Autism Acceptance Month Events & Activities 2023

Mark your calendars! In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, The Arc South Shore is hosting several events to bring awareness to, support, and celebrate those with autism. Events include caregiver wellness, an ice cream social, sensory friendly movie, story time yoga, and a Disney animation social club. Please visit this website for event-specific dates, details, and how to register!

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In addition, organizations all over MA are hosting events and activities with a focus on including and providing access to neurodiverse individuals and families. Below are some of the events that are scheduled for the rest of the month of April around the state:

Bailey’s “Autism Family Day” at the Zoo **RSVP by April 15

• When: Saturday, April 29 from 9:30-2pm

• Where: Franklin Park Zoo

Sensory-Friendly Sundays at the Museum

• When: Sunday, April 16 from 9-10am

• Where: Charlestown, MA

Adaptive Indoor Climbing for All Ages

• When: Sunday, April 16

• Where: Adaptive Climbing Group, Somerville, MA

Miracle League Baseball for Adults

• When: Sunday, April 16 – June 4

Suicide Prevention & Awareness in Autistic Adults and Adolescents

• When: Wednesday, April 19

• Where: Webinar presented by Vinfen of Cambridge, MA

 AMC Sensory Friendly “The Super Mario Brothers Movie”

• When: Saturday, April 22

• Where: AMC Theatres in Burlington, Framingham, Methuen, North Dartmouth, and Tyngsboro

Soccer for Students with Special Needs hosted by South Shore Special Needs Athletic Partnership (SNAP)

• When: Sunday, April 23-June 4

• Where: Hingham, MA

Adaptive Climbing for Ages 5-17

• When: Sunday, April 23

• Where: Adaptive Climbing Group, Somerville, MA

Sensory-Friendly Concert

• When: Sunday, April 23 from 4-5:30pm

• Where: Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA

Parent Group: Children with Autism hosted by Sudbury SEPAC

• When: Wednesday, April 26 from 12:30-2pm

• Where: The Local, Wayland, MA

Autism Conference for Parents & Professionals

• When: Saturday, April 29 from 10-2pm

• Where: Virtually with Endicott College, Beverly, MA

Free Sensory-Friendly Petting Zoo hosted by Bierman Autism Centers

• When: Sunday, May 7 from 11-1pm

• Where: Bierman Autism Centers, Bedford, MA

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Visit the Autism Speaks website to learn more about autism and how you can get involved, not just this month, but year round!

AAC App Sale for Autism Acceptance Month!

Seven days of discounts for Autism Acceptance Month 2023! Read below for more information about the sale:

“In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, we offer a week-long discount on all our popular AAC apps. From March 28 - April 3, get an extra trial month free on AssistiveWare’s newest apps Proloquo and Proloquo Coach, as well as a 50% discount on our other apps, including Proloquo2Go.

AssistiveWare is committed to expanding the use and acceptance of AAC. That’s why we offer a 50% discount or a two-month free trial on a range of our top AAC apps and learning solutions, making them more accessible to families, individuals, and schools on a budget.

Here are some of the apps included in the discount:

1. Proloquo & Proloquo Coach are two apps that work together. Proloquo is an easy-to-use AAC app for iPad, and Proloquo Coach is to guide and support parents and caregivers of AAC users.

2. Proloquo2Go (Mac and iOS) is the most popular AAC app. It has everything you need for communication and language growth. You can customize it to fit various needs.

3. Gateway vocabulary- an efficient core word vocabulary for children, teens, and adults - available as an optional in-app purchase in Proloquo2Go.

4. Proloquo4Text (Mac and iOS) is a Text-to-Speech app for literate AAC users seeking a more efficient communication solution.

5. simPODD is our easy-to-use app, designed to provide the best possible PODD experience. Use simPODD electronically and print PODD books.

6. Pictello: Stories are a building block of language, and with Pictello, you can create visual narratives and build literacy skills while having fun.

7. Keeble is an accessible keyboard designed to make typing in almost any iOS app more accessible and faster for people with physical and visual impairments.

