Looking for ways to entertain you kids on the cheap end?

Looking for ways to entertain your kids on the cheap end? Here's

a roundup of free and nearly-free events that your kids are

sure, to love. It includes workshops, summer camps, story

times and more.


01 The Home Depot Kids Workshops 







Bring out the do-it-yourselfer in your child by taking part in the

free Kids Workshops at Home Depot. Workshops take place

the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. - noon at all store

locations. You child will receive a free orange apron, and a

new pin for their apron, each time they complete a project.

Adult participation is required. These events are popular, so

be sure to register ahead of time to guarantee your spot.



02 Lowe's Build & Grow 






Lowe's is another good source for free D-I-Y kids' projects.

Clinics are offered on a bi-weekly basis from 10am-11am, and

all building materials and tools are provided. Spend an hour

with your child, and come away with a cool project that you

built together.



03 Michael's Kids' Club 







Have crafty kiddos? Then, the Kids' Club at Michael's is a

must-do. It features a new craft each Saturday. Just drop in

anytime between 10 am and noon; pay $2; and you're free to

shop while they create. There's also Camp Creativity in the

summer. It runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and

costs $3 per session, less if you buy three sessions at a time.

Check the store calendar for more free Make-It-Take-It events

that you can participate in as a family.












04 Barnes & Noble Storytimes 



Foster a love of books in your child by participating in one of

Barnes & Noble's free story times, which include a story and a

creative activity to go along with it. Themes and times vary

from location to location, so check with your nearest store for

specifics.



05 Pottery Barn Kids In-Store Events 






With a summer reading program, story times, character meet

and-greets and more, there's always something fun (and free)

to do at Pottery Barn Kids. 



06 The Apple Store Youth Workshops and Summer Camp 






Sign your kids up for a free one-hour workshop, where they

can learn how to do things like make movies or record

music. There's also a free three-day summer camp for kids

age 8-12, Choose between coding and robotics, moviemaking

or storytelling. Camp tends to fill up fast. Sign up to be notified

when registration opens, so you don't miss out.



07 Lego Store Free Mini Builds 






Each month, Lego Stores offer a free building event for kids

ages 6-14. Register in advance to claim a spot for your

kids (Registration opens the 15th of the month for the next

month's event). They'll get to build the monthly model, and

take it home with them. That means a free activity and free

Lego bricks!
 Note: You now need to be a Lego VIP member to

participate in the monthly builds. It's free to sign up.



08 Kids Bowl Free 





Register your kids on KidsBowlFree.com, and they'll get two

free games of bowling each day this summer, at participating

bowling alleys. This doesn't include the shoe rental, but some bowling alleys allow you to purchase an unlimited shoe rental pass.



09 Free Museum Admission 


If you're a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch customer, be sure

to take advantage of their Museums on Us program. Just flash your credit/debit card and I.D. at the admission counter to get free admission to hundreds of museums on the first full weekend of every month. The list of participating locations includes children's museums, history museums, botanical gardens and more. Use this program to cover your adult admissions, so you only have to pay for your kids. Some of these museums already offer free admission for kids, making for a totally free outing once a month.

Sources: https://www.thebalance.com/free-and-nearly-free-kids-events-1388453

How Speech Therapy Works?

How Speech Therapy Works

SLPs ( Speech-Language Pathologist) figure out what kind of language problem a child or adult has. They determine what’s causing it and decide on the best treatment. SLPs may help kids build skills by working with them one-on-one, in small groups, or in the classroom.

If your child has trouble reading and spelling, speech therapy may not seem like the obvious answer. Many people think that speech therapists only work with people who have trouble making certain sounds (articulation) or who have stutters or lisps.

Speech therapists do handle those speech issues. But they also help kids with other kinds of problems with spoken and written language, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and auditory processing disorder. In fact, a speech therapist is more accurately called a speech-language pathologist.

Different Focuses:

SLP can help with -

• Articulation problems: Not speaking clearly and making errors in sounds.
• Fluency problems: Trouble with the flow of speech, such as stuttering.
• Resonance or voice problems: Trouble with voice pitch, volume and quality.
• Oral feeding problems: Difficulty with eating, swallowing and drooling.

