Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is rapidly approaching! We have compiled a list of some of our favorite toys and games for children of all ages, including children who have speech/language disorders!  Here are just a few of our favorites toys and some ideas for using them to promote language development!

Please feel free to share these posts with your friends and family!

 

 

  1.  Farm toys and animals are great for working on so many things!  Here is a list of just a few great ways to model and promote good language skills while playing with these toys.

-imitation of animal sounds

-labeling animal names

-receptively and expressively labeling concept words – in, on, under, next to etc…

-teaching actions sounds (eat, sleep, jump, climb, etc..)

-pretend play

2.  Car and truck toys

So many kids are highly motivated by cars and trucks, which makes them great toys for promoting language.

-environmental sound imitation (beep beep, vroom, crash!)

-labeling colors of cars

-simple fill-in phrases “ready, set, go!”, “on your mark, get set, go!”

-following simple directions

3.  Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head provides hours of fun for kids!

-labeling body parts

-identifying colors

-following directions

-pretend play

4.  Blocks

Blocks are great for kids of all ages!

-pretend play

-using spatial concept words (on, under, next to, etc…)

-modeling early developing words (up, go, more,..)

-requesting by color

-turn taking while building

5.  Board Games

Board games are an awesome way to engage and work on language with a child!  If a child has specific language or speech targets, you can work on them in between turns and use the game as a motivator.  Some of our favorites include: Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Candyland, Pop the Pig and Zingo.

Other ways games are great include:

-turn taking

-color identification

-working on waiting

-counting/keeping score

-sportsmanship

 

These are just a few of the toys that we love and recommend if you’re looking for games to help promote speech and language skills!

We are moving!

Golden Speech Therapy is very happy to announce that we are moving to a new location!  Beginning on January 2, 2018 we will be open at our new office at:

27 Robert J. Way, Suite 4

Plymouth, MA 02360 

We will be closed the week of 12/25/17-12/29/17 while we  move.

If you are a current client and you have questions about the schedule during our move, please feel free to reach out and ask!

If you would like to inquire about our services or to set up a new-client appointment please call us today at 781-603-8529.

 

Thank you!

 

Welcome to Micayla!

Micayla has been working with us for a little while now but we are excited to announce she will be taking on additional clients this summer!  Welcome to Micayla!

Micayla Bowman, M.A., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist who has been practicing since 2014.  She obtained an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders and a graduate degree in speech-language pathology from UMass Amherst.  Micayla holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), is licensed to practice in the state of Massachusetts and holds her teaching license from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.

Through her school and work experiences, Micayla has worked in a variety of settings including early intervention and all school-ages.  Micayla also has extensive experience working with children with Autism in both individual and group settings.

In her spare time, Micayla enjoys practicing and teaching yoga and gardening.

4 Reasons you should choose a licensed speech-language pathologist to see YOUR child!

4 Reasons you should choose a licensed speech-language pathologist to see YOUR child!

  1. We are specially trained. All speech-language pathologists hold a masters degree, which means we have completed years of extra schooling specifically in communication disorders. This means we are uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat a variety of communication disorders.
  2. In addition to our schooling, we also completed over 1,000 hours of therapy time under an already licensed SLP before we could practice on our own. This means we enter the field with a lot of great experiences under our belts!
  3. We are required to be licensed by our state to practice and most of us are also credentialed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This means we are held to high standards in our knowledge, practice and ethics.
  4. We are required to complete several hours of continuing education every year in order to keep our license and certification. This allows us to keep our knowledge and skills fresh!

If your child is receiving speech therapy, ask the right questions so you have the most qualified person helping them succeed!

 

Early Childhood Fair

What: Early Childhood Fair

When: Saturday March 4, 2017 from 10:00am -12:00am

Where: Kingston Elementary School

 

Please join us at the Early Childhood Fair sponsored by The South Shore Family Network!

Admission is free!  Several local organizations will host booths with activities for children and each booth will also have a raffle item (raffle tickets are free and are provided to you at the door).

