, early head start research, and international research.

Sooo, using baby signs does not cause language delays in children.  It looks like it, in fact, does the opposite!  Kids who sign are communicating at an earlier age and are learning and practicing the give and take nature of social interaction.

I think sometimes people may ask this question because they might see a child using lots of signs at an age when other children are using words.  But we don't know if this child would have been delayed no matter what. At least by signing we know they have communicative intent and are able to express their wants and needs to their caregivers.

Sometimes as an SLP, I will teach signs to a child who is nonverbal to give them a means to communicate.  It's a great precursor for verbal language and I've seen nothing but positive results so far! :)

If you are planning on teaching your child/niece/nephew/grandchild/godchild baby signs, here are a few tips to remember:

• Always pair the sign with the word.  When you teach your hearing child a new sign, you always want to teach them the spoken word along with it.
• Make it a fun social game.  Smile and talk and go back and forth with your child.  Encourage the social aspects of signing and communicating
• Be patient.  Stick with a few easy words at first (such as: eat, more, stop, mom, finished) and move on once they have those down.  Signing should help decrease frustrations for the child, not increase them.

Do you sign with your kids?  What do you think?  :)

Parent Letters for Speech Therapy in English & SPANISH

I spent my weekend soaking up the sun on the beach!  The beach is definitely one of my favorite places.  It was so nice and relaxing, even though the rain did catch us now and again.  This is where I parked my happy self with my floppy hat, sunglasses, and kindle:

My sis and friend and I had lots of fun hanging out and going to cool restaurants and seeing a little bit of the town.

Anyway, now it's back to reality!  I really do have a new download for you.  It's something that was much-needed for me, so I'm pretty excited about it.

Introducing: Parent Letters for Speech Therapy in English & Spanish!

This pack includes 8 different parent letters in both English and Spanish as well as in both color and black-and-white versions.

Contents include:

• Introduction letters

• Homework letters

• IEP reminder letters

• Progress report cover letter

Also included are English, Spanish, black-and-white and color versions of:

• Summer letters
• Parent conference request letters
• RtI intervention letters
• Referral letters

It's so nice to be able to grab one of these and go!  I just print a bunch at the beginning of the year and keep them in a file.  Hope some of you can use them too!  Grab them at my TPT store.  Get the IEP reminder sheets for free by downloading the preview on the TPT page.

You can win a free copy of the entire packet for yourself!  Just enter by the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FAQ Friday: Late Talkers

It's Friday!  Unfortunately, I've only got like 2 more free Fridays before school starts back up.  Sigh... I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

It's FAQ time.  Today's question is brought to you by a friend who is a parent of a toddler.  She wants to know if it's normal that her child isn't speaking yet.

Most parents with concerns about their children will ask other parents their opinions.  I've listened in on some of these conversations.  They usually go something like:
      Parent: Sally is 2 and she doesn't really talk yet.  How old were your kids when they started talking?
      Friend 1: Oh don't worry!  Johnny didn't talk until he was 3, and he turned out just fine. 
      Friend 2: Yeah, enjoy it now.  Soon, you won't be able to shut her up! 
      Friend 3: I'm sure she'll outgrow it.  Just be patient.

While this advice may be well-intended, you can't really know for sure if your kid is on the right track just by listening to the opinions of other parents.  Concerns regarding your child's communication skills should be directed to a speech-language pathologist, and often a formal evaluation is necessary.

In order to know if something is not normal, you need a good sense of what is.  Here are a few milestones to keep in mind:

• Children usually say their first meaningful word around 12 months, about the time they take their first steps.
• Between the ages of 1 and 2, your child should be picking up more and more words consistently.
• At 24 months, most kids have about 100 words and are putting 2 words together.

Now, sometimes a child will very well "catch up" on their own if they begin talking late.  However it's often hard to know which kids will or won't, so typically a language evaluation is in order.  There are some "red flags" that are considered to reveal a child who may have language difficulties.  Check out these risk factors posted by Lauren Lowry at the Hanen Center:

• quiet as an infant; little babbling
• a history of ear infections
• limited number of consonant sounds (eg. p, b, m, t, d, n, y, k, g, etc.)
• does not link pretend ideas and actions together while playing
• does not imitate (copy) words
• uses mostly nouns (names of people, places, things), and few verbs (action words)
• difficulty playing with peers (social skills)
• a family history of communication delay, learning or academic difficulties
• a mild comprehension (understanding) delay for his or her age
• uses few gestures to communicate

If a child's receptive language or ability to "take in" language is age-appropriate, that's usually a good sign.  However, not being able to communicate effectively as a toddler can be frustrating for both you and the child.  As a parent, you don't have to just "wait and see" if your child catches up.  It's never too early to consult an SLP for a screening or formal evaluation to make sure.