SLP can help treat - 

• Receptive language problems: Trouble understanding (receiving) language.
• Expressive language problems: Trouble speaking (expressing) language.
• Pragmatic language problems: Trouble using language in socially appropriate ways.

SLPs use strategies tailored for each child’s particular challenge. Strategies might include:

• Language intervention activities: These activities build skills in a variety of ways, including modeling and giving kids feedback. The therapist might use pictures and books or play-based therapy. She may also use language drills to practice skills.
• Articulation therapy: The SLP models the sounds the child has difficulty with. This might include demonstrating how to move the tongue to create specific sounds.
• Feeding and swallowing therapy: The SLP teaches the child exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. This might include facial massage and various tongue, lip and jaw exercises. She might also use different food textures to encourage awareness during eating and swallowing.

The Benefits of Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can help kids learn to speak more clearly. This helps them feel more confident and less frustrated about speaking to others. Kids who have language issues can benefit socially, emotionally and academically from speech therapy.

For kids with reading issues such as dyslexia, speech therapy can help them hear and distinguish specific sounds in words: the word bat breaks down into b, a, and t sounds. This can improve reading comprehension skills and encourage kids to read.

Speech therapy is especially beneficial when kids begin early in life. In one study, 70 percent of preschool kids with language issues who went through speech therapy showed improvement in language skills.

Results You Can Expect From Speech Therapy

Your child’s work with a speech therapist may last for months or even for a few years. It depends on your child’s needs. You will probably see improvement in your child’s issues. Remember, though, that therapy can’t “cure” your child. The underlying speech or language issue will still be there.

The therapist should give you and your child strategies to deal with obstacles more effectively. She will likely give you activities to practice at home to reinforce the skills your child is learning. Kids who make the most progress tend to be those whose get involved in their treatment.

It’s important that the speech therapist and your child are a good match. The speech therapist should have experience working with kids with your child’s specific issue. Speech therapy is just one way to help a child with learning issues related to language and speech.

Key Takeaways

• Speech therapy isn’t a quick fix. It takes hard work over many months or even years.

• It’s helpful if the speech therapist has experience working with kids with your child’s issue.

• Your involvement—like practicing exercises at home—can make speech therapy more effective.

Sources: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-speech-therapy?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkNfSBRCSARIsAL-u3X-m2ENYuDwF_WTWFVQPTG9ovENZRQlrmYfQ6xC7kwg-AU4V-QNRgswaAmLOEALw_wcB

American Speech-Language Hearing Association Conference 2017

This past week our office was closed on Thursday and Friday.

The therapists took a trip to Los Angeles, California to attend the yearly ASHA conference.

The ASHA Convention is the strongest educational program for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, speech and hearing scientists, and related professionals.

Make sure to ask your therapist how the conference was!

"This was my first time at ASHA and I had an awesome experience! I am excited to apply everything I learned from the conference into therapy.  It was amazing to be surrounded by thousands of people who share the same passion as me."  

- Adina (SLPA)

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Dyslexia is defined as difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities. Typically, Dyslexia results from a deficit in the phonological component of language. 

Dyslexia Awareness month was first celebrated in 2002. 

You can help raise awareness by using the hashtag #DyslexiaAwarenessMonth on social media! 

Resources:

• http://nild.org/october-is-national-dyslexia-month-do-you-know-the-signs/

7 Tips for Talking with Your Child

Most children who stutter benefit from taking time to speak at a rate that promotes fluency. Here are a few tips on how you can help your child's fluency when speaking to them. 

1. Reduce the Pace - Speak with your child in a unhurried way, pausing frequently.

2. Full Listening - Increase the times that you give your child your undivided attention.

3. Asking Questions - Try to resist asking one question after another. Sometimes it's best to just comment on what your child has said and wait. 

4. Turn Taking - Take turns listening and talking. Children find it much easier to speak when there are fewer interruptions.

5. Building Confidence  - Use descriptive praise to build confidence.

6. Special Times - Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day to give your child your undivided attention

7. Normal Rules Apply

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