We are also offering on-demand AAC training videos at a 50% discount so that you can learn from some of our world-renowned AAC specialists from the comfort of your home. If you’re stuck with AAC, don’t know where to start, or would like to take your AAC knowledge to the next level, these videos are a great resource.”

Click the link below to read about the apps in the sale, worldwide from March 28th through April 3rd. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to discuss with your clinician or call our office to inquire!

Note: Presidents' Day CLOSED & Remainder of Vacation Week OPEN!

In observation of Presidents’ Day, the SLP Center will be closed on Monday, February 20th. We will be open for the remainder of the week (February vacation week for schools). Please call the office at 781-792-2700 should you need any adjustments to you schedule. Thanks!

The SLP Center will be closed for the holidays!

Friendly reminder to our families, the SLP Center will be closed on Friday, December 23rd and Monday, December 26th in observation of the Christmas holiday.

We will also be closed on Monday, January 2nd in observation of New Year’s Day.

Please contact the office for any schedule adjustments you may need. We hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving! SLP Center will be CLOSED!

We hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving together. Friendly reminder to our families that the SLP Center will be CLOSED on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25, 2022.

Please contact the office for any schedule adjustments you may need. Thanks!

SLP Center will be CLOSED on Monday, October 10

Friendly reminder to all our families, the SLP Center will be closed on Monday, October 10, 2022 in observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Please call the office with any questions or schedule changes!

SLP Center will be CLOSED for Labor Day

Friendly reminder to all our families, the SLP Center will be closed on Monday, September 5th, 2022 in observation of Labor Day. We hope you all enjoy the final long weekend of summer!

Please call the office with any questions or schedule changes!

Fun with /r/!

The /r/ sound can be very challenging for children to learn. One of the things that makes it difficult to master is comprehending the position of the tongue.

A fun way to teach tongue positioning can be done through using play dough. Regular play dough can be used again and again, but if you want to create a model that will harden, consider using “Model Magic” dough by Crayola.

The /r/ sound can be made in two different ways: bunched and retroflexed. Before completing this activity, have your child’s speech therapist confirm with you which position you child has the most success with. Once you have determined which position to practice, grab some dough and follow the steps below:

Bunched Position: First, roll the dough into a ball and then use your palm to squish the play dough flat. Make sure the back of the tongue is wider than the front. Then, place the wider/ back side of the tongue on the table and gently push apply pressure downward. When you are done, the back sides of the tongue should be lifted upward. Remind your child the sides of the tongue should touch the insides of the back teeth.

Retroflexed Position:Follow the same instructions from the bunched position, but add the following step: curl the tip of the tongue so that it is pointing backwards.

In addition to visualizing /r/ with the use of play dough, consider using some of the following books which are loaded with /r/ words to practice: 

/r/ at the beginning of words (initial /r/)

• Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner

• Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty

/r/ in the middle of words (medial /r/)

• Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale

• Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

/r/ at the end of words (final /r/)

• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

• Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee

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If you feel like your child or someone you know is in need of therapy services in the areas of speech, language or feeding, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to a clinician today. You can also visit our “Free Screener” tab to answer a few questions and determine if these services may be right for you and your family! We are here to help in any way possible!

Summer Reading Fun for Everyone!

Wishing you all a wonderful start to school vacation. Kick off the summer with the fun book ideas below! Comment with your favorite summer books!

Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae

This book is a wonderful collection of short poems/rhymes about animals that live in or around the ocean. Perfect for early language learners! Talk about the fun, colorful cartoon pictures as you or your child points to them to introduce ocean animal vocabulary. Repeat key words over and over. Copy and add to what your child says. For example, if your child points to a crab and says “crab,” add an early concept (numbers, colors, -ing verbs, plural -s, etc.) to what they said: “Red crab.” “One, two, three crabs.” “Crabs are walking.” Encourage your child to help turn the pages as you read. As you read the book more times, test your child’s understanding of vocabulary by asking simple questions (yes/no, who, what, what doing, where). Example: “Is this a dolphin? – No, it’s a shark!” or “Where is the penguin? – He’s on the snow!”