Sources for some of this information as well as some great articles about this topic include:
ASHA: Late Blooming or Language Problem
How to tell if Your Child is a Late Talker
A Closer Look at the Late Talker Study

Remember, keep talking and reading to your child.  Provide opportunities for them to make requests and imitate words.  Speak slowly using short simple sentences, and always show them love and support no matter their difficulties.

Thoughts?

FAQ Friday: Tracking Progress {with Freebie!}

I am SO glad it's Friday!  It's that time of year that's sooo crazy busy.  The countdown to the end of the school year has already begun for us...25 school days left!  I know my kiddos are definitely ready for a break.  What about yours?

Of course, Friday also means FAQ time!  :)

 
This week we're going to chat a little bit about tracking progress.  Tracking progress is a great way to get parents involved in their child's speech at home.  I also love to get the kids involved in tracking their own progress, if they're old enough.  So today's question is for parents:

 For some of us SLPs, tracking data has become second nature, mostly because we're required to do it everyday.  We can easily teach parents and kids to do it as well while they work on their homework!  The benefits of data tracking are great.  It can:
-Give students a visual to know how far they are from reaching their goal
-Motivate students to practice harder
-Let parents know exactly how their child is performing
-Be a great incentive to actually get their homework done

If a parent is willing, I'm a believer in teaching them to be their own mini-SLP at home.  I give them tips on what kind of responses I'm looking for.  For articulation, I show them what the error sounds and looks like versus what the correct sound is like.  If I can't trust that the parent and student can correctly tally the errors, I suggest recording them practicing so I can check.  Most cell phones have a video recording feature, so they could easily whip it out and record without having to purchase another device.

Ok now on to the good stuff!  To track progress, here are some tips:

• Grab your homework sheet - whether it be a worksheet, cards, an app, etc.
• Write down how many total items you practiced.
• While practicing, circle or mark the items that you have difficulty with.
• Count how many items that were easy or that you know you said correctly.
• Grab a calculator and divide the number you got correct over the total number of items.
• Multiply that number times 100 to get a percentage.
• Mark your percentage on a chart or graph.

I've created a couple of charts to help you if you need!  Check them out :)

These give a quick visual on how the student is performing.  You can grab these charts for FREE right HERE.  :)  Enjoy!

What do you think?  Do you encourage parents and students to track their own progress at home?  

Introducing: FAQ Fridays!

I've decided to start a new series on the blog called "FAQ Friday!"  Each Friday I'll take a speechie question that I get frequently asked by parents, teachers, friends, or other therapists.  Of course, I am not claiming to be an expert in every single aspect of the field, but I'll do my best to research and find some good links and answers to the questions I get asked.

Here's what I need from you: share your questions!  If you are a parent or teacher, what questions do you have about speech therapy?  If you are a therapist, what questions do you get asked often?  Feel free to comment on the blog posts with your questions or send them to me via email to busybeespeech@gmail.com.

Today's question is brought to you by parents everywhere, especially the ones I come in contact with.  ;)

"Is my child's stuttering normal?"  Well, the short answer is...possibly.  Stuttering is typical for kids between the ages of 2 and 6 during their language "surge," as I like to call it.  Kids learn SO much language during their toddler years, and stuttering is often a sign that they are grasping this new language.  Their disfluencies are also likely to come and go, so you may not notice your child stuttering for a while. Then it might return a few months later.

However, there are some warning signs that your kiddo might need a speech or language evaluation.  Contact an SLP if your child:

• Stutters frequently - more than 10% of the time.
• Has visible tension in their face when they speak.
• Has been stuttering continuously longer than 6 months.
• Began stuttering after age 3-and-a-half.
• Has family members that stutter.

If you have concerns or are worried about your child's speech, it'd be good to schedule a screening.  Many clinics offer speech screenings for a low price or even free!  Public schools also have SLPs on staff that you could contact.

Here is a risk-factors chart from stutteringhelp.org to help determine if your child is at risk for stuttering.

There are also things you can do to help your child when they stutter at home.  Here are a few tips:

• Speak slowly and calmly.
• Refrain from interrupting your child and listen patiently to what he is saying.
• Create a relaxed atmosphere.  We want to try to keep him from feeling rushed or like he has to hurry and speak in order to be heard.
• Set aside some good one-on-one time with your child.  Show him you are interested in what he says rather than how he's saying it.   
• Be involved with his teachers and SLP and ask for strategies and suggestions of things you can do at home.
• Remember that overcoming stuttering is not easy.  There is no quick fix.  Always be encouraging and supportive.

