VeriVoice Speech & Language Therapy

18/10/2024

I'm proud of you.

I genuinely respect women that have become pregnant by someone they loved and was unfortunately done wrong by the father of that child.

I whole heartedly respect these women because only a strong minded individual would be able to stand up again after being abandoned by someone they trusted.

If nobody has told you today .... I'm extremely proud of you and everything you do as a single mother ......... it never goes unnoticed.

~ Cody Bret

02/12/2023

A great video!


📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/dBdFqBzWCtsuakZu/?mibextid=WC7FNe

10/10/2023

Did you know?
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If Selective Mutism affects about 1 in every 150 children, then that means at least one or more children in every primary school is struggling with this. It usually starts around 2-3years of age when a child begins to spend more time independent from their family; it can also appear in older children. . .
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So, what is selective mutism?
“Children (or adults) with selective mutism (SM) can speak comfortably in some situations but consistently fail to speak, or speak very little, in others.
This is not normal shyness, nor obstinacy, and it is not a choice. It is a psychological problem where children have developed a phobia of talking to anyone outside their limited comfort zone.
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Children with SM want to speak but are unable to. They are afraid of the act of speaking and people hearing their voices; and they become increasingly wary of any form of communication which could lead to an expectation to speak. At these times their anxiety levels shoot up, their body and face stiffen; and their communication becomes non-existent or reduced to whispers, single words, short phrases or simple gestures. In time they learn to avoid distress by avoiding communication. Since 2013 SM has been recognised as an anxiety disorder.”. . .
https://www.afasic.org.uk/download/6/
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04/10/2023

We’re nearly at October half term – how did THAT happen?!?
One thing’s for sure, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be desperate for your child to tell you all about their day at school (especially if they’re in nursery or reception class!!) – what did they do, who did they play with, what did they eat… ?
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Here’s a tip: Don’t ask them any questions!
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Questions can be overwhelming – instead, try this:
1. Start your conversation by talking about yourself (what did you do today? who did you see? what did you eat? For example, “I went to work today. It was okay because my favourite colleague who always makes me laugh was there. At lunch I had my favourite prawn and mayo sandwich, yum!”
2. Then you can say “Hmm, I wonder what you ate at lunchtime… (look quizzical and count to ten in your head so they have time to process and answer you, and if they don’t answer…) I think you must have eaten frogspawn on toast!” (or whatever you want to guess at).
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Other ideas:
“I wonder if you played outside”
“I wonder what rooms you went in today”
“I wonder who you played with today”
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Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get much a response to begin with – your child may choose to answer your wonderings an hour later!
Keep trying every day, whether it’s as you walk home from school, when you’re snuggled up on the sofa, or over the dinner table.
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21/07/2023

01/07/2023

I’ve always had a fascination with how I can incorporate music and singing into my SLT work… an interest I’m giving more time and energy to once again! And last night I went to the Royal Opera House to watch my A-level Music buddy’s opera: Woman At Point Zero. The fabulous then invited me to the after party and I got to hang out with opera singers, composers, conductors, musicians, and even more lovely people!

23/05/2023

Research actually shows that knowing how to facilitate interactions is NOT intuitive to most of us 😨! (Kent-Walsh et al, 2016). . .
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Many children develop their speech and language skills without needing any specialist intervention. But for the child who is struggling to communicate, for whatever reason, their best tool and advocate, is a supportive communication partner who can facilitate their interactions. . .
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This is why I do parent-child interaction training through the feedback of video with the majority of my clients, regardless of their communication profile. . .
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If your child is struggling to communicate I highly recommend finding a qualified SLT who can skill you up into becoming a supportive communication partner for your child. In the meantime, check out my videos and tips from previous posts!! . . .
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17/05/2023

