Best Board Games for Speech Therapy
Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land are classic board games that probably bring us all back to our childhood’s, but are there board games to teach kids important skills like language and abstract thinking? Sherry Artemenko, M.S., CCC-SLP recently posted a blog about her favorite and most effective games to play in therapy sessions.
Her top pick is Buzz Blast by Discovery Bay Games. The game consists of players taking turns in four different challenges. The challenges include spotting differences between two pictures, coming up with an answer to a tricky question, completing a silly sentence and blurting out a tongue twister, but the player has to move fast before the timer runs out! Artemenko says Buzz Blast helps develop critical language skills such as categories, association, similarities and differences and abstract thinking.
Another one of her favorite games to play is I Built It! Memory Match + Tic Tac Toe by I Build It! Games. This is a fun version of the classic memory match and Tic Tac Toe games where you can create your own customized game pieces with photos, drawings and stickers. You can even download free drawings like 3-D shapes and numbers from their website. There are many concepts kids can take away from this game including vocabulary, concepts, emotions and facial expressions, opposites, sounds for articulation practice and word-finding.
The therapists at our clinic enjoy a variety of games including Headbandz, which involves wearing a headband with a picture on it then guessing what the picture is and helps children with language skills, as well as Zingo, which is a snazzy version of classic bingo.
Adele Triumphs Vocal Cord Surgery
British singer-songwriter, Adele had a big night last Sunday at the Grammy Awards show. The sultry singer is known for her heartfelt lyrics and powerhouse voice, and she took home six Grammy’s including best song, record and album of the year.
Adele’s biggest feat of the night was perhaps her performance of her hit “Rolling in the Deep,” which was her first performance since having vocal cord surgery. Last November the singer had to cancel several tour dates due to having the surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal cord. According to an article posted by CBS News, polyps occur on vocal cords due to abuse of the voice and often resemble blister-like lesions or bumps on the vocal cord. Side affects from polyps include a rough or scratchy voice, a feeling of a lump in the throat, neck pain, vocal fatigue and a decrease in pitch range. Adele’s surgery was minimally invasive, however the recovery period was quite extensive. Dr. Steven Zeitels from the Center for Laryngeal Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, who performed Adele’s surgery ordered her to refrain from using her voice for two months after the procedure. The singer also had to give up her smoking habit following the surgery because smoking can cause severe swelling of the vocal cords due to the heat of the smoke.
Adele’s performance last Sunday showed the world that she has recovered well from surgery, but thankfully surgery isn’t the only option for someone with polyps on their vocal cords. Many times, voice therapy is used for people who have less severe polyps. According to ASHA voice therapy includes teaching good vocal hygiene and reducing abusive vocal behaviors. Stress reduction techniques and relaxation exercises are often taught as well, which helps produce a more effective voice for communicating.
At our clinic our therapists use a holistic approach to voice therapy, and are trained in specialized programs such as Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Training and Vocal Function Exercises. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your voice and whether or not voice therapy is a good option for you or a loved one, please contact one of our three offices.
Page Ahead
Since 1990 Page Ahead has provided new books and reading activities that empower at-risk children. The organization was initially founded by members of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s “Leadership Tomorrow” program, and went by the name “Books for Kids.” Since then, the organization has donated more than 2 million new books for children to use through collaborations with schools, social service agencies, preschools and early childhood centers across Washington State.
Page Ahead is motivated by the idea that being read to as a child is the foremost predictor of academic success growing up. A child that lacks early exposure to reading often suffers from low self-esteem, struggles academically and is at higher risk for substance abuse and delinquency. Children with literacy problems often come from low-income families, with no books in their home, and have caregivers that do not understand the importance of reading aloud to children to help develop their language and reading skills. At ESHC we have been a proud supporters of their efforts by hosting book drives and assisting in their office organizing books that will go out into the community. Our speech team is dedicated to increasing literacy throughout the community, and knows the importance of organizations such as Page Ahead.
If you are at all concerned about your child’s literacy, please contact one of our offices to set up a speech evaluation. Our literacy program is geared to provide the building blocks for successful literacy development.
Testosterone and Risk of Language Delay
In a recent MSNBC article they discussed a new study that found infant boys exposed to high levels of the male hormone testosterone before birth with double the risk for language delay as females.
The study appears Jan. 26 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The Australian researchers noted that male fetuses have 10 times the levels of testosterone than females, which could explain the greater likelihood of language delays. The study examined 767 newborns to measure how much testosterone the infants were exposed to during critical phases of brain development. The children’s language abilities were then assessed at 1, 2, and 3 years old.
The researchers found that male infants with high testosterone levels were two to three times more likely to have a language delay than females. In contrast, girls exposed to high testosterone levels had a lower risk for the developmental problem.
While the study found an association between testosterone levels and language delays, it did not prove a cause and effect.
Famous Stutterers
The Winter 2012 edition of The Stuttering Foundation newsletter highlighted a handful of celebrities who have lived their lives with a stutter. According to the foundation’s website more than 68 million people stutter world wide, and there are four times as many males than females that stutter. This figure includes actors and actresses, politicians, writers, athletes and many more celebrities that were not hindered by their stuttering and were still able to find success and the lime light.
One famous stutterer was Marilyn Monroe. The blonde beauty said she was taught by speech coaches to use a breathy-airy voice, as well as exaggerated mouth movements to control her stuttering.
