To get young children talking, we often motivate them by showing that “using your words” can get you what you want. A simple way to achieve this is through “People Play”. People Play describes “songs, games and activities in which the fun happens when the child interacts with another person” (The Hanen Program, More Than Words). So grab a blanket or a couch cushion and enjoy some of these great ways to play and interact that will also motivate your child to request more fun! The one-word language suggestions can always be lengthened into phrases or sentences depending on your child’s expressive language level.
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Tags:
Speech,
Language,
Communication,
Learning,
toddler,
talking
With the COVID-19 global pandemic and the suggested (and at times required) use of face masks, people with hearing loss are limited in their ability to use their vision to support their hearing and communication.
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Tags:
Hearing Aid,
Audiology,
Communication,
Hearing,
Hearing Loss Prevention,
Hard of Hearing,
Hearing Loss,
"ears",
Face masks
Imagine: A child comes home from cheering for their favorite team at a high school game, and their voice sounds raspy. The next day when they wake up, their voice is gone completely and they can barely speak at all. Sound familiar? Maybe a similar occurrence has happened to you, except it was when you woke up with a bad head cold. This is something we commonly hear people refer to as “losing my voice.” What people think of as “losing their voice” can range from a hoarse, raspy voice to no voice at all. Have you ever wondered what exactly happens to our body to cause this to happen?
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Tags:
Speech,
Language,
Communication,
Voice,
talking
Everyday activities can be opportunities to expand learning – particularly for speech and language. Here are seven easy, familiar options you can do at home with your child that offer speech and language cues. Encourage the child to repeat words or anticipate the next word or sentence. For example, after we put on our socks, what comes next? Shoes.
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Tags:
Speech,
Language,
Communication,
Learning,
toddler,
talking
Very often, spouses and life-partners will suggest that their loved one has “selective” hearing – a self-made term indicating that they can hear perfectly fine most of the time, but tend not to hear their partner speaking. Is it simply a matter of “tuning out” – or could it be something else?
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Tags:
Hearing Aid,
Hearing Aids,
Communication,
Hearing,
Hearing Loss Prevention,
Support,
Hard of Hearing,
Hearing Loss
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) is a sudden, unexplained, change in hearing that happens all at once or over a period of a few days and often affects only one ear.
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After a stroke, the main focus for the patient, their family, friends, physicians, therapists and other health care professionals is often on their physical aspects. How far can the patient walk? Can the patient still get dressed with the use of just one hand? Can the patient safely swallow food and liquid without coughing or choking? Will the patient need to use oxygen after discharge to home? These are all issues that are visible and obvious.
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Tags:
Communication,
Support,
Stroke,
Caregiving,
Brain Injury
National Deaf History Month is celebrated from March 15 – April 15. It recognizes contributions of deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) people, as well as highlighting the various forms of communication chosen by deaf and HoH individuals – including American Sign Language (ASL). For example – did you know that the football huddle we use today was first started at a college for the deaf in the 1890s so the players could keep their ASL signing hidden from the opposing team?
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Tags:
Communication,
Deaf,
Hard of Hearing,
Interpreting,
ASL Interpreter
Selective mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s lack of verbal communication in select social environments, such as school. Children with selective mutism possess the ability to speak, but are selective of the settings in which they choose to speak. They will often speak in environments where they feel safe, relaxed, and calm with familiar people such as parents or siblings, but will choose not to speak in environments where they are less comfortable. A common misconception is that selective mutism is a form of autism. Children with selective mutism may demonstrate lack of appropriate social language use that mimics those on the autism spectrum, but selective mutism is not indicative of autism.
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Tags:
Speech,
Language,
Communication,
Stuttering,
Learning,
Voice,
talking
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