The Speech and Language Associates of Toronto

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The Speech and Language Associates of Toronto

SLAT is a speech and language therapy clinic. Our philosophy is individualized treatment programs w

The therapist at SLAT are highly qualified, and have many additional certification, so that therapy can be as effective as possible. Many of our stafff are bilingually certified and can therefore offer appropriate assessment and treatment therapy to our bilingual clients.

03/30/2022

Friday at 11am, I am going LIVE on Instagram!
I will be discussing:
💥 The different kinds of MEMORY
💥 Why memory is so important for kids, academically
💥 Why so many people struggle with retaining information
💥Tips and strategies to improve our memory

Tune in!

If you want a reminder from me.... message below

03/29/2022

People with ADHD and Executive Function challenges find school especially difficulty. Their lack of executive function skills, specifically attention and working memory make it quite difficult for kids to hold on to the information they need in order to be successful.

Kids are expected to remember so much information, from math equations, to historical facts and the nuances of characters they read in books etc. However, without strategies to improve memory skills kids are at a disadvantage.

This quote is especially true because kids cannot hold onto relevant information if they have not attended to it. Many of the strategies to improve memory, encourage students to attend to information and engage in a way which makes them active learners.

So... the main message is clear:
💡The more ENGAGED children are, the more ACTIVE they are as LEARNERS, the more they will be able to ATTEND TO THE INFORMATION, thereby COMMITTING the relevant info to their WORKING MEMORY.

To keep kids engaged, lessons should be:
💥 Novel
💥 Engaging
💥 Use whole body activation
💥 Encourage movement and/or breathing breaks

For support building your child's executive function skills and helping them in their academic and daily lives, feel free DM me with any questions or concerns. I got you!

03/28/2022

We live in a world filled with too much information, and with so much technology at our fingertips, we aren’t using our brains the way we used to. We just need to "google it."

In the past, people had to recall phone numbers, addresses and math calculations.

Today, a strong working memory is still crucial to achieving our academic and professional goals. For kids with with ADHD and EF, this is a huge challenge. They have a hard time listening to, focusing on, and absorbing important information long enough to use it.

Here are some strategies for improving working memory—in you AND your kids:

🧠MNEMONICS
🧠MAKE LESSONS/LEARNING FUN: turning a lesson into a game or putting it to music helps students maintain focus and stay engaged.
🧠SAY IT OUT LOUD:do not passively listen or read, be an active learner.
🧠THE POWER OF PAPER: Writing it out helps the information “stick”.
🧠MEMORY PALACE – this is an imaginary image or sensory story to help you recall sequential information. You can use your body, your neighbourhood or something you do regularly -it helps you STORE the information by stringing ideas together in a visual way.
🧠CREATE SPACE: Try not to procrastinate. Insert breaks into your learning.s
🧠EXERCISE: a workout for your brain! Things like sudoko, crosswords, mazes is a kind of warm-up
🧠ALTERNATE: switching between different topics will keep your brain active. By forcing your brain to shift gears, you’re making sure you pay attention instead of getting distracted.

Sharpening those observatory, problem-solving skills can only be a good thing.
💡Hint: If you make learning fun, it won't even feel like work!

03/14/2022

I believe in open communication with parents and the need to create a strong partnership between the family and everyone on that child's team.

Partnerships are harder to come by since doors of schools are closed due to Covid. I typically emailed parents at the end of each month with an update, however, I have chosen to push for more contact, for a stronger relationship. I now speak to my clients parents by phone/zoom every month and I feel like the time we have together is invaluable.

The conversation is more open and honest and parents feel like they can really delve deeper and ask challenging questions.

This testimonial meant so much to me because when I first met with this child, it was so hard to open him up and tear down his walls. I knew that I had to build his trust, reduce his extremely high anxiety and prove to him that I could make his life bigger. Life didn't have to be so hard.

My first couple of sessions with this child were not my most promising. I am typically really great at making connections right away and helping kids boost their confidence. This child made me work for it!
So this is what I did:

⚡Spoke to his pain and uncertainty
⚡Reminded him that I was there to make his life "not so
hard" I promised him that I would do anything to
make things easier and that I will always be there.
⚡ I asked HIM to do the task HIS WAY
⚡ Then WE did it my way ;)
He felt at ease. He understood the process. His
wheels were turning. Something clicked.
⚡ I then set my expectation..."when you are with me,
you will do it my way." (I received confirmation, but
his eyes were like deers in a headlight 👀)
⚡ Next session, we did it MY WAY.
⚡ Following session, he asked to do it MY WAY 😜

For this child, setting the expectation was critical, but the number one thing he needed was a chief encourager, a confidence builder. He needed to see that he could do it. That it wasn't a "can't," it was a "not yet." He needed to be taught a different way to do things. He needed things to be broken down even further so he could separate his ideas and thoughts, from the heavy process of writing. He needed some TLC.

With confidence, we can build kids who are resilient and who see different way to accomplish a task. These are the skills our kids need to be successful. These breakthroughs are what make me ❤️ what I do!

03/02/2022

I am so excited to go life this Friday at 10 AM.⁠
Join me in my FB Group SLAT Mamas to talk about what happens with life give you Lemons....⁠
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We need to be bendable thinkers, so we can lead our happiest, most fulfilling lives.⁠

Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/877354939684452/

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03/01/2022

Last week I was honour to be the guest expert on Project Give Back Connects, episode 9, WE RISE WHEN WE FALL.

The conversation was a deep dive into the importance of failure, in order to succeed. Every single person who spoke inspired me tremendously.