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Bear’s New Friend by Karma Wilson

Bear and his friends are spending time together on a hot, summer day while a new animal friend hides nearby. Bear and his friends try to find out who is hiding! This book is perfect for early language learners and families, alike. Each page has a repeating word. After multiple pages, see if your child can fill in the repeated word. With bright and colorful pictures of nature, you can introduce new vocabulary and concepts on every page!

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A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen

Mr. Magee and his dog, Dee take a summer camping trip to the mountains where a silly, exciting, and eventful weekend takes place. Perfect for elementary-aged children! Have your child identify story grammar elements as you are reading (characters, setting, kick-off, feelings, plan, action, resolution.). See if your child can answer prediction questions about what might happen next. When you are done, have your child retell the story including all the important elements. Encourage them to use transitions words such as “first,” “then,” “next,” and “last.”

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If you feel like your child or someone you know is in need of therapy services in the areas of speech, language or feeding, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to a clinician today. You can also visit our “Free Screener” tab to answer a few questions and determine if these services may be right for you and your family! We are here to help in any way possible!

Local Cooking Classes and Camps for Kids!

If you are looking for something for your child to do this summer, check out Mix It Up Kitchen! They are located in Duxbury, MA and will be hosting a variety of classes, short camps, and events for children of all ages. They even have adult workshops, too! See the full list of classes here

Cooking is an excellent, hands-on way to get children involved with food. If a child is cooking with a food they won’t eat, they are still getting great exposure to how it looks, feels, and smells. Cooking is a low-pressure way to introduce these foods without any demands to eat in that moment. In addition, cooking offers a great way to introduce any speech and language topics your child may need more practice with. Think about how many directions need to be followed and how many actions and concepts you may use to follow a recipe!

The following excerpts are from Mix It Up Kitchen’s website and provide information regarding their workshops for all ages!

“Tweens & Teens, After School Series: Students tackle more complex skills with an emphasis on kitchen safety, knife skills, various cooking techniques, seasoning and plating. Workshops typically culminate with a seated meal.

Weekend Workshops & Special Events: Workshops are offered before all major holidays and also periodically throughout the year. Please refer to our calendar for specific ages groups.

Child & Caregiver: Cooking inspires curiosity and helps with many early academic skills like counting, colors, shapes and following directions. Periodically we offer caregiver and child classes where an adult and child participate together (but we encourage children to do age appropriate tasks on their own).”

If you don’t want to enroll your child in any structured workshops, no problem! Consider adding a “cooking class” at home every week or two. Below are some ideas on how to connect their speech and language goals to the cooking task at hand. And don’t forget to have fun!

Following directions - present one-step, two-step, or even three-step directions to your sous chef to work on this receptive language skill. Following directions is especially crucial in the kitchen.

Sequencing - review the recipe steps with your child. While preparing the meal, encourage your child to determine “what’s next” in the cooking process. 

Problem Solving and Safety – what would happen if you skipped a step? Or missed an ingredient? Use cooking class as an opportunity to present “what if” scenarios and problem solving/safety topics.

Expressive language - describe and/or ask your child to describe the different foods and textures that you’re experiencing while cooking. What color, shape, and texture do they have? How are the ingredients the same or different? Cooking allows you to “get your hands dirty” and experience foods with all of your senses.

Vocabulary - be sure to review each food item and cooking instrument you use during your recipe! Cooking with your children allows you to build a new vocabulary set during a fun and functional activity!

Basic Concepts – following directions seldom goes without understanding and using basic concepts. Put the water IN the measuring cup, mix the dry ingredients TOGETHER, cut the apple into SMALL pieces, etc. Over emphasize the important concepts in each step. Maybe cut the apple into big pieces and see if your child notices that you missed that concept!

Speech Sound Practice - if your child has target goals for the “ch” sound, consider making chocolate chip cookies or cherry cheesecake! If your child has target goals for the “b” sound, consider making buttermilk biscuits or blueberry bagels. Choosing main ingredients with your target sound is sure to result in lots and lots of practice!

Cooking is fun and learning can be fun, too!

