High Point Speech Therapy

Is it SPEECH or LANGUAGE?!
There really is a big difference! Most of the time parents and non SLP professionals will say “speech delay” when really they mean “language delay” - personally, I think it’s helpful to acknowledge and speak in a way that is easily understood by the general population - while also explaining the difference. It’s key that everyone knows having a form of communication - or language- is the most important goal. You CAN have a form of language without speech - sign language, written language, and AAC!

Great ways to model speech and language during meals for your littles!

Love this visual by slp

So often parents ask me when they should be concerned about language development- and lots of times they are surprised by my answer because information online is SO confusing! Parents (AND yes, pediatricians) see milestones and often think “oh he’s almost there, he’s not that far off- we can just wait and see” - when really not meeting milestones is usually a good reason to get an evaluation. Because milestones and what the average child can do are NOT THE SAME THING. Not meeting milestones doesn’t necessarily mean a child will need speech therapy, but it DOES mean someone should be evaluating to determine a course of action. Can SLPs recommend waiting? ABSOLUTELY- because unlike pediatricians, we are specifically trained in this area and we know to look not only at milestones as compared to averages- but also how kids use communication skills, which is key! The range of typical is huge- but we definitely want to be giving intervention as early as we can to decrease the gap sooner and set kids up for success!

But WHICH is best? Check out my stories today to learn why there is only one kind that’s safe for your ! Wondering how to pitch it? YouTube video on that here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6D5bRyG2F4&t=25s 😉

melaniepotock

This one always amazes me!!

Homeschooling got you down? Here are some resources to mix it up. These websites have safe, fun, and educational games for kids to enjoy:

www.vooks.com (1 month free) - animated kids stories
www.toytheater.com - free educational games
www.pinkcatgames.com - free educational games
www.poki.com - free games (including online board and card games, in case you're tired of the same old games at your house!)

Also, you can find just about any kids song or book on YouTube. I like songs from Cocomelon and Super Simple Songs for the littles I see in therapy. Just be sure to supervise any YouTube viewing!

Vooks — Storybooks Brought to Life A streaming library of animated children's storybooks. No ads or in-app purchases. Start your free trial today!

If you have concerns about your child's speech, here is some helpful information from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Apraxia of Speech - Leader Live — Happening now in the speech-language-hearing world I was a practicing speech-language pathologist for five years before my daughter was born. I worked primarily at the elementary and middle-school levels. I took professional development workshops on childhood…