Click here for a printable list of 7 tips and strategies to hand out to parents from stutteringhelp.org.

And here are a few helpful websites: The Stuttering Foundation, National Stuttering Association, StutterTalk

Well, that's it for my first FAQ!  Hope it helps some of you!  I'd love to hear how some of you other therapists respond to this question when asked.

Send in your questions for next week!  :)

Preschool Week Day 2: Tips for Parents & Teachers

Two is for Tips!  Day 2 of preschool week is for all you mommies and teachers and aunties and babysitters and anyone else who wants to know some (hopefully) helpful tips for increasing language skills in preschoolers.  {Take home some freebies at the end of this post as well!!}

We are going to look at 3 ways that you can help increase your child's communication skills: through reading, through language expansion techniques, and through songs and games.

1.  Reading

You might have heard just how important it is to read to your preschooler.  In fact, the earlier you start the better!  Here are a few things you can do to get your child excited about books!

• Take them to the library.  Most libraries have story time or activities geared toward kids.  
• Make sure the books you buy are appropriate for your child's age and interests.  
• Listen to audiobooks.  This is great for in the car or quiet times.  You can even record yourself reading the books.  They love hearing a familiar voice.  
• Make reading exciting!  Point to the pictures and talk about them.  Use silly voices and show excitement as you read.
• Let your child tell the story back to you after you read it.  Flip back through the pages and let them talk about the pictures.  Act it out or use story props to make it more fun!

2.  Language Expansion

You can expand children's language by adding to what they say and talking to them about their surroundings.  Here are some things you can do to help increase your child's vocabulary and understanding of language:

• Model what you want your child to say using correct grammar and new vocabulary. (i.e. Child: "Her can have it."  Parent: "Yes, she can have the toy.")
• Avoid using "Say this or that" to get your child to talk.  Instead, encourage imitation by modeling and expanding on what they do say. (i.e. Child: "Car." Parent: "Car goes fast!  Vroom vroom!")
• When out in the community, point out objects and pictures and talk about them.  Use descriptive words like big, small, hot, red, wet, etc.  This will help them to develop an understanding of basic concepts.
• Give your child simple tasks that include one and two step directions.  Use visuals if you need to.  Include simple prepositions when you can.  (i.e. Put the book on the table, under the bed, etc.).
• Combine words with gestures or signs to help with comprehension.  Some examples can include waving, pointing, hand movements, or facial expressions.  This will also teach them to use gestures or signs if they are having difficulty getting their message across.
• Encourage oral awareness by making silly faces and sounds.  Wiggle your tongue, blow kisses, smile and frown...anything to get their mouth moving.  Exposing them to foods with a variety of textures and temperatures is also good for oral awareness.

3.  Songs & Games

Playing games and singing interactive songs are fantastic ways to sneak those language skills into their play.  Games encourage turn taking, listening, problem solving, and vocabulary building.  Songs and music focus on rhythm and beat of speech as well as syllables and sounds.  Here are a few tips and suggestions to remember when you're playing:

• Play I Spy - You can take turns spying different objects by their color, function, or attribute.  This  encourages listening and increases vocabulary.
• Play matching games and talk about how things are the same and different.  Help them describe ways that the items are similar and different.
• Sing songs that have a lot of repetition, rhymes, or songs that tell stories.
• Sing songs with lots of hand motions to encourage coordination, listening, following directions, and identifying body parts.
• Do finger plays and chant nursery rhymes together.

I've also included some handouts to give to parents and teachers.  They are filled with a few helpful ideas that are geared toward preschoolers.  :)

You can grab them for free HERE!

*I should note that these are just meant to be helpful tips from my own experiences and readings.  If you have concerns about your child's speech or language skills, please contact an SLP in your area.  :)
Some of the information listed may come from the following sources ProEd, The Speech Bin, and Talking on the Go.

What are your thoughts?  Do you have any other tips to help your kiddos?

Preschool Week Day 1: Websites & Apps

Welcome to Preschool Week!  A whole week all about the little guys right here at Busy Bee Speech!  Everyday we'll be diving into tips, tricks, research, and materials to help our little ones become better communicators.  Whether you work with them or have your own children who are preschoolers, I hope you'll find some helpful new info.

Today is all things techie!  I'll be sharing my favorite websites and apps for PK.  We recently had a speech therapy in-service in our district, and my amazing coworkers shared some fun new apps with me.  I'm super excited!

First, let's check out some useful websites for SLPs and parents of preschoolers. 

