Speech Therapy Archives | Page 3 of 3

Feeling the LOVE

Activities, Educational, Speech Therapy, Stories | Feb 03, 2022 3 min read

February is here! And so are our themed therapy activities. We love thematic learning – it is relatable and helps kids make meaningful connections within their everyday lives.
Here are some of our favorite ideas to try incorporating at home:

Books about Feelings and Love

Themed books are a great way to teach vocabulary, encourage early literacy, and promote positive relationships and acceptance. When reading books with your child, we recommend using the “PEER” approach.

P: Prompt your child with a question about the story. Prompting your child focuses attention, engages the child in the story, and helps the child understand the book.
Point to something in the picture, for example, a balloon. “What is that?”

E: Evaluate your child’s response.

“That’s right! That’s a balloon.”

E: Expand on what your child said.

“That’s a big, red balloon! We saw one of those in the grocery store yesterday.”

R: Repeat or revisit the prompt you started with, encouraging your child to use the new information you’ve provided.

“Can you say big, red balloon?” Each time the book is reread, the expanded vocabulary words are verbalized again.

Here are some books worth checking out:

Froggy’s First Kiss, by Jonathan London
The Day it Rained Hearts, by Felicia Bond
Guess How Much I Love you, by Sam McBratney
Love Splat, by Rob Scotton
Love Monster, by Rachel Bright
Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Llama Llama I Love You, by Anna Dewden
No Matter What, by Debi Gliori

Making Valentines

Arts and crafts activities are a great way to work on making choices, requesting and describing during play. Here are some useful strategies to incorporate during the craft at home:

Provide two choices during card-making: “Do you want the heart or the lip sticker?” or “Do you want the purple or red crayon?”
Model the use of adjectives: “Ooo, I pick the sparkly, red and white heart!” or “I’m going to draw a big chocolate candy.”
Teach location concepts: “Do you want to put the sticker in the middle or on the side?” or “Let’s write your name on the front.”
Practice “who” questions by asking who your child wants to make the card for.
Sabotage. Give your child an unsharpened pencil or a glue stick with the lid still on it so that they need to ask you for help.

Trip to the Post Office

Once your Valentines are complete, we recommend taking your kids on a trip to your local post office. Here are some ideas on how you can incorporate speech and language skills into the outing:

Teach related vocabulary: stamps, envelope, delivery, etc.,
Model comments: “I see a mail truck!” or “Wow, look at all of those mailboxes!”
Verbally sequence the steps to mailing a package: “First you fill the box, then you tape the outside, next you write the label…”
Take turns dropping mail into the mailbox and discussing who the mail is for.
Practice ordering stamps at the counter.
Bonus: Let your therapist know if you went on the outing, that way it can be a topic of conversation in their speech session. :)

We wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day and look forward to hearing how your activities go! We LOVE meaningful activities, making connections, and all of our wonderful families at SmallTalk.

Author: Julia Navarra, M.A., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist

Does my child need Occupational Therapy?

Clinic, Educational, Speech Therapy, Therapy | Jan 03, 2022 3 min read

What is Occupational Therapy? Does that help my child get a job? No! “Occupations” are daily activities, so that means playing and learning for your child. Children develop daily living and self-care skills through actively exploring their environments and playing with others. Occupational therapy addresses sensory processing, motor delays, and social-emotional components that may be impacting your child’s ability to develop independence at home and school. If any of the following characteristics resonate with you, your child may benefit from occupational therapy!

Sensory Processing

Overly sensitive or heightened reactivity to sound, touch, or movement
Under-responsive to certain sensations (e.g., high pain tolerance, doesn’t notice cuts/bruises)
Constantly moving, jumping, crashing, bumping
Easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
Emotionally reactive
Difficulty coping with change
Inability to calm self when upset

Social Interaction Skills

Difficulty interacting socially and engaging with family and peers
Difficulty adapting to new environments
Delayed language skills
Overly focused on one subject (e.g., space, universe, dinosaurs, trains)
Can’t cope in the school environment

