Watch my Literacy Skills Grow: K-5

International Augmentative & Alternative Communication Awareness Month

October is the International AAC Awareness month!

PrAACticialAAC.org has many resources to help raise awareness of AAC and resources for those who have devices. 

This site also has a printable file flip chart called "Everyone Deserves a Voice" AAC Strategies for Success. 

Here is a blurb from the pamphlet: 

Students who use AAC need their communication systems within arms reach at all times. If you can see the student, you should also be able to see their AAC. Its never okay to turn it off or take it away. For students to learn to use AAC, they need to see adults & peers using it, too. Immerse them in an environment that is rich in AAC use throughout the day. Point to the AAC symbols as you speak. Use the AAC devise or app OR make a non-electoronic mock-up. 

We have a laminated version of this flip chart in our lobby at all times. 

However, during this month we will have multiple on the desk for you to take home and share with friends and family! 

Screen Time

As technology continues to grow, there is a common concern of language development in young children who spend ample amount of time on tablets. 

A study from the University of Toronto found that every 30 minutes of daily screen usage increases a child's risk of developing speech and language delays by 49% for ages 6 months to 2 years. They specifically found that there were difficulties with expressive language. However, the author cautions that their study does show a direct correlation between device use and language difficulties but there needs to be more research completed in order to signify the correlation. 

So how much screen time should you allow your child to have?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children younger than 18 months. Children learn language by exposure, and birth to 2 or 3 year range is a time of massive advances in language development. 

Of course, Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) is an exception as it is vital in the development of language for non-verbal users. 

Back to School

It is almost time to go back to school!

Have you adjusted your therapy schedule to accommodate the school schedule? 

Tahoma School District has made changes to the upcoming 2017-2018 school year! Click here to find the new changes and start/end times. 

Let us know if you need to change your appointment time. 

Afternoon time slots are filling up fast!

Museums to Visit This Summer!

Going to a museum is a great way to continue education throughout the summer! 

Museums offer a dynamic opportunity to experience new things and explore in a rich educational environment. They are a foundation for creativity, critical thinking, and connection to the world around us. Museums promote imagination and inspire identity building learning experiences for all. 

Here are museums to visit this summer without breaking the bank and even getting in for FREE! 

Seattle:

Seattle Art Museum – Free for children 12 and under. First Thursday of each month, admission is free to the public!

Burke Museum – Free for children 5 and under. First Thursday of each month is free to the public

Henry Art Gallery – Children are free. First Thursday of every month is free to the public. Free admission every Sunday.

Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation -Visitor Center -  Admission is free during their business hours of 10am - 6pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Seattle Children's Museum – Children under 1 are free. DSHS/Provider One card holders get $1 admission. Sensory Sensitive Saturdays are the first Saturday of every month from 8:30am – 10am, tickets are $3 admission and must be repurchased.

Misc:

Artists at Play Playground – Free to the public

Tacoma:

Tacoma Children's Museum – Pay-as-you will admission program allows you to pay what you can afford to attend the musem. Tuesdays from 10am – 11:30 are specials needs play days!

Tacoma Art Museum – Admission is free with Tacoma Children’s museum ticket (from same day.) Children under 5 are free. The third Thursday of every month is free from 5pm to 8pm. Bank of America card holders/employees are free the first weekend of every month.

LeMay - America's CarMuseum - On certain Fridays each month, Lemay offers a free drive in movie at the America's Car Museum Haub Family Field. Watch from your car, chair, or blanket. Friday, August 11th they will be playing Moana!

Bellevue:

Bellevue Arts Museum – Free admission on the first Friday of every month. Children under 6 are free.

KidsQuest Children's Museum - free admission on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Children under 1 are free.

Renton:

Museum of Flight - Children 4 years and under are free. On the first Thursday of every month admission is free to the public from 5pm - 9pm. 

Bremerton:

Bug & Reptile Museum - free to the public.

Bainbridge Island:

KiDiMu - Kids DiscoveryMuseum - free admission the first Thursday of every month. Children under 1 year old are free

Helping a Child Who Stutters in Their New Classroom

Hello All.  Only a couple more weeks until it’s back to school. I thought I would dedicate my blog post this week to discussing fluency, concerns and strategies, with your child’s new teacher.

The Stuttering Foundation has compiled an excellent list called 7 tips for talking with your child.  Let’s start with my number one suggestion, which happens to be the first suggestion on the list, to improve fluency at home:

.        Reduce the pace. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes before you begin to speak.  Your own easy relaxed speech will be far more effective than any advice such as “slow down” or “try it again slowly.” For some children, it is also helpful to introduce a more relaxed pace of life for a while.

Please visit stutteringhelp.org to see the rest of the list.

The Stuttering Foundation is a helpful resource for teachers as well.  Here’s what they recommend to help teachers improve their student’s fluency:

1.     Don’t tell the child to slow down or “relax.” Be patient and let her finish.

2.     Don’t complete words for the child or talk for him or her.  Once again, be patient and let him finish.

3.     Help all members of the class learn to take turns talking and listening. All children—especially those who stutter- find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listener’s attention.

4.     Expect the same quality and quantity of work from the student who stutters as the one who doesn’t.

5.     Speak with the student in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.

6.     Convey that you are listening to the content of the message, no who it was said.

7.     Have a one-on-one conversation with the student who stutters about needed accommodations in the classroom. Respect the student’s needs but do not be enabling.

8.     Don’t make stuttering something to be ashamed of. Talk about stuttering just like any other matter.

I would add a few more:

9.     Develop a system with the child who stutters, or implement class-wide, to decide who gets to answer questions.  Randomly calling on students can put them on the spot and increase the likelihood of stuttering. This could be raising a hand if they would like to be called on or walking around and tapping on the arm to signal that the student will be next to answer. 

10. To improve fluency when reading aloud have small groups or pairs of children to each other instead of to the entire class.

11. Teasing is unacceptable classroom behavior. It’s best to deal with teasing swiftly, whether a child who stutters is being teased or someone else.

12. Once again, focus on the content, not delivery, of the response or comment from the child who stutters (and all students) to positively reinforce respect in the classroom.

Wishing you a happy and healthy week,

Elizabeth