Also scheduled:

10:30-11:00 Big Ryan’s Tall Tales

11:00-12:00 Fire Department Touch A Truck

10:15-11:30 School Bus Rides

We really hope to see you all there!

5 Tips for Halloween for children with communication disorders

happy-halloween Halloween is right around the corner and the excitement level is rising!  Trick-or-Treating is a rite of passage for most children as they grow up.  But, if your child has a communication disorder, it might be a cause of anxiety for him or her.  Here are 5 tips to help make Halloween and Trick-or-Treating less stressful for your child with a communication disorder!

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  1.  If your child needs help understanding what trick-or-treating is all about, create a social story or read books about Halloween as the night approaches.  This will allow your child to become familiar with the trick-or-treating routine and with Halloween-related vocabulary and phrases!
  2. If your child has a speech sound disorder and has trouble saying “trick-or-treat” clearly, practice this phrase ahead of time to see if he/she can get a close approximation.  If not, come up with your own unique phrase to use instead of “trick-or-treat!”
  3. If your child has complex communication needs and uses alternative methods of communication, add some Halloween related phrases to his/her communication system!  “trick-or-treat!” “Happy Halloween!” “boo!” or even a cute Halloween joke! “How do you make a Witch itch?”  “You take away the w!”                                                   boardmaker
  4. Help your child really prepare for trick-or-treating by practicing!  Let your child practice knocking on the door and saying trick-or-treat and thank you!
  5. If Trick-or Treating is too much for your child, consider staying home with him/her and handing out candy instead.  This still allows your child to be a part of the Halloween fun without being overwhelmed by everything that comes with trick-or-treating.

 

We hope these tips help your child prepare for and enjoy Halloween!

Saturday Therapy

Does your child need speech therapy but your weekdays are just too busy?  Golden Speech Therapy is now offering appointments on Saturday mornings!  Call today for more information! 781-603-8529.

 

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Summer Speech Therapy

Now enrolling!

Call today for more information!

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5 things you can do to stimulate language development in your newborn!

I recently gave birth to my second child and it has given me the opportunity to relive the stages of language development first hand!  I remember when my daughter was born it was so nice to be able to see all the milestones I had read about in my speech/language development classes and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to experience it again.

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Here are 5 things you can do starting at BIRTH to help promote speech/language development in your child!

  1. Use Motherese – Motherese is language that is simple, repetitive, rhythmic and often spoken in a high pitch and at a slower rate.  We often use motherese instinctively when we use “baby talk” with our children.
  2. Watch for your child’s early communication milestones – even right at birth we can start to notice our babies trying to communicate.  Crying, cooing, smiling and eye contact are all part of the early states of communication.  Watch for these milestones so you can start to learn what your baby is trying to tell you.
  3. Talk to your baby – it may seem silly to talk to someone who can’t talk back.  However, your child is hearing and learning language right from the start! Don’t be afraid to talk through your day and “narrate” what you’re doing for your baby.
  4. Respond to your child’s communication attempts – if your baby says “coo” and “goo” to you, say “coo” and “goo” back!  When your baby hears you respond it will encourage more “talking” and will let your baby know he is being heard!
  5. Sing! – It’s time to break out all of those repetitive children’s songs you remember from when you were little.  The Itsy Bitsy Spider, If You’re Happy and You Know it, etc..  These simple and engaging songs will draw your child in and promote language through song.
  6. Get silly! – Don’t be afraid to let lose.  Make noises, sing songs, make silly faces – these things will draw your baby to watch you and your face and will promote communication.

I hope these tips help you think about ways to engage with your infant and promote speech/language development starting at birth!

Free Screenings!

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Summer is quickly coming to an end, but there is still time to do something about your child’s speech/language skills!  If you are concerned about your child’s speech/language development, call Golden Speech Therapy to schedule a screening.

We are offering FREE screenings (by appointment) at our office in Plymouth.

Appointments are currently being scheduled for August and September.

Call today to reserve your spot! 781-603-8529