Play Skills

Needs adult guidance to initiate play
Difficulty with imitative play
Wanders aimlessly without purposeful play
Moves quickly from one activity to the next
Does not explore toys appropriately
Participates in repetitive play for hours (e.g., lining up toys)
Does not join in with peers/siblings when playing
Does not understand concepts of sharing and turn taking

Oral Motor/Oral Sensory

Excessive drool
Chews food in the front of the mouth, rather than on the molars
Difficulty using a cup at an age-appropriate time
Difficulty with drinking from a straw at an age-appropriate time
Lengthy bottle or breast feedings
Tiredness after eating
Baby loses excessive liquid from their lips when bottle or breastfeeding
A child loses excessive liquid or food from his or her mouth when drinking or chewing
A child appears to be excessively picky when eating, only eating certain types or textures of food
A child excessively mouths toys or objects beyond an age-appropriate time

Fine Motor Skills

Manipulating toys and puzzles
Holding a pencil
Using silverware or straws at an age-appropriate time
Using scissors
Using zippers, buttons, shoelaces
Coloring, drawing, tracing, prewriting shapes
Poor handwriting, letter/number formation
Not developing a hand dominance at an age-appropriate time
Avoiding tasks and games that require fine motor skills

Gross Motor Skills

Going up and down stairs at an age appropriate time
Coordinating both sides of the body
Understanding the concept of right and left
Poor ball skills
Poor balance
Fear of feet leaving the ground
Not crossing the midline of their body during play and school tasks
Avoiding tasks and games that require gross motor skills

Visual Processing

Difficulty with the spacing and sizes of letters
Difficulty with recognizing letters
Difficulty with copying shapes or letters
Difficulty with visual tracking and crossing midline
Difficulty finding objects among other objects
Difficulty with copying from the board or another paper
Difficulty with the concept of right and left

Learning Challenges

Unable to concentrate and focus at school
Easily distracted
Difficulty following instructions and completing work
Tires easily with school work
Poor impulse control
Hyperactivity or low energy
Not keeping up with workload at school
Difficulty learning new material
Makes letter or number reversals after age seven

Do you feel like your child has difficulty in any of the areas as mentioned above? Are you questioning whether an Occupational Therapist should see your child? If so, our SmallTalk therapists are here to help strengthen these skills and answer any questions through structured and unstructured table and gym activities with weekly/bi-weekly therapy sessions. Please call to schedule an evaluation today!

Authors: SmallTalk Occupational Therapists

SmallTalk’s gifts for goals!

Educational, News, Speech Therapy | Dec 01, 2021 3 min read

The Holidays are upon us, and we’ve heard the question…. “What toys do we recommend?!” We LOVE all questions, but this one, in particular, is FUN to answer! In general, most novel items or toys are a great way to teach your child new skills! Like all other moments of the year, FAMILY TIME is the best gift. Break out a family photo album, cut back on screen time, make a “family dance party” playlist, bake together (recipes are great for reading comprehension and following directions), or go explore the great outdoors (play “I spy” on a walk to work on visual-motor integration and describing).

Get Retro!

Think back to a toy that you received as a kid to share with your mini-me! Ditch the expensive electronic light-up toys and go for “old school” blocks, train sets, or pretend musical instruments. Bring back family game nights; with Pictionary, you can work on fine motor skills and labeling. Board games that you played as a child, like Candyland or Hungry Hungry Hippos, are awesome to work on taking turns, following directions, and fine motor skills.

Get Building!

We already know many of our SmallTalk family loves Legos, but did you know how great they are for therapy goals? To work on therapy targets, you can talk about what you’re building, give directions, or give only a few blocks and have your child ask for more. Try larger blocks Lincoln Logs, or magnet building sets if Legos are too small. Puzzles are also a go-to, working on fine motor skills, picture matching, and labeling.

Get Creative!

Hands-on activities and craft sets are awesome for all kids! We recommend Play-Doh, sticker books, puppet theaters, Kinetic Sand, water tables, or make your own jewelry activities. You can work on verbs in all of these activities and following directions. Costumes or dress-up items are fantastic to work on making narratives (telling stories) and pretend play. Make reading more interactive with books that have craftivities.

Get Moving!

