App Review: My PlayHome App Makes Speech Practice Fun

My PlayHome

During the winter months families are often stuck inside.Finding things to do that keep the interest of children can be difficult. Now that many people have iPads and other digital devices, they have access to many apps that are fun for kids but also have the added benefit of building language skills. As a speech-language [...]

How to expand your child’s vocabulary with summer verbs

Summer Verbs

Summertime brings loads of options for outdoor activities to fill those hot summer days and nights.  Being able to enjoy nature, see neighbors and friends, and take in the beauty of this world we live in brings so many opportunities to be active and opens the door to natural conversations with your children. Summer is [...]

29 Milestones for Speech and Hearing Development

Early Intervention

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. What does that mean to you as a parent? If you are having doubts about your child’s speech and language development, wondering if your child is reaching those speech milestones on time, questions are probably swirling in your mind: Do they have enough words in their vocabulary? Do [...]

Does my child have speech delays? 6 things you need to know

17 Apraxia Resources for the concerned parent

What happens when a parent first expresses concern about a toddler’s speech development?  How can a parent know whether a child is simply a late-bloomer or is having more serious developmental issues? I’ve been there.  I can walk you through the process.  But I’ll tell you right now, I don’t know exactly where this road [...]

Eight ways to build language & communication skills for late talkers

Late Talking and Developmental Delays

“Molly is 16 months old, but when she wants something she just grunts and pulls on me.” “When will Jake start talking?  He still doesn’t say any complete words at 19 months!” Late-Talkers This is one subject that I feel pretty comfortable discussing with other parents.  As the anxious mother of one child with global [...]

Apraxia and Hyperlexia: A Tale of Two Boys

Dyslexia

“Well, he doesn’t look autistic to me.”  That’s a line I’ve often heard through the years, usually from other parents of children with autism.  My son has been evaluated, diagnosed and re-diagnosed many times, always with the same result: Autism Spectrum Disorder. Two Boys On The Spectrum Even in the autism community, many do not [...]

Learn 14 great Speech & Language Skills While Beating Cabin Fever

Stimulating Speech-Language Skills While Beating Cabin Fever

Guest Post by: By Jennifer Hill During the winter months there are many outdoor activities parents can participate in with their children, such as building snowmen, going ice skating, sledding, or building a snow fort in the yard.  All of these activities keep children entertained while providing an opportunity to stimulate the child’s speech and language [...]

Sharing Photos With Your Child

Photos

Are you enjoying taking pictures with your digital camera or cell phone?  No matter where you are or what you are doing, those little cameras take sharp pictures and capture the moment when your child is celebrating, experiencing something new and exciting, or reviewing and enjoying family and friends. Using those photos and showing them [...]

“Auditory Overload” a Challenge for Many Kids

Auditory

As a parent have you ever noticed that your child exhibits some of the following behaviors? Says “huh?” or “what?” frequently Has difficulty with phonics and speech sound discrimination Often misunderstands what is said Constantly requests information be repeated Has poor receptive and expressive language Is easily distracted Has difficulty following and carrying out verbal, [...]

Building Blocks for Children With Speech Sound Disorders

Nancy Kaufman Headshot

Children with special needs often struggle to speak. This is most likely because the act of speaking is a complex fine motor skill, requiring hundreds of precise, planned, executed and coordinated oral motor movements, which are expressed as vowels and consonants. A great deal of practice is needed for words to become automatic and spoken with ease, [...]