Oohs, ahs & a healthy dose of joint attention

As you walk, stroll, or sit outside with your infant, let your inner thoughts flow loudly with “ahhh”, “oooohhh”, and “ohhhhhhh”. As your little one coos along, or older infants take turns oohing and ahhhing, give lots of eye contact, smiles, and guide baby’s gaze to the sights by pointing and showing.

The wonder of flying leaves

As the leaves start to fall, the mighty piles will surely be fun for baby. Exclamations of “whee!” are practically automatic as parents toss armfuls into the air. Back and forth giggles, exclamations and vocalizations are fabulous for conversational play, sound play, and developing joint attention.

Follow your baby’s lead too…imitate the sounds that they babble. Babies will delight in a back-and-forth game of googly talk, especially when you respond to their inititations.

Ready….set….Go!

Speech-language pathologists love routines. Repetitive routines that might drive non S-LP adults straight to boredom. We love repetitive routines because babies and children love them too. Routines are predictable, safe, and super fun for children, especially when they have an element of surprise or anticipation. Think of Peek-A-Boo, Row Row Row Your Boat, and the best of all: Ready, Set, Go!

Some fun games with Fall leaves that come to mind include:
• Toss the Leaves
• Make a nest
• Ticklefest!
• Roll in the leaves
• Pass the leaves
• Dump the leaves (after collecting them in a bucket)
• Hide the __ (pick a ball or other favourite toy to hide and find in a pile of leaves)

Hoping you enjoy the beauty of Fall, bond with baby, and have fun with your baby’s earliest sounds and words over the next few months.

Talk soon,

Julie

The post Where developing speech meets nature appeared first on Stillwater Speech Therapy.

What is a transition?

Transition is change. Change is hard, even when we want the change to happen. For individuals with communication disorders, change can be:
• hard to understand
• hard to predict and prepare for
• accompanied by rushing or its opposite, long periods of W….A….I….T….I….N….G
• controlled by others in a bossy or commanding kind of way
With that list of descriptors, it is no wonder transition puts us at risk for challenging behaviour…

Why does challenging behaviour creep in when we transition?

The answer is not simple – there is a long list of factors that interfere with smooth transitions. Some of the most common ones are:
• the instructions about an upcoming transition were not clear and therefore the loved one is confused
• the loved one is not ready for, or motivated, to transition away from what he/she is currently doing
• there are too many transitions taking place in the day
• the loved one is feeling disempowered to make decisions and choices

What can be done to improve transitions?

Fortunately there are many helpful strategies that improve transition time:
• Plan and prepare: be sure to give advance notice with a clear instruction of what is going to happen (use a timer with an alarm to notify when it is time to tidy up)
• Use transitional objects to help communicate the change (e.g., give your loved one the car keys to hold as you head out to the car; give your loved one the grocery list to put in their pocket before leaving the house; have your loved one help pack the bag and put it by the door)
• Use a visual schedule – there is a fabulous list of resources compiled by CMAS about creating visual schedules if you need some help!
• Create motivation – if your loved one has a favourite song or artist, adjust your instructions to highlight that motivator (e.g., “__ is in the car! It’s time to go listen to __ in the car”)
• Review your schedule for the day and be critical by asking: Are there too many transitions? What can I do to reduce the number of transitions today?

If you are having difficulty communicating transitions to your loved one, seek out advice and suggestions from your speech-language pathologist. Caregiver associations can also be a wealth of resources and help to improve transitions for you and your family. Check out Caregivers Nova Scotia, or your local caregivers group for assistance and guidance.

Talk soon,
Julie

The post Transitions appeared first on Stillwater Speech Therapy.

An appropriate question, I thought, for Funformation Friday.

At Stillwater Speech Therapy, we draw wisdom from others. How does that saying go? Something along the lines of ‘smart people learn from their mistakes, while wise people learn from the mistakes of others’. Well, if we draw wisdom from others (and we do!), we most definitely draw inspiration from others as well.

One of the most inspiring groups to come my way has been the East Coast Momma Collective, courtesy of a fellow speech-language pathologist, (thank you Sarah Dhooge!). The Mommas in the ECMC are creative, talented, skillful, and brimming with inspiration for women like me…who lack in creative skill (despite desperately wishing to be more creative)…and who also lack in artistic skill (but honestly do not devote the necessary time needed to hone those artistic skills). So, what is a non-artistic speech pathologist to do? Bring the ECMC into the office, of course! What could be more inspiring?

The Beauty of Art

Our name, Stillwater Speech Therapy, is near and dear to my heart. To me, it signifies calmness, reassurance, safety, and nature/new beginnings. Which is why I was thrilled to obtain a tree painting from Jessica Duffy, of Naptime Designs, to grace our walls. It has a Wow! factor and is admired by all who walk through our door. Our tree is a fabulous conversation starter, and it represents something different to everyone…to me it symbolizes growth, endurance, resilience, and endless possibility.

The Element of Surprise

Our clients work hard and practice hard…because we ALWAYS send a home program after each session. For our youngest clients, homework can be…well, challenging. To provide a little inspiration, we have super cute and super FUN homework bags that go back and forth between home and the office, as we trade out the old and familiar, for new and inspiring homework materials. Many thanks to Jeanette Smith of Stamp*Stitch*Create for helping make homework and practice that much more inspiring and meaningful for the little ones.

Friendly Competition (and a score card!)

Last, but certainly not least…I have to give props to Jen Connors, of Blue Frog Creations. We have THE BEST beanbag toss games in our office, and beanbags are hands down, a top requested item. That is no small compliment, because we have A LOT of toys. Many a game has been created because of those beanbags. They are a great motivator, and have made speech therapy “AWESOME”, “THE BEST”, and “FUN” (from the mouths of cool kids).

A Personalized Touch for Continued Success

These are just a sample of individualized and hand-crafted items, locally made in Atlantic Canada, that inspire. Whether our clients and families take a moment to pause & reflect, practice a little bit more, or persevere & participate with an extra douse of enthusiasm, inspiration from the work of others is a constant variable. Many thanks, to the ECMC mommas, for continuing to inspire us and our clients.

Talk soon,
Julie

The post Inspiration from our Local Community appeared first on Stillwater Speech Therapy.

Stillwater Speech Therapy is taking a plunge into unfamiliar waters…blogging!

Our purpose is to inform, support, encourage, and inspire. We hope you benefit and invite you to share your questions and comments.

Inform

We have a deep knowledge about communication disorders (maybe more than you would need to know!). Chances are, if you are reading a blog about speech-language pathology, you want information on what the science of communication disorders knows about prevention, intervention, and recovery. We can deliver, and will share from credible and reliable sources, while throwing in some ‘funformation’ along the way! Watch out for fun facts on ‘Funformation Fridays’.

Support

We are passionate about the interests of individuals living with (and those who support loved ones with) communication disorders. ‘Supportive Sundays’ will focus on connecting you with resources. These may range from organizations, activity ideas, to the latest trends.

Encourage

To our colleagues, clients, and aspiring clinicians, we strive to fuel hope and confidence in what speech-language pathology can do for you. Speech-language pathology is our passion, and we encourage you to take in ‘Tell-all- Tuesdays’ with tales of triumph and achievement.

Inspire

Whether we succeed in giving you an idea, influence you to act, or simply provoke a reaction, thank you for stopping by. We look forward to building our blog as a hub you can access for support, information, and encouragement. Whether it be through Supportive Sundays, Tell-all-Tuesdays, or Funformation Fridays, hope to see you soon!

Cheers!
Julie

The post Story Stones appeared first on Stillwater Speech Therapy.