Gifts to get our bodies moving are always wonderful, especially for our sensory-seeking friends or if gross motor skills are a challenge. We’d recommend small trampolines, swings, sports equipment, Twister, or Spike Ball. A simple ball can be used to roll back and forth to work on turn-taking, use to work on saying names, or can be thrown at a hoop to work on coordination. For our smaller movements, check out the 50 Piece Fidget Popper set on Amazon or stretchy toys like Goo Jit Zu characters.

Before you buy…

Before buying a new toy, think about your child’s specific way of PLAY! For example, avoid small pieces if your kiddo is still exploring with their mouth often, and avoid toys with gel or slime inside if they may love to bite, squeeze, or stomp.

Prepare for Changes in Routine!

As always, it is important to talk about changes in routine, such as visitors or traveling to new places.
Discuss how your child is feeling about changes in routine and ask how you can help them (i.e., bring a familiar toy to new places or show pictures of where you are going or who is coming over).
Remind family and friends about how best to greet your child- do they prefer high-fives or big bear hugs?

If this year has been hard on your family, like so many, check out this link to see local resources to help with the holidays.

We wish you and your families a fun and festive holiday season!

Kendall Harrington, M.S., CCC-SLP

Surviving the holidays with picky eaters

Activities, Educational, News, Speech Therapy | Nov 01, 2021 2 min read

The holidays are times of family and traditions, many of which involve food and eating. However, when your child eats very few foods, the holidays can bring frustration and stress as you navigate the changes in routine, new foods and the expectations of eating them, and the abundance of desserts and sweets.

We’re sharing some recommendations to help you decrease stress surrounding mealtime so that you can enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.

Limit changes in routine. Holidays can often mean traveling, time changes, and lots of familiar and new faces. These changes can be overwhelming. Try to keep your child’s mealtime routines, including the time of day they eat and any cleanup routine, the same. If possible, bring familiar plates, utensils, and cups too!
Have your child eat a typical meal or snack before the big meal, especially if the big meal is later than the child’s usual mealtime. Then, keep a preferred snack at the ready for your child to eat with the whole family. The focus of the holiday meal should be family, not a struggle to explore new and tricky foods. If available, you can always bring some leftovers home for food exploration at a later time.
Prepare your child and set expectations. Explain to your child what activities may be happening and show pictures of who they can expect to be there. If there is going to be food present that may be tricky for your child to tolerate, try exploring the food through play the weeks before the holiday at home, where they will likely feel the safest.
Limit sweets! The holidays are filled with desserts that are sometimes hard to resist. Sugar can suppress appetite limiting consumption of nutritious foods. Try to keep sweets until the end of a meal; however, avoid making the availability of dessert dependent upon how they ate the rest of their meal.

Try these suggestions so you can focus on enjoying your time with loved ones.

The SmallTalk family wishes you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Lauren Fong

SmallTalk’s spooktacular Halloween tips and tricks!

Activities, Educational, News, Speech Therapy | Oct 01, 2021 4 min read

October has officially arrived, triggering a return to school, apple picking, frolicking in the pumpkin patch, tractor rides, and the delicious aroma of pumpkin spice coffee. Of course, fall also stirs up the ghosts, goblins, and witches of Halloween!

While Halloween can be a memorable and exciting time for children all over the country, it is also a time of uncertainty, confusion, and stress for those who experience communication and sensory challenges. For these children and their families, Halloween can prove to be a difficult and overwhelming experience to navigate.
At SmallTalk, parents and families often ask how we can help prepare their children for the holiday seasons.

Below is a list of tips and tricks to help our families and emphasize the treats as opposed to the tricks of Halloween.

Prepare for Unexpected vs. Expected Situations

If Halloween brings discomfort to your child, discuss what they might expect to see, hear, or feel around or on that costume-filled night.

Read a non-threatening Halloween book/social story, watch a fun Halloween movie, listen to upbeat Halloween music or make a trip to a Halloween store.
Prepare and practice a written script for how and what to say for trick or treating interactions with neighbors and friends.
Review with your child a Halloween social story or sequence of events that will occur on Halloween while trick or treating.
Share your trick or treat route and script with your neighbors before Halloween night.
Discuss how your child is feeling about Halloween- excited, scared, happy, etc.
Anticipate and talk about some unexpected situations that could occur.
Reassure your child that friendly faces will be by their side throughout the night.

