Serving Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee
Most parents do not realize how big of a decision it is for their child to use a pacifier. Pacifiers impact not only their child’s speech and language development, but additional areas of development as well. The pacifier is a great tool to use in a variety of situations; however, it is always possible to […]
One thing I learned as both an Occupational Therapist, and more so as a parent of autistic kids, is that they learn differently. They do things, from learning to write, talk, dress, interact with the world and more, on their own terms and on their own timetable. There’s no right or wrong way to do […]
What is AAC and who can benefit? AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication! This can span from low-tech (choice board, white board, PECS, etc.) to high-tech (eye gaze device, speech generating device, tablets, etc.) communication systems. AAC is another mode of communication your child may prefer in order to express themselves both creatively and […]
What is Stuttering? Stuttering occurs when the natural flow of speech experiences interruptions. Stuttering occurs involuntarily in a variety of ways and can happen unpredictably at any time. A child may repeat, prolong, and/or be unable to produce sounds or words. Stuttering is also known as a “fluency disorder”. Types of stuttering you may hear […]
Learning how to incorporate new foods and prevent burn out of favorites. It’s that time of year! Spooky season, if you will, and there is nothing scarier than having your child start to refuse one of the only foods they eat. This is common and we call it “food jags” in the feeding therapy world. […]
Are you looking for a fun, easy way to address your child’s deficits at home? One of my favoriteactivities to complete during OT sessions is playing board games! It is an activity that is fun, butaddresses many different deficits such as attention, direction following, turn-taking, social skills,and more. Here are my favorite games to play […]
So, you just received your child’s speech and language evaluation, and they were diagnosed with an articulation or phonological disorder…but, what does that mean? Articulation and phonological disorders fall under an umbrella term: Speech sound disorders, which refers to any difficulties with producing or understanding sounds. What is an articulation disorder? Articulation refers to your child’s ability to produce individual sounds. […]
Pre-linguistic Skills Before producing verbal language, there are many pre-linguistic skills that your child must develop first. In order for your child to progress, they will need to communicate through imitating sounds and gestures, paying attention to their surroundings, and taking turns. Imitation Imitation allows the child to learn new things by watching the people […]
As a speech therapist, I constantly get asked “Do you think something else is going on with my child?” or “What is causing their speech and language delay?” The answer for most speech delays is often unknown. There are times when the cause is known, such as from hearing loss, being born prematurely, or genetics. […]
The start of the school year is just around the corner! This can be a difficult transition for many children, especially those that thrive on routine or have additional sensory needs. Check out these quick tips from Molly Lester, a pediatric occupational therapist, to help prepare your child for the upcoming school year! Review the […]