Speech Development and Face Masks

Many countries throughout the world have created face mask mandates since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in the US, many states have had or currently have face mask requirements for people over the age of two. Many children and adults have become accustomed to the practice of wearing a face mask over the

Closing the Gap

As a school based clinician, I see children of all ages and abilities. On one end of the spectrum I have toddlers entering preschool. On the other side are middle school students preparing to enter high school. By far, the most challenging aspect of my job is telling parents that their child has a speech

Too Much Screen Time?

Technology has rapidly advanced over the last 10 years. Cell Phones are better, televisions are bigger; screens permeate almost every area of life. Given the pandemic that overtook the year 2020, virtual schooling became the new ‘norm’. Some students have only received remote instruction for over a year, sitting in front of screens to complete

Early Signs of Autism

The flowers are starting to pop up from beneath the mulch, birds are singing, and the days grow warmer each week. Nature is once again blossoming, bringing the promise of new life along with it.  lately I have been leaving the screen door open and peering out to watch daffodils spout in my front yard.

Question and Answer- Cultivate Conversational Turn Taking Skills In Your Toddler

Do you ever feel like you are talking to a brick wall? As parents, we often feel like the things we tell our children go in one ear and out the other. “Look here, look at mommy!”  “What do you want to eat?”is something I said repetitively this weekend when talking with my daughter. What

How Music Supports Early Language Acquisition

If you were a fly on the wall in my home, you would be listening to music all day long. As I clean dishes and do laundry I have spotify playing as background noise. My daughter dances along and asks for ‘more’ each time a song ends. The benefits of music go deeper than what

The Story of My life

Wake up. Shower, Make breakfast. Pack lunches. Take my daughter to school. Go home, make dinner. After dinner I fold laundry, wipe down countertops, and jump on a zoom call to chat with friends. This is the story of my life… or at least, I think of it that way. From my eyes it seems

The Benefits of Parallel Play

Parents know their children best. Mommas, you know what toys your kids like to play with, what foods they eat, and what sends them into a tantrum. While we are armed with the knowledge of our children, activities to help their development may elude us. Whether it be lack of time, knowledge, or resources, parents

The Power of a Choice

At the ripe age of one, my daughter knows what she wants and when she wants it. When I ask my friends where she gets her strong willed personality they laugh! Like mother, like daughter. Children know what they want from a young age. When those desires go unmet or are not understood, many tears

Going beyond the Label

Welcome back, Mommas! My daughter is 19 months old tomorrow and I cannot believe how fast time has gone. Not only is she getting big, but her language is growing by leaps and bounds. The other day L pointed to the picture and said “fish!” I didn’t even know she knew what a fish was.