• Playing With Words 365

Hands down this is one of the best blogs for parents on early speech and language development.  There are plenty of resources for SLPs as well.  Katie is an SLP and mommy who loves to share information on early speech and language skills as well as intervention strategies to expand children's communication.  You can read more on what her blog is about here on the "about" page.

• ASHA: Typical Speech & Language Development 

To understand if a child has speech or language delays, it's a good idea to have a sense of typical development.  On this site you can find definitions of what is meant by "speech" and "language" as well as other areas of communication.  There are also development charts from ages birth-5 that you can find here as well as what to expect if a child is learning more than one language.

• Mommy Speech Therapy

This is another awesome site geared toward parents and SLPs.  Heidi is an SLP/mom and shares lots of resources and worksheets, especially in the area of articulation.  You can find free sound development charts and articulation screening tools.  She even designed the app Articulation Station... one of my favorite artic apps!

• Play On Words  

Play on Words is a great site if you're looking for good reviews of toys, games, and books that build language in kids.  I especially like her book picks broken down by age.  Sherry focuses on how to build language through play and gives out PAL (Play Advances Language) Awards to toys and games that do just that!

• Teach Me To Talk

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a conference by Laura Mize a couple of years ago.  It ended up being one of the best, most practical lectures on early childhood I'd ever heard.  She has books and DVDs that are available for purchase but also has lots of tips and information on her site.  She even does a "Therapy Tip of the Week" which usually includes a video clip.  Highly recommend!


Now for some fun apps that I love to use with my preschoolers!  For this list I'm going to try and stick with apps that are free or under $5, so it won't break the bank if you wanted to purchase them yourself.  :)

• LEGO Duplo ~ Free!

This is a great free app and a favorite among my kiddos.  They love to help the bunny and giraffe find the lion.  It provides lots of opportunities for language skills including executive functioning, concepts, prepositions, following directions, and more.  It's really cute too!  

• Touch & Say ~ Free!

Another fun free one.  When I was younger, Nickelodeon had this face that would come on between shows and make funny noises.  This app totally reminds me of that!  Haha.  It targets 8 different areas: feelings, verbalizations, colors, silly faces, looking in directions (eye gaze), songs, letters, and numbers.  

• Ocean Adventures ~ $2.99 

I love this app!  It's from Boing and focuses on vocabulary, sentence formation, and listening comprehension.  The vocabulary section is free, but the full version is $2.99.  The listening section is great for prepositions and following directions, and the other 2 sections are great for building both receptive and expressive language.

• Eek & Slow ~ Free!

This is a fun app for teaching concepts and opposites as well as cause and effect.  It focuses on up/down, but I'm able to teach lots of other concepts as well.  It's good for young kids who are just beginning to use an iPad because a trail follows your finger when you touch the screen.  Plus, you don't have to touch in the exact place for the objects to move.

• Interactive Books - TabTale Books, Big Cat Books ~ Most free

We love interactive books in my speech room.  I use them just like I would a regular children's book in therapy, asking questions, expanding utterances, talking about the actions and vocabulary, etc.  The fun part about it being interactive is that the kids seem more engaged and eager to participate.  :)

• The Monster at the End of this Book ~ $4.99

This one definitely wins the cutest app award in my book!  I love it!  It's awesome for print awareness and emergent literacy skills.  Grover is hilarious and tries to tie down pages and build walls to keep you from turning the pages.  It's very interactive!

Well, hope some of these help you!  What are your favorite sites and apps to use in therapy??

**Be sure to check back the rest of the week for more preschool fun!

Conference Day & Parent Ed.

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with parent-teacher conference day.  On one hand, I like the idea of having a day without kids to close myself in my speech room and do paperwork or get things done.  However, this is never the case.  It seems like I'm always pulled here and there and everywhere to answer parents' questions, translate for a Spanish-speaking parent, or attend an IEP meeting (or 3!).

Today is bound to be one of those crazy-filled conference days.  I can feel it in my bones!  Haha.  

When parents do ask questions about their child's progress, the most common one I seem to get is, "What can I do at home to help him?"  This is my FAVORITE question!  :)  It usually means that they are willing to put some time and effort into reinforcing what we work on at school.  And, as therapists, we know that we can make any time therapy time.  

I do like to have something tangible to give to parents that ask about this (and to parents who don't ask), so that they have something they can refer back to.  

HERE are a few of my go-to parent handouts ((FREE!)).  

These lists are compiled from information I've gathered from the internet over the years, tips picked up from co-workers, and things I've thought of myself.  They don't come from any one particular source.  Honestly, I don't remember which tips were from which types of sources.  So, if some of the wording looks familiar and you can name the source, please share!  

Hope this helps some of you!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.  :)