Communication Matters

If you are having difficulty understanding your child, you might want to consider a speech-language evaluation. An evaluation is a normal step to pursue when parents or caregivers suspect difficulty with communication.

Ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) - a professional who diagnoses speech and language difficulties. An evaluation will include the following:

Tags: Speech, Communication, Voice, toddler, talking

Early in infancy, you will see signs that indicate that your child is hearing, listening, and understanding what is going on around him/her. Your child is learning language long before he/she produces that first word.

There is a typical progression to language development. Initially, your child will turn to find sounds, follow with his/her eyes when something moves in their view, look at what you are looking at (joint attention). All of these skills are part of language development. Later, your child will respond by pointing or may get your attention by touching you or vocalizing.

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, Voice, toddler, talking

Aphasia is a language disorder resulting from an injury to the brain, such as a stroke or head trauma. Aphasia involves varying degrees of communication difficulties in these areas:

Spoken Language Comprehension - otherwise known as “Receptive Language” or “Auditory Comprehension.”

Symptoms may include:

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, Support, Stroke, Brain Injury, talking

Everyone uses their vision to support their hearing. For example, if we see lightning, we know there will be thunder, or if we see something fall, we know it will make a sound. Even without sound, we can watch a football game and often “see” what an unhappy coach is saying to a player who fumbled the ball.

Tags: Communication, Hearing, Hearing Loss, "ears"

There aren’t any magic tricks that we can use to prevent all tantrums, but there are some tips to help avoid some of the outbursts that may be happening more regularly.

First, make sure that your child is getting enough sleep, has a healthy diet, and has lots of time to run and play every day. Look at the big picture, and from there start to identify if there are triggers that will set-off a tantrum.

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, Voice, toddler, talking, tantrum

Playing with your child is a essential way to improve his/her speech, language, and social skills! Below are five different toys and ways to play with your child to encourage language growth and development:

Mr./Mrs. Potato Head:

• Following Directions: Ask your child to give you various parts. If this is too simple, ask him/her in a more complex way. For example, instead of asking for Mr./Mrs. Potato Head's shoes, say "the ones you put on your feet.” Sometimes this works best after the child has built Mr./Mrs. Potato Head and is asked to follow the directions of placing each part back into the box.

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, Support, Learning, Voice, toddler, talking

Did you know…

• An estimated 40 million Americans experience speech, language, and/or hearing disorders.
• The second most common reason for special education services in public schools is speech/language impairment.
• 36 million American adults report so

Tags: Speech, Hearing Aid, Audiology, Language, Hearing Aids, Communication, Hearing, reading, literacy, Hearing Loss Prevention, Teens, Support, Caregiving, Hearing Loss, Stuttering, Learning, Voice, toddler, talking, Autism

Teaching your infant Baby Sign Language can help improve his or her communication skills. This is particularly appealing for new parents, given that there’s a gap between what babies and toddlers want to say and what they can verbally express.  

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, American Sign Language, ASL, Learning, Voice, toddler, talking

What is a stroke?

Tags: Speech, Language, Communication, Stroke, Learning, Voice, talking

1. “Huh? What Did You Say?”
   As parents, we all know that hearing and LISTENING are not the same. But, if it seems your child is experiencing hearing issues, even when it appears he/she is listening well, you should ask your child’s physician for an in-office hearing test or referral.

2. Failed School Screening
   School-aged children routinely have vision and hearing screenings conducted at school. Generally, parents are NOT notified unless there is a concern. If you receive a notice from your child’s school that he/she did not pass the hearing screening, please follow-up as the notice recommends. 

3. Teacher’s Report— Part I
   Let’s face it, teachers spend A LOT of time with our children and are likely the first to notice if your child is experiencing hearing issues. Though, at times, it can be difficult to separate attention/focus from actual hearing ability, if your child’s teacher shares a concern, you should have it checked out. 

4. Teacher’s Report— Part II
   Have you noticed a sudden drop in your child’s grades? Listening can be a tiring task when struggling with hearing. It can be easy for your child to “tune out” the teacher’s lessons, which can then impact his/her grades.  

5. “Why Is That Television So LOUD?”
   Many kids like to raise the volume of the television. For some shows, like cartoons, it can make them seem more exciting and fun, but it could also be a sign that your child is experiencing hearing issues. If your child insists that he/she cannot hear the television at a level that you believe is typical, consider getting your child’s hearing tested. 

6. “Inside Voice, Please!”
   Some hearing problems interfere with our ability to monitor the volume of our own voice. If your child seems to be talking either too loudly (or too softly), consider having his/her hearing checked. 

7. Recent Upper Respiratory Infection, Colds, Allergies, Flu
   Anything that causes swelling in the back of the nose/throat area can cause secondary problems with middle ear health and hearing. Even if there is no fever or pain, your child could still have trouble hearing. If your child recently had a bad cold and, a couple of weeks later, seems to not be hearing well, have it checked.   

8. “I’m Hearing a Funny Sound!”
   If a child reports any unusual noises in their head or ears (a ringing, rushing, roaring, beeping, hissing, etc.), particularly after being exposed to loud sound, have his/her hearing checked. 

9. Eagle Eyes
   Children are marvelously adaptable to using what senses they can to figure out what’s going on and communicate! If you notice that your child seems unusually attentive to visual information and watching the faces of people speaking, have his/her hearing checked. 

10. “I Thought You Said…”
    Does your child seem to mishear or misunderstand what was said? Some hearing problems are subtle and can interfere with hearing certain speech sounds. If this is happening, consider a hearing test.

Tags: Communication, Hearing, Teens, Hearing Loss