If you feel like your child or someone you know is in need of therapy services in the areas of feeding, speech, or language, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to a clinician today. You can also visit our “Free Screener” tab to answer a few questions and determine if these services may be right for you and your family! We are here to help in any way possible!

Celebrate Your Family Structure!

Father’s day is coming up this weekend. While many plan to celebrate with their fathers, father figures, grandfathers, and/or uncles, we also recognize this as an opportunity to shed light on the diversity of each and every family structure.

Below are some books that celebrate different family structures. While reading with your child, you can target family/relationship vocabulary by having them identify who is in their own family and who is in the characters’ families. For younger children, you can target receptive vocabulary by having them point to animals, places, vehicles, colors, characters, etc. as you name them. After you finish a page, or before you start reading the next page, leave a pause to allow your child to comment on what they see or what they heard. Stories also lend themselves to emotion vocabulary, conflict resolution, and theory of mind skills. Books can be used to support language development in so many ways! Pick one, a few, or all of them and get reading! Be sure to let us know your favorites!

Check out your local library to see if they have any of these books available:

·      Who's In My Family?: All About Our Families by Robie H. Harris

·      Sometimes It's Grandmas and Grandpas: Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne

·      My Friends and Me: A Celebration of Different Kinds of Families by Stephanie Stansbie

·      Fred Stays With Me! By Nancy Coffelt

·      A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O’Leary

·      Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer

·      In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco

·      Two Is Enough by Janna Matthies

·      In Every House on Every Street by Jess Hitchman

·      We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty

VOTE NOW! SLP Center is a Finalist for Family Favorites of 2022!

Thanks to your support, the Speech Language Pathology Center of Norwell is a top nominee! Please go to the following link to cast your final vote at “Boston Parent Paper’s Best”. Final voting is open until June 1st!

See the link HERE to vote!

Click "Health" then "Speech Language Therapy". You'll see SLP Center listed alphabetically! Simply click to vote. We appreciate you taking a minute out of your day to help spread the word about our commitment to families in need of therapy!

Spotlight on AAC: Meet Bobby!

We specialize in augmentative and alternative communication for a total communication approach!

Meet Bobby! Bobby is a 22-year old young man with Down syndrome. He is social, engaging, and hardworking. Bobby has a complex medical history and as a result, he’s experienced delays and difficulties across development of his speech and language skills. For the past several months, Bobby has been training with use of an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device. Bobby has shown strong emerging skills to use his device to supplement when his verbal communication is not sufficient to meet his needs. Recently, Bobby used his AAC device with the help of his mother to voice his opinion and stance at a town meeting. We are so proud of all of Bobby’s hard work! Seeing him use his device in the community to advocate for himself is exactly why we love this field! Way to go, Bobby!

Visit our Facebook page here to watch the video! If you feel as though AAC could aid you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’d love to answer your questions!

*This information was shared with permission.

Get Outside to Foster Speech & Language Development!

Now that warmer weather has finally arrived, it’s time to get outside and play! Here are a few ideas to foster speech and language skills while playing outside:

Hopscotch:

- All you need is some sidewalk chalk and a pebble or two! While drawing the hopscotch board you can practice vocabulary for colors (make each box a different color) and numbers. You can also switch it up and put letters in the boxes instead of numbers. If your child is working on speech production, you could even put words containing the sounds they’re practicing in each box instead. Then, when they hop on each word have them say it aloud to get ample practice in a fun way.

Nature walk:

- While walking outside, you can ask a variety of “wh-“ questions (e.g., What is the squirrel doing? Where is the airplane flying? Who is on the playground?, etc.). You can also practice describing things you find, such as flowers, rocks, leaves, animals, sticks, etc. Compare and contrast what you find. For example, if your child picks up a rough rock, find a smooth one so that they can feel the difference in the textures to build a better understanding of the differences.

Scavenger hunts:

- Set up a scavenger hunt in your backyard. For younger children, print out a list of things to find using pictures instead of words. They can practice labeling the pictures on the list and then finding them outside. Give them a carrier phrase to use, such as “I found…” if they’re working on expanding their utterance length or using complete sentences. For older children, or children who can read, print out a list of things for them to find or descriptions of what they need to find. This way they can practice identifying objects by features, as well as using specific vocabulary.

