Speech Therapy Group

We have been going to a small speech group once a week for about 9 months (could be longer). I love it! It's Hazel and another little girl. I thought that the group was small at first but the dynamic is perfect. Hazel is very difficult to convince that she should do what we want her to do. It's still often a struggle to get her to sit and focus on one activity for any length of time. She really is a 2 year old. I like that the session encourages interaction between the 2 girls.

DISCLAIMER: I hesitate to give advice on therapy. Every child is different and learns in different ways. I am NOT a SLP (Speech & Language Pathologist). All of this is MY OPINION. I do not claim to be a professional, nor do I know what is best for your children. I know that this works for Hazel and only Hazel. However, I offer this information as a suggestion or an idea that you may want to approach your SLP about. It may work for others, like it works for Hazel. Please seek the advice of a qualified therapist to see if this idea may work for you.

3 reasons why I love our small speech group:

 

1. Teaches Effective Communication Skills

Teaches turn taking, simple exchanges and eye-contact. In the one-on-one sessions, Hazel's attention span was extremely short and she would lose focus and interest quickly. If it's not her idea, it's not a good idea. Oh...Hazel...sigh. She knows what she likes and she like to be free and not to be told what to do (If only I knew where she got it from?)

Sometimes our only saving grace is that she wants the therapist to see her and notice her so she is always trying to repeat her words or actions to get her attention. When she ignores Hazel and works with the other child, Hazel will be repeating what she is doing/saying.

2. Social Interaction

The 2 girls are often in an exchanges with each other. The are taking turns with the activity the therapist presents. They hold each others hands and sing songs. They take turns doing more physical activities (like going down a slide). Overall, it walks them through a solid model for effective communication. They are learning how to play together.

3. Focus on Individual Needs

Having only the 2 girls works out well. They are both at different levels of speech and they push each other to grow and learn. Hazel does not do well in unstructured, crowded places. For her, 1 other little girl is plenty enough to pay attention to (and that is often a challenge). I find that the Speech Path has enough time to address each child's needs. She can tailor activities to pull on each of the girls strengths. She can spend time working with them one-on-one to encourage better speech practices.

Hope this helps someone out there!!! As a teacher I am thrilled with the dynamic of the group. The kids get all the attention they need in such a small group.

As usual, you are welcomed and encouraged to share any of the activities that you do to promote language development with your little ones! Leave a comment!!

Down Syndrome - Our Top 10 Therapy Toys/Tools

I have always been interested to hear what types of therapy activities parents are doing with their kids with Down syndrome. There is such a vast array of options out there and I love to learn and experiment with Hazel. I like to have ideas to discuss with her PT (physiotherapist), OT (occupational therapist) and SLP (speech and language pathologist). One thing I have learned raising a child with special needs is that it truly does take a village. This post was inspired by my love for learning new activities to try and help my girl reach her full potential. I'm hoping this gives you some ideas to bring to your next therapy session to find out if these activities might work for your children.

Please feel free to share your ideas and activities in the comments of this post. I would love to hear from you.

 

1. Big Ol' Piece of Foam (PT & OT)

A piece of very firm foam that's about 2 feet x 2.5 feet. We used this for almost everything (kneeling, sitting, weight baring on arms, reaching, playing and standing). I know this could be tricky to get but ask around I am sure you will find it somewhere.

2. Mirror (PT & Speech)

We used this to encourage Hazel to sit, balance, reach, and TALK TALK TALK. She loves looking at herself and hearing her voice.

3. Baby Signing Time (Speech)

These DVDs are great for introducing common signs to your toddler. I find that as long as I use them in her day-to-day routines she learns them in context. They are an excellent tool to teach me the signs so I can use them to communicate with her.

4. Flap Books (OT & Speech)

5. Large Peg Puzzles (OT)

6. Pegs (OT)

7. Blocks (OT)

Stacking anything is the idea. It doesn't have to be blocks but this is what we use. We also use nesting cups, books etc.

