SLPC's Clinicians Get Into The Holiday Spirit!
The clinicians from the SLP Center spent some time team building and getting into the holiday spirit. Big thanks to Barbara Fearing who lead a fun ornament craft for the team. It’s been a hard year for all and it was great fun to set aside some time to get creative! We hope this holiday season brings rest, relaxation, and plenty of fun to you and yours!
Best Toys to Grow With Your Child!
Play is the work of childhood and toys are the tools for play. Therefore, when the holiday season comes along its important to find toys that can grow with your child. This is where open-ended toys come into play!
“Toys can be lumped into two categories: ‘one and done toys’ and ‘open-ended toys’. One and Done Toys do the playing for kids. They do the imagining. They do the talking. A toy that needs 57 batteries to sing the ABCs to your 1 year old is a toy you want to run away from. Because those toys are there to entertain your child - instead of your child entertaining themselves. Open-ended toys teach kids. They teach them to imagine. To create. To problem solve. To practice life skills and social skills. Our kids learn best through play – we need them playing with the “right” equipment.”
Busy Toddler compiled a great list of 100+ open-ended toys that grow with kids! Check their site and Instagram for tons of other fun ideas, too! Visit their website here!
Reading Tips for Parents of Toddlers
You may have heard many times (especially from us speech therapists!) that one of the best activities you can do with your toddler is reading. Reading with your toddler helps with vocabulary expansion, stringing words together into sentences, sustained attention, and pre-literacy skills – such as holding the book upright or turning the pages of the book. However, you may question how possible it is to read a whole book with your active and curious child! Check out the link below for some helpful reading tips for parents. Happy reading!
Best Gifts for Kids to Promote Better Eating
“Looking for double-duty holiday gifts? You know, the ones that are fun to open, but also are 100% practical and make your parent-life easier? When kids have fun with food it reduces pressure. The first step to getting them to try new foods! A novel and exciting gift for them, a long term win for you. Here’s my go-to list of top gifts that will help your child eat better. They also pave the way for family mealtime bonding!”
Happy Thanksgiving from SLP Center
From our family at SLP Center to you & yours:
Our office will be closed Thursday and Friday - November 26th and 27th. Please call should you need any assistance with scheduling. We hope you enjoy a safe and healthy holiday weekend!
What is Executive Functioning?
Find some helpful articles on this site for information and tips on executive functioning skills.
“Executive functions are cognitive skills we all use to analyze tasks, break them into steps, and keep them in mind until we get things done. These skills allow us to manage our time effectively, memorize facts, understand what we read, solve multi-step problems, and organize our thoughts in writing.”
If your child struggles in any of these areas, call the SLP Center to speak to a speech therapist today!
November is National Family Caregivers Month!
In honor of National Family Caregiver Month, we want to recognize the individuals who provide physical and/or emotional care for elderly ill or disabled loved ones. These individuals often take on roles that are unfamiliar territory for them. For example, providing household assistance, medical assistance, personal care, emotional support, and becoming an advocate. These selfless caregivers often prioritize another’s needs before their own in an effort to take care of the ones they love. We think it is essential that they seek assistance and support when needed. There are an abundance of senior support groups in the South Shore area. Please feel free to look through the attached list and reach out to a group near you!
Mindfulness For Kids!
“When we teach mindfulness to kids, we give them the tools they need to build confidence, cope with stress, and relate to uncomfortable or challenging moments. The earlier we do so in their young lives, the greater the opportunity to help them cultivate resilience and develop and refine their mindfulness practice as they mature.”
Mindful.org offers great resources, including an introduction to mindfulness, guided meditations, and at-home tips and activities for the whole family.
November 11th, Veterans Day - We will be OPEN!
The SLP Center will be OPEN for normal business hours next Wednesday, November 11th.
Please inform your therapist of any schedule adjustments that you may need. Thanks!
Masks & Communicating With Deaf or Hard of Hearing People
“During a health threat such as a coronavirus, people should wear masks in public. Wearing masks gives people some protection. At the same time, many masks hide the lips and half of the face, which makes it harder to understand speech. It is also hard to understand sign language when the person is wearing a mask. Facial expressions are an important part of sign language. It is very important to wear masks to stay safe during a pandemic, but also very important that deaf and hard of hearing people can understand what everyone is saying.
Our guidelines explain the best ways to communicate with deaf and hard of hearing people while following health recommendations. Our guidelines do not explain how much each mask or face shield protects people from any virus.”
Resuming Regularly Scheduled Snack Time
In light of the start of school, you may have realized that your children’s eating habits look very different now versus one year ago. If you’re finding it hard to get back on track in terms of meals and snack times, check out the New York Times article linked here. The author shares insights regarding her own children’s current eating schedules and tips on how to regain a meal and snack time schedule.
Last Chance for AAC Savings!
Many amazing companies have offered generous discounts up to 50% off applications in celebration of AAC Awareness Month. These companies include Avaz Inc., AssistiveWare, and PRC-Saltillo. These discounts will expire today or in the next few days. Visit our website for more information on all the available sales and how to act now!
Wrapping Up AAC Awareness Month Discounts - PRC-Saltillo Sale, October 14 - 18!
PRC-Saltillo is joining in on the AAC Awareness Month discount fun! Enjoy 50% off all AAC applications, including TouchChat and LAMP Words For Life, from October 14-18!
More AAC Deals! AssistiveWare Sale October 12-16!
AssistiveWare will be offering 50% off all AAC applications, including Proloquo2Go. This sale will run from October 12-16 in the app store - no code required!
SLP Center will be CLOSED on Monday, October 12
Friendly reminder to all our families, the SLP Center will be closed on Monday, October 12, 2020 in observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Please call the office with any questions or schedule changes!
Save the Date, October 1-15: Aviz AAC Deals!
To celebrate the start of AAC Awareness Month, Avaz Inc. will be offering 50% off all AAC products from October 1 - 15, 2020. Visit their website so you don’t miss this amazing sale!
Back to School Books
Check out this awesome list of “back to school” books for children! No matter what your school schedule looks like this year, the transition from summer to fall can only be helped with these cute stories. Supplement your children’s speech and language goals by practicing words with their target speech sounds, pointing out vocabulary, and discussing personal connections to the book.
Virtual Learning Resources
Back-to-school season is here! Even though learning might be looking a little different this year, there are plenty of resources to help students, teachers, and families along the way. This website is here to help! Click below to get started. Happy learning!
Helping Children With Speech & Language Disorders in Virtual or Modified In-Person Classrooms
“As the new school year nears, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is offering advice for parents of the more than 1 million U.S. children who receive school-based treatment for speech and language disorders to help their children perform and adjust to new virtual and modified in-person learning environments.”