Top Tip - if you can use the bath then use it!
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It is so tough for our little ones when they’re not feeling well or are struggling with their emotions. This is because they have to learn how to cope with feeling these big feelings and how to calm themselves down (self-regulate) enough to communicate them to us. . .
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My little man had had a tough time the week i took this photo; he was a few days post operation (he had had his tonsils and adenoids taken out, ouch!). I will do a post soon on preparing your child for an operation. When he got in the bath this evening he was soon happily chatting away to himself, playing with these fabulous boats (). . .
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So if you are somewhere where you can run a bath for your child, then let them jump in and relax. It is amazing how baths have cheered up the sickest or saddest of children in my house at times. . .
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16/05/2023

❤️

Stop minimizing and discounting your feelings. You have every right to feel the way you do. Your feelings may not always be logical, but they are always valid.

Because if you feel something, then you feel it and it’s real to you. It’s not something you can ignore or wish away. It’s there, gnawing at you, tugging at your core, and in order to find peace, you have to give yourself permission to feel whatever it is you feel.
.. You have to drown out the voices of people who try to shame you into silence. You have to listen to the sound of your own breathing and honor the truth inside you.

Because despite what you may believe, you don’t need anyone’s validation or approval to feel what you feel. Your feelings are inherently right and true. They’re important and they matter — you matter — and it is more than okay to feel what you feel. Don’t let anyone, including yourself, convince you otherwise.

~ Daniell Koepke

Photo : Poppy Leigh Social Media

09/05/2023

May 2023 is Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) (www.asha.org). .
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27/04/2023

TOP TIP:
Make the most of the everyday mundane routine rituals to create good quality communication time with your baby / child. .
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Most parents will feel the guilt. I haven’t spoken to my baby / child enough today, I haven’t taken them out of the house enough this week, I haven’t done any colouring with them today, I haven’t, I haven’t...!!
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But, dear parent, what about the things you HAVE done. .
What about the things you have to do on a daily / fairly frequent schedule, like bath-time? . .
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Bath time is an absolutely fantastic time to create a little magic in your child’s day. .
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It’s also brilliant as an opportunity to communicate. .
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Here you have them captive in your presence so that you can look 👀 at each other and talk.
Forget about using this as an opportunity to clean the sink / loo, and please leave that phone on the landing! This, dear parent, is a time to communicate with your child. .
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Our lives are so busy hey? But this is a moment in your day, a moment most children love, and a moment where you can:
•slow down
•be face to face
•talk when you’re looking at each other’s faces - not the side or back of a head, but actually gaze at each other while you speak. .
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In these photos I’m using a plastic tea set I found in the Flying Tiger. .
Any toys that are made of plastic and won’t get water trapped in them (beware of mould growing inside bath toys!!) are brilliant - even better if they can float. Myriad toys do some gorgeous water proof wooden toys - we have a pirate ship atm which gets used every bath-time!. .
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Why not try rubbing / pouring some food colouring on the inside of your bath and letting your child paint with their fingers? My kids love this!! (And yes you can now tick off ‘Do painting with Tom’ from your to-do list 😉). .
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26/04/2023

My mind is on singing and voice care today as l start to prepare to sing at my kids school summer ☀️ fair in June…
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TOP TIP for tired parents: don’t forget to care for your voice.
If you’re anything like me you’ll be frequently reaching for the tea and coffee to get you through the day, especially when you didn’t get the 7-9 hours of deep sleep you’d been longing for. Remember to drink a cup of water afterwards when the caffeine is a must 😉. .
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Staying hydrated:. .
• Six to eight glasses of water a day is recommended.
• Limit your intake of drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine, which can cause the body to lose water and make the vocal folds and larynx dry. Alcohol also irritates the mucous membranes that line the throat.
• Use a humidifier in your home. This is especially important in winter or in dry climates. Thirty percent humidity is recommended.
• Avoid or limit use of medications that dry out the vocal folds, including some common cold and allergy medications. If you have voice problems, ask your doctor which medications would be safest for you to use. .
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Other:
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.
• Use your voice wisely. .
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www.nidcd.nih.gov (2019)
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