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BACK TO SCHOOL- BETTER SPEECH

Back to school can feel great or a little apprehensive for your children.  With the new school year don't forget to get speech help.  You can access your neighborhood speech therapist and or a private speech therapist.  You can do one or both.  The rule of thumb is to get speech help as soon as you can.  It can impact their academic performance on many levels;  it can impact their "core" curriculum or their social situations.  How do you know?  ask your teacher about their willingness to present in class and how kids treat your child. also check on specific area of academic work that they might be struggling with.
If you have any questions about speech, please don't hesitate to ask your school therapist or me.  I'm happy to help out in any way.    Call or email me with your questions. I provide 30 minutes of free consultation.

Free Speech Resources.
check out Speech Sound Names from Playing with Words 365
http://www.playingwithwords365.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Speech-Sound-Names.pdf

Stuttering help

It's important to know that those who stuttering are quite bright and normal in every way except their fluency.  Having a little slip-up in speech is common for every speaker.  Did you know we all stutter? at least 1% of everything we say.
It's when it's worse that we start to worry.  Here is a good link for solid information.
/http://www.stutteringhelp.org/    I'm on their list of providers, so if you have more questions per your specific case, please call or email.  I'd be glad to help.  Sometime I can provide some general helps that you can do on our own to monitor your child's speech situation.  Other times, you will want to come in for specific speech therapy.  

Teach and learn, think "anew"

We can learn from our past leaders like Abraham Lincoln.
He said, "We must think anew.  We must develop not only a new mind-set but also a new skill-set and a new tool-set that flow from it."
The new "mind-set" was to reach out to use a "new tool-set" the SmartPalate system.  I've been so  happy I made that investment.  I've continually learned my " new skill-set" from using the "new tool-set" to teach better speech production.  It's allowed me to teach others to make their target sounds more accurately and consistently.  Students have become teachers in their own right by being able to "teach" explain what they learned and discovered about their own speech production.  It's been such a good experience.
This year's intensive summer speech program has flown by as usual.  I've learned that we must be patient the first two weeks of therapy when re-structuring our tongue placement from old muscle memory habits.  It will come with time, practice and patience.

Intensive Summer Speech Therapy

Two weeks into summer speech and it's been great.  The kids have worked hard to get their speech target placement.
Some kids got their target placement figured out the first day!!! While a few other kids found it a bit frustrating to get their old habits under control and get the new "pattern placement".  But everyone got their tongue placement with in the first two weeks,Whoo Hoo!  that is the best feeling ever!!! 
Now they are all trying to maintain their accurate placement, manner and voicing of their target sounds in higher levels of speech production.

Here is a great example of how one student explained what he needed to pay attention to.
This was all spontaneous information, as the student was sharing this information with his mother.
                                                                    Part one

 

Part two

 

He uses the straw for placment and to help get his airflow in the right spot

then his second attempt was without the straw and perfect!

He got this about his sixth session, but perfected it on this eight session. 

Summer Speech Ideas

What words come to mind when you think of "Summer?"
Fun? Sun?  Pools?  Cool drinks? Games? Family reunions?  Camping? Hiking? Swimming?
What ever it is, enjoy the time you have together with your family and friends.
Talk more, laugh more, play more and talks some more.

Summer experiences can really help your child continue to improve their speech and language skills.  The best part is the summer journey.  Capitalize on the nature of summer days as gentle teaching moments.  Don't be afraid to model and talk about things.  "Verbalize your thinking process a loud,  this can really help kids know how they should process information, and what questions to ask".  Here is an example;  "I wonder what we need to take on our week long trip to the ocean?" " What do you guys think we need to remember to bring?"

Make learning fun fun fun and more fun.  Make it meaningful and functional.  Notice what your child needs during these free days.    Don't do everything yourself, involve the kids the best way you can.
They will gain more from this process than sitting on the sideline or worse yet not paying attention.

Here is a short list of speech and language ideas for some fun summer times ahead.
1. Make daily lists, all kinds of lists- share them with your kids, help them to make lists; food lists, shopping lists, fix-it list, suitcase list, sight seeing list, book lists,  so on- teaches core vocabulary, categories, priorities,
2. Maps lessons- highlight the routes you will be taking.  Helps with distance, planning, directionality and temporal sequencing vocabulary and real planning situations  "First we need to go this far, then we need to get to this place, 
3. Sports camps- helps with physical outlet,  specific vocabulary, following directions, individual effort and team effort,  retelling instructions and events that happened that day.
4. Books- read lots of books together and alone.  Develops lots of vocabulary, sentence structure, reading comprehension, retelling skills of story elements of characters, settings, problems, possible solutions, sequencing of events, feelings, conflicts, resolutions, etc. Let them even earn money for their best book report.  It can be written, oral or poster presentations.  Make it fun! (You set the bar: Each letter grade equals different amounts of money, this will encourage them to do their best work.) (visit your local library a lot, let your kids earn series of books they like.)
5. Cook together- helps with using key vocabulary for a recipe, following instructions step by step, sequencing- first we need this, then that, so on.  Start simple with 3-4 ingredient recipes.Bon Appetite
6. Games- play lots of different games, indoor and outdoor types;  helps with turn taking skills,  following and telling instructions, goals of the game, so on.

MAY BETTER SPEECH MONTH

Better Speech Month is a reminder to get help for your children who are struggling with their speech and language.  GET HELP NOW.  Check out my Summer Intensive Speech Program from  June 10th- July 11, 2013.  Held at BYU campus, Provo Utah. Prices vary depending on technology that is used or not.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED SIGN UP TODAY. IT MAY BE THE BEST THING FOR YOU OR YOUR CHILD.  Speak with confidence to live better.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGhRTmhNa185RUNncnVvRzM5TkhSRkE6MA..