Spring Sensory Bins for Speech and Language!

Spring is here and so is the opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and concepts to your child!

Sensory bins are the perfect activity to motivate your child to work on their speech and language goals at home. Sensory bins help children explore and learn through a hands-on, tactile experience. While they play, there will be natural opportunities to facilitate language. Some ideas are outlined below! Visit here to see a full list of ideas with pictures!

Materials

Base: beans, lentils, sand, crinkle paper, beads, pom poms, etc.

Objects: anything spring related (e.g., eggs to hide items in, flowers, flower pots, gummy worms, bugs, butterflies, sheep, rabbits, ducklings, etc.)

Tools: hand shovels, rakes, straws, spoons, etc.

Speech and Language Connections:

-Vocabulary building for nouns: eggs, bugs, butterfly, flowers, birds, pot, shovel, rake, etc.

-Vocabulary building for verbs: open, dig, pour, push, look, see, hop, fly, smell, feel, plant, grow, etc.

-Vocabulary building for adjectives: smooth, rough, spotted, striped, soft, hard, shiny, etc.

-Understanding and using concepts: in, out, under, on top, in front, behind, same, different, colors, numbers

-Following directions: “open the egg,” “pick up the bunny and give it to me,” “show me the blue egg,” etc.

-Answering questions: Who lays eggs? What does a bunny do? Where do you find worms? When do flowers start to grow? Why do we wear a raincoats? etc.

-Practicing speech sounds: bilabials (butterfly, basket, bud, blossom, pink, puddle, more, my, me, May, etc.), velars (grow, go, can, grass, kite, etc.), consonant blends (tree, green, cloud, smell, flower, smile, sprout, etc.), /l/ words (leaf, April, daffodil, lily, puddle, baseball, etc.), /r/ words (rain, raincoat, umbrella, rainbow, garden, etc.), and so many more!

April is World Autism Month!

What is World Autism Month?

Every April, Autism Speaks celebrates World Autism Month, beginning with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Throughout the month, we focus on sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, fostering worldwide support. This year, we are committed to creating a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.

AssistiveWare's AAC App Sale 3/29 - 4/4!

“Our AAC apps are the solution used by thousands of children and adults with autism to communicate with the world. To expand access to AAC to families, individuals, and schools on a tight budget, once again we are offering our 50% discount on a number of apps and AAC learning solutions.”

Click the link below to see which apps will be included in the sale, worldwide from March 29th through April 4th. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to discuss with your clinician or call our office to inquire!

South Shore St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 20th!

Not only is the parade a fun activity for the family, but it also serves as a great, natural environment for language!

Play language games, such as I-Spy to expand utterances and build receptive (guessing based on attributes) and expressive (describing) language skills. If your child is an early language learner then you can model, model, model! Talk about what you see as it goes by, label what they point to, point and direct their attention to something they haven’t seen yet (e.g., “Look! It’s a leprechaun.”). Get your child excited about what they’re seeing and experiencing by having them interact by waving to the people in the parade, commenting (e.g., “Whoa!” “Wow!” “No way!”), dancing to music that’s playing, etc.

After the parade, for preschool children and older, recap who and what you saw to support narrative skills. You can support expanding your child’s narrative by retelling the experience with them (e.g., “After the giant clover we saw…”).

Enjoy the spring weather and help those language skills bloom!

PRC Saltillo's LAMP AAC App Sale 4/1 - 4/7!

“In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, we’re putting our industry-leading LAMP Words for Life® iOS app on sale again! Purchase the app for 50% OFF from April 1 - 7, 2022.”

A Summer Camp For Kids Who Stutter! August 2022

“Camp Words Unspoken is a fun-filled experience for youths and teens who stutter to come together, to create memories and to foster friendships that can last a lifetime!”

Who: Ages 8-18 welcome

When: August 19-24, 2022

Where: Camp Winadu, Pittsfield, MA

Suggested Cost: $600

Registration and contact information at the link below!