Augmentative/Alternative Communication

Create a Halloween page on your child’s AAC device with various Halloween icons and answers to possible Halloween questions such as “What is your costume?” “Are you having fun?”

Practice using the device’s Halloween page with your child, so they feel comfortable using it on Halloween night.

Articulation/ Phonological Delays

Suggest Trick or Treating in a small group of familiar people.
Consider a group costume with friends/family (i.e., Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, circus, etc.) to help your child feel more included.
If Halloween trick or treating is too overwhelming for your child, many communities, local churches, and schools provide Trick or Treating options.
Encourage your child to attend/participate in a Halloween party at school or local community.
Try an alternate Halloween plan.
- Allow your child to hand out candy to trick or treaters and practice asking “Wh” questions to trick/treaters (i.e., What is your costume? Where did you get that?).

Sensory Challenges

Provide a Halloween craft or carve a pumpkin to expose your child to different textures.
- Create a Halloween sensory bin.
Trick or treat before it gets dark.
Before Halloween night, walk around your trick/treating route and observe your neighbors’ decorations and lights.
Schedule sensory breaks while trick or treating or at Halloween festivities to avoid possible overstimulation and provide distance from foreseeable stressors.
Bring headphones to block out overwhelming/loud noises.
Try tasty candy alternatives if you have a “picky” eater.
Allow your child to pick a costume that makes them feel comfortable.
- Try on the costume on several different occasions before trick or treating to make sure it is comfortable.
- Allow it to hang in a visible spot days before Halloween to familiarize your child with the costume.
- Create your own costume out of preferable fabric if a store-bought costume cannot be tolerated, and invite your child to be a part of the process.

We wish you a fun-filled and SPOOKTACULAR Halloween season. We cannot wait to see your costumes and hear your children tell us about their experience!

by Pamela “PJ” Baragona, MA CCC-SLP

How to get the most out of online therapy

Speech Therapy | Mar 23, 2020 2 min read

As we move into our second week of school closures and other life disruptions, I want to remind you that SmallTalk is open and functioning with our full staff. We are hoping to help our kiddos and families get through this difficult period of uncertainty supporting your child’s needs and helping him/her maintain a sense of normalcy in their lives. To do that, we are leveraging our online speech therapy and online occupational therapy sessions—just as frequently as any other week.

Our seasoned speech and occupational therapists blend their skills and experience with an expanding array of online games and tools. Our online speech therapy and online occupational therapy services provide the same high-quality therapy that we’re known for in our clinics! Here’s how to get the most out of your teletherapy sessions:

First, email or call our front desk to schedule your sessions:
- frontoffice@smalltalkspeech.com
- 619-647-6157 ext 1
After going through the introductory paperwork, you’ll be emailed a link that you’ll need to connect to prior to the session
Download Google Chrome on a device (computer, iPad) with a camera and microphone– iPhone users, Safari is the suggested browser
Using Headphones or ear buds is recommended, to help block out peripheral noise
Please test your device prior to each session to make sure the microphone, speakers, and camera are connected
Keep the room as quiet and free from distractions as possible
For the best internet connection, discontinue other teleconferencing or Wi-Fi demands
For children under 5 years, or with behavioral concerns, a parent or adult should accompany them during the session

Free screenings

Speech Therapy | Mar 12, 2013 1 min read

Wondering if your child could benefit from speech or occupational therapy?

Here’s a fast, free way to find out—just contact shauna@smalltalkspeech.com, and she can schedule a free 15-minute screening with one of our therapists. In the screening, our therapist will employ some basic tests to instantly assess your child’s development and determine whether or not a full evaluation is recommended.

SmallTalk also provides free screenings to preschools and private schools throughout San Diego County. It’s a service to the community that enables schools to support the complete development of their students by ensuring that their speech language and social skills are age appropriate.

If you’re interested in a free school screening, contact us.