Desirae Brown, R.SLP

Want to get your little one talking and not sure where to start? Try some of these ideas to set up communication opportunities throughout the day, and wait for your child to tell you what he or she wants. If they don't use words yet, set up the interaction, wait, and then give them the words (e.g., if your child points to milk, say "Milk. You want milk.")

Great, simple ideas to do at home!

Here is a link to a simple story explaining why it is best to stay home right now https://www.autismlittlelearners.com//free-coronavirus-soc

There are lots of ideas floating around, and to me the most important involve being present with your little ones and continuing to be that stable base for them. In the meantime, here are some ideas on continuing to encourage their language development through play while you are at home.

Love this great visual demonstration for kids showing that washing your hands keeps the germs away: https://www.facebook.com/833895180065423/posts/2868925019895752/

The way you talk to your baby can make a big difference in their language development. There is a big difference between "baby talk" and "parentese" https://www.cnn.com//baby-talk-boosts-infant-br/index.html

Christmas carols on the mind? Use them to help build your child's speech and language skills!

Children learn what they hear. Talking about what you (or they) are doing is a great way to build understanding and vocabulary.

There are so many interesting studies on the effects of too much screen time in little ones. This one actually talks about some of the structural changes in the brain, which I find so interesting. https://www.ctvnews.ca//study-finds-changes-in-brain-wirin

Chat it up with those little ones! https://www.weforum.org//how-you-talk-to-your-child-chang/

I love working with the early childhood population. It is such a precious time for so many reasons, one of them being the amazing plasticity and learning ability of the brain. It is also why I encourage families to get an assessment early if they are at all concerned about their child's speech or language development. Early intervention can be so powerful!

Most parents of young children know that food pouches can be super convenient. What parents may not know is that they are not great for oral-motor development. Check out what feeding expert Melanie Potock has to say about the pros/cons of using food pouches. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p_9YPRgUa64&t=36s

Playing is my favorite way to do therapy! https://letsplaythespeechandlanguageway.com//wheres-the-s/

There are so many benefits of unstructured, outdoor play. Take some time and go play outside!

Break it down for those little ones!

I love this graphic and how it shows the many goals that can be targeted using a simple toy like Lego with early communicators.

I've heard great things about this speaker and am looking forward to the presentation! Parents, register using the information below.

This is so awesome!

Newborn hearing screenings are now available in Alberta! https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services/Page15279.aspx

Why do we teach kids functional words before preacademic words like letters, numbers, colors, and shapes?? THIS!!! For tips to work on functional langauge, check out www.mrsspeechiep.com/child-talk

So interesting to see the comparison of interactions and communication with a tablet and without. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155752470752330&id=273250047329

Love this acronym!

It is so important to read (and talk!) to your babies. https://www.cbc.ca//literacy-preschool-parents-pediatric-1

I came across this list, and love the examples it gives. Asking questions can sometimes limit responses to one or two words. Commenting using some of the below ideas are natural ways to expand vocabulary, build understanding, and take turns.

As some of you may know, speech - language pathologists can also help those with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. It is so great to see appealing options for those that are limited in textures that are safe for them to eat.

Yes! "You are the best toy in the room" for language development as well as entertainment! http://www.hanen.org//Articles/you-are-childs-best-toy.aspx

I love to see holistic activities like this! And if you haven't checked it out yet, filefolderheaven.com has great monthly freebie activities.

This is a valuable workshop for professionals and parents alike.

I find it so interesting how something seemingly small (e.g., being a mouth breather) can have such widespread implications. Below is an article that touches on this, and though it is slightly outside of my realm of current expertise, I am hoping to expand my practice in the areas of orofacial myology. Take a read, you may be surprised! http://www.afr.com//if-you-are-a-mouth-breather-close-your

If you enjoyed the last post with gift giving ideas, here is another one with a few more: https://bjoremspeech.blog//jens-2017-holiday-buying-guide/

With gift giving around the corner, here are some ideas of toys that can be great for building language: http://www.mrsspeechiep.com/top-5-toys/

Trick-or-treating tonight was a blast! I love these language enriching ideas for what to do with all those goodies! Bonus: some of them develop math skills, too!

I love "Learn with Adrienne" videos. They are parent friendly and easy to follow, and she provides a ton of practical ways to use language building strategies for young children. Here is one on the value of pausing. If you like it, I highly recommend following her page! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1964246847175140&id=1619491748317320

Please be mindful.

Halloween is around the corner. If you're in the same boat as me with a little one that doesn't know quite what to expect, a super simple song can help! There are also ways you can use it to build other language skills. Check it out here: http://www.mrsspeechiep.com/knock-knock-song/