CHECK IT OUT :
PGB Connects S2 E9 We Rise When We Fall
https://youtu.be/TYd5ZJUlVH0

When we think of all the most successful people in life... athletes, scientist etc, there is one common theme: There was a great deal of failure before their success.

🤔 So why is it, as a society, we view the word "failure" so negatively? Why is failure a "bad" word?"

It's time to change our mindset and our preconception of the word failures and see it as a stepping stone for success.

Parents, don't forget...
✨We have to let our kids fail, so they can learn to problem solve. It takes practice, a whole lot of it. But, if we allow our kiddos to fail when they are young and in a safe environment with no real consequence, they will have skillset to problem solve when the challenges are more detrimental as adults.

✨Also, we have to model a positive mindset and relentless problem solving skills, so that our kids understand that failure is part of the process, makes us stronger, and gives us the grit and resilience to always fail forward and succeed.

CHECK IT OUT :
PGB Connects S2 E9 We Rise When We Fall
https://youtu.be/TYd5ZJUlVH0

02/23/2022

I am so excited to go life this Friday at 10 AM.
Join me in my FB Group SLAT Mamas to talk about what happens with life give you Lemons....

We need to be bendable thinkers, so we can lead are happiest, most fulfilling lives.

02/22/2022

One great challenge that children with ADHD or Executive Dysfunction have is inflexible thinking.

Humans, both young and old need to be flexible or have Bendable thinking. This is the ability to change your plan when you are facing an obstacle or set back. It also allows you to notice how new information may change how you respond or react to a given situation.

Some of us are better at “going with the flow,” while others feel extremely upset and overwhelmed when things don't’ go according to plan.

We all remember the days when our little one, got a double scoop of her favourite ice cream and then dropped it on the ground. Those tears were real, but we as parents showed that child that we can find a solution. We can pick up the cone, ask for another one, or even pay for one, if the attendant doesn’t see your anguish and offer you a new cone.

We all need to be flexible throughout our lives, because let’s be honest, nothing is ever predictable. We are constantly changing, adapting, and modifying ourselves, our plans and our expectations based on what new information we’ve been presented with.

Kids who lack this skill, often have difficulty regulating and controlling their emotions. They cannot see a clear way to overcome their challenge so they break down.

My goal as an executive function coach with to teach your child that in life we constantly have to “dust himself off and try again… in a different way.” It's all about perspective.

02/21/2022

WHAT IS FAMILY?

❤️A family is our source of strength.
🧡It teaches us what relationships mean.
💛They help us create meaningful relationships in the outside world.
💚The love we inherit from our families, we pass on to our independent relationships.
(topper.ca)

There are many things about being Canadian, recently, that is embarrassing, however, no one can take away, that as Canadians family is everything!

Every month in the winter we have a long weekend. However, this one is just for families. I urge you all this weekend to give as much time and energy as you have to your family.

We had some great things planned, but today will be the last day of our quarantine, so we'll have to make it a fun one, a memorable one.

Let me know your plans for the rest of the weekend and if you have any ideas we can do at home below ⬇️

I'm thinking NBA All Star Game and a Dance Party with "special" drinks.

02/18/2022

Why have we, as a society, been taught that failure is a negative thing? Why is the word a "bad" word? Why is it so taboo to fail?

This has given people the notion that if you fail, you, yourself are a failure. Shouldn't we reframe this mindset?

Wouldn't the world be a less stressful and a happier place if we were taught that failure is a positive thing, and that how we respond and react to this failure will determine our success?

🤔Imagine a place where everyone embraces failure, evaluates their response, and then tries again until they succeed.

For kids, the acceptance of this idea, will eliminate the fear they so often feel when they don't perform with perfection. We are seeing more and more children with anxiety and depression because the pressure is just too much.

❤️Remember, the only way to learn how to do something is to try it, over and over again. Let's allow our children to try whatever it is that they desire. Encourage them to experience life out of their comfort zone. Embrace failure with constructive eyes. Reframe their process and eventually succeed.

02/17/2022

Last week, I was honoured to be featured on Chana Ross' podcast, "She Has The Audacity."

Our conversation was really interesting. There is a lot we don't know, as a population, about ADHD and especially how it shows up in girls and women.

We chatted about:
🔥The importance of coaching parents and kids of ADHD to ensure success
🔥The truth about ADHD Behaviours
🔥How to teach executive functioning skills
🔥The lack of knowledge on ADHD in women and girls .....and so much more!

I am so excited to be sharing this conversation with you. Take time to subscribe and leave a review. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

The direct download is available on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Check out She Had The Audacity!

02/11/2022

Memory is a crucial part of learning. Learning is a critical part of memory.

In today's society, we barely force our brain use its memory. We don't have to remember phone numbers because they are saved in our cell phones. We don't need to know directions, because we all have Waze. We barely need to remember numbers because our calculator does it all for us.

But our memories shape who we are and how we see they world. Our memory is so important in building who we are, the values we hold and how we interact with our environment. So why don't we put more attention in retaining it?

Here are a few strategies we can use to enhance our memory:
⚡Self testing and Peer teaching- this strategy makes students active learners and will help strengthen, consolidate skills for better retention.
⚡The Spacing Effect- Study over a longer period of time and keep reintroducing old concepts so they will stick. This will keep your brain fresh and engaged.
⚡Interleaving- Don't group questions that are the same together. Let your mind problems solve each individual concept. With more opportunities to review the greater the performance will be.
⚡Use all senses for learning- it is easier to remember information that’s been presented in different ways. The more senses the better.

Remember... MEMORY CAN BE IMPROVED!

Address

Toronto, ON
M3H2P4

Website

http://www.speechlanguagetherapy.ca/

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