8. Piggy Bank (OT)

Anything that has a slot and something to put into the slot is a winner here.

9. Push Toy (PT)

We used this toy for the longest time. We started with reaching, then kneeling, then standing, then walking. It really is a great investment.

10. Exercise Gym (PT)

We used this for standing and shifting weight on each leg. Then we used it to get her to cruise around the outside when she was bigger. Also, we used it for pulling to stand. We used this toy for a long time so I think it's definitely worth the investment.

So these are 10 of our favourite tools to use in therapy. To read more about what else we do check out my older posts here.

Also, don't forget to take a second to share your ideas or activities that you do with your children in the comments of this post. Also, feel free to ask any questions you may have!

Wishing you all success in your current and future therapy ventures!

3 Speech Therapy Activities - Down Syndrome

One of the therapies we do with Hazel is Speech Therapy. Sometimes children with Down syndrome experience challenges with their speech development. In order for us to help Hazel to be prepared to face these challenges, early intervention with speech therapy has been our biggest tool. 

Down syndrome aside, I think that it is important to talk to your kids as much as possible, especially during daytime routines. Repetition and being able to anticipate routines helps kids to understand what is about to happen and eventually comprehend the language being spoken. We talk to Hazel constantly. I feel like a sports announcer at home a lot of the time. Announcing every activity before we do it.

A couple of examples…

• “Let’s go and eat Hazel. Are you hungry?” She signs, “eat” or says “mmmmmmmm” (or both)

• “Would you like to read a book?” She signs and says, “book”

• “Would you like to get up?” She says “up”

I really just try talking to my girl all the time and exposing her to the language so that she can start to understand and try to imitate. It's no different than what most of you do in your homes.

 

1. Imitation

When we started this, I tried to get her to imitate as many sounds as possible. Examples would be, “ma ma”, “bah bah”, “na na”, “ta ta” and so on through the alphabet. She tried her best to repeat after me and I would clap and tell her she was a good girl no mater what sound came out of her mouth. As long as she tried I was happy.

We also worked on attaching a meaning to that sound. Some examples:

• Bah - Bye Bye
• Baa – Bubbles
• Na Na – Nonna or Nana
• All Dah – All done

We still work on imitation, but now I try to get her to repeat full words. She tries and I clap and make a huge deal. It really is quite the production. The more I repeat, the more she tries to say it back. I also try to sync it to signs whenever possible.

2. Reading

Read. Read. Read. All day, every day.

I feel like I read the same books over and over and OVER. Hazel has definitely decided which ones are her favourite and she will sit all day and listen. Now she is starting to make sounds that she remembers as we go. She sits and reads books to herself ALL DAY. Turning the pages and pointing to pictures and words. I ADORE watching her.

For example:

• We do alphabet sounds with some books, and I try to get her to repeat.
• While we are reading books we practice animal sounds.
• I try and get her to point to different things on the page (Where’s the ball? Where’s the pool? Etc.)

3. Singing songs and signing along

This is by far Hazel’s absolute favourite thing to do. I sing just about any song I can think of and just make up signs to it. Anything will do as long as I am consistent. While I sing I pause for a moment to let her try and show me what's next. In the beginning it really helped her to focus and try to come up with the next action. She knows so many now and loves it. It is really adorable to watch too!!!

Some examples of songs are:

• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Wheels on the Bus
• Five Little Ducks
• Row Row Row Your Boat
• Twinkle Twinkle

She knows each song so well now she's trying to sing along. Also, she is able to communicate to me which song she wants me to sing to her. This really has been a great speech tool, in that she has learned to communicate and sign along. Try it with your kids, it's the cutest!!!

Small Disclaimer: I just want to remind everyone again that these activities were given to Hazel, for Hazel, by her Speech Therapist. If you would like to try any of these at home with your babes, please ask someone in your local community for support and advice on what will work best for your children.