Coming soon!

Elizabeth is having a baby boy at the start of December and we can't wait to meet the little guy!  We had a baby shower yesterday in their honor.  We are going to miss her while she is gone on maternity leave!  I will be at the Mercer Island office while she is away being a new mom.  I am excited to get to know all of the Mercer Island families. 🙂

You might also see someone new in our picture, Dana, our graduate student.  She has done an amazing job over the past few months and will be leaving us soon.  We are going to miss her and all of the great work she provides.

In other news, it is Thanksgiving next week.  Everyone enjoy all of the good food and time with family and friends.

-Cassee

Executive what?

Paige and I have the privilege of attending a professional development conference this week all about executive functioning.  What exactly is executive functioning?  Here's an overview:

Executive function skills cover a lot of ground, including abilities necessary for both school and adult life.  When a kid or adult has a language disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, or a variety of other related diagnoses, they often struggle with executive functioning as well.  People without any known diagnosis often struggle with some of these skills, at least some of the time.  (Task initiation is a personal weakness of mine... -- what's yours??)

We look forward to learning some strategies and techniques to strengthen these skills in our clients, but in the meantime, here are some resources about what you can do at home to improve your children's (or your own!) executive functioning skills in a fun and meaningful way:

• How Family Game Night Makes Kids Into Better Students
• Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills
• Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence
• The Science of Smart: A Surprising Way To Improve Executive Function
• Strategies to Strengthen Executive Function

--Sarah

It's on the tip of my tongue!

Have you ever had a word stuck on the tip of your tongue?

You might assume that if you think about it long enough and finally remember the word that you will be more likely to recall that same word in the future.  In fact the opposite may be true!  Time spent in a "tip-of-the tongue state" reinforces the pattern that caused you to forget the word in the first place.

A study which appeared in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that the next time you have a word on the tip of your tongue you should immediately look it up or ask someone.  Then say it to yourself therefore creating a new memory regarding the word!

Trick or Treat Cards!

Halloween can be a tough holiday for many children on the spectrum or with special needs, so here are some free “Trick or Treat” cards to make this holiday a little easier for your child. All you need to do is print these out and fill in your child’s name. When they go to each house on Halloween, just have them pass out a card to encourage their independence and promote understanding and awareness in your community. 

Trick or Treat Cards 

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Megan 

Paper Bag Scarecrow Puppet Activity

Fall has arrived. With it comes rainy afternoons. Here's a fun and simple project to make with your kids sometime this season and ideas to encourage speech and language development in the process.

-Provide directions using words like first, after, next, then, last to complete the activity

-Brainstorm a list of materials you'll need to make the puppet (be creative- use those mis-matched buttons lying around or glitter or make a collage from magazine clippings)

-Discuss what scarecrows do and why

-Talk about places you might find scarecrows

-Describe the features of the scarecrow (perhaps it has patches on its shirt or is filled with scratchy straw)

-Show you child how to put their hand inside and lift the flap to make the scarecrow talk

-Practice articulation 'homework' words with the scarecrow

Put on a puppet show and enjoy!

-Elizabeth

Wings for Autism will be at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport on October 15th!

What is Wings for Autism you ask?  It is a program that creates a rehearsal situation of what the airport experience is like for individuals with autism and their families including entering the airport, obtaining boarding passes, getting through security, and boarding a plane.  We are thrilled to proud supporters of this awesome program.  Paige, Megan, and I will be volunteering at the event.  If you will be there or if you just happen to have a flight that day be on the lookout for us and come say hi!  If you would like more information about Wings for Autism check out the link below.  We are looking forward to working with such an awesome program and hope to see some of our clients and their families at the airport.  

The Arc - Wings for Autism

-Cassee

AAC on Primetime!

Outside the bubble of speech-language pathology and special education, not many people witness Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in action.  Thanks to a new sitcom called Speechless, that's about to change.

The show stars a teenager with cerebral palsy who uses AAC as his primary method of communication.

This article, from the Disability Scoop website, is a great overview:  

Aside From Laughs, ‘Speechless’ Committed To Raising Awareness

And here's a quick sneak peek at the AAC used on the show and how it works.