Other celebrities who stutter include actor Samuel L. Jackson, musician Carly Simon, actress Nicole Kidman, golfer Tiger Woods, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, NFL running back Adrian Peterson, head coach of the Seattle Sounders Sigi Schmid, and many others. All of these iconic people were able to overcome the obstacle of stuttering to be able to pursue their dreams, and many of them act as spokespeople for stuttering associations.
The Stuttering Foundation provides free online resources, services and support to those who stutter and their families, as well support for research that explores the causes of stuttering. The website also suggests if you are concerned about a loved one’s stuttering to contact a speech language pathologist who can help. Please contact one of our office locations to set up an appointment or visit our website to find out more information.
Meet Speech Coordinator Amanda Cendoya
Amanda Cendoya grew up in Woodinville, and as a child she had dreams of becoming a teacher or a marine biologist. She attended Western Washington University, and there she found her passion for writing. Amanda received her bachelor of arts degree in Journalism-Public Relations in 2009.
Amanda has been with ESHC for almost two years now, and one of her favorite things about working at the clinic are all of the wonderful speech patients she gets to interact with on a daily basis. She also enjoys working for a company that provides the community with such wonderful care, and learning all there is to know about the audiology and speech worlds.
In her spare time Amanda enjoys being a newlywed, as well as playing volleyball, reading, baking and spending time with her friends and family, especially her one year old niece Mia.
Promoting Speech Development in Infants
In a recent blog written by speech-language pathologist Jacqueline Kellner-Hiczewski, she talks about the importance of talking to your child from birth to promote speech development. The blog explains that from birth parents should act like their child’s teacher.
Jacqueline offers some examples of taking advantage of everyday activities that are great opportunities to communicate with your child. She suggests while cooking dinner, walk the child through each step. For example say, “It’s time to make dinner! What should we have? I think we should make chicken with broccoli and carrots. Broccoli is green and carrots are orange. Now I’m going to turn on the stove. Make sure to never touch the stove because it is very hot!”
Using everyday activities like this is a wonderful way to help your child’s language development. To see more examples and to read the entire blog click here.
If you are concerned at all about your infant’s speech please be sure to call our office to set up a speech evaluation. Our speech therapy team has recently revamped our Early Language Program into a 12 session program that teaches parents how to effectively communicate with their child. For more information about this program visit our website.
Lip Reading
In a recent MSNBC article they revealed a new study indicating that babies learn to speak, not just by listening to their parents and caregivers but by watching them. Our little angels are shown to be pretty good lip readers by researchers from Florida Atlatntic University. The group of infants, ranging from four to 12 months of age, watched videos of women speaking either in English, the native language used at home, or in Spanish, a language foreign to them. The researchers used eye tracking devices to study the eye movements and looked at developmental changes in attention to the eyes and mouth.
Results showed that at four months of age, babies focused almost solely on the women’s eyes. But by six to eight months of age, when the infants entered the so-called “babbling” stage of language acquisition and reached a milestone of cognitive development in which they can direct their attention to things they find interesting, their focus shifted to the women’s mouths. They continue to “lip read” until about 10 months of age, a point when they finally begin mastering the basic features of their native language. At this point, infants also begin to shift their attention back to the eyes. The data suggests that infants who continue to focus most of their attention on the mouth pst 1 months of age are probably not developing at age-appropriate perceptual and cognitive skills and may be at risk for disorders such as autism.
Although more research is needed, this finding could lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention for autism spectrum disorders, estimated, on average, to affect 1 in 110 children in the United States alone. Currently diagnosis with behavioral testing begins around 18 months of age. Earlier treatment can ensure the best possible developmental outcomes for children with autism.
Pinterest for SLPs
Speech language pathologists across the country have recently started taking advantage of the new social media site Pinterest. It was started in 2010 and works as a virtual “pinboard” that lets you organize and share all of the wonderful things you find on the internet. You can browse other people’s pinboards to find new and interesting ideas with people that share your similar interests.
Speech therapists can “follow” one another’s pinboards to share innovative ideas for therapy sessions including apps for ipads, and detailed guides for fun do-it-yourself crafts and activities. Some ideas that we have stumbled upon that are great ideas for our patients include plastic Easter eggs that are used to help kids understand compound words as well as a revamped version of Candy Land that is all about learning nouns, verbs and adjectives.
No matter what your hobbies and interests include, the possibilities are endless on what you can find on Pinterest, and it has turned out to be a great resource for speech therapists as well.
The Best Picture Books for Toddlers
From Dr. Suess to Peter Rabbit, there are many options to choose from for children’s books, but which ones are the most beneficial for toddlers to read?
In a recent blog posted by ASHA, parents can find tips and strategies for purchasing the best and most effective children’s books for their toddlers. The blog, written by speech-language pathologist, Kimberly Scanlon, says the best books are ones that are tactile and movable. In other words, books that have bumpy, scratchy, fuzzy or rough pages that the child can touch and feel. Board books are always good options as well so the pages cannot be torn or ripped. The content of the book should be simple and easily understood, with short repetitive sentences or phrases.
Scanlon also goes on to explain that toddlers love to read about what they know. Pick books that revolve around animals, toys, or mommy and daddy, with simple pictures that go along with the story. Often times books that make sounds or light up act as a distraction to the child, hindering them from being able to follow along with the story. Varying the pitch and intonation of your voice and using fun facial expressions also is beneficial to the child.
Some of our speech-language pathologists’ favorite books for toddlers include Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and other books written by Eric Carle.
Click here to read the entire blog post.