Speech Therapy on the Go

09/13/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1056077172048846&id=100029397191277&mibextid=qC1gEa

03/30/2023

When you have a "regular" child you feel reasonably confident that class participation and decent study habits will result in good grades. These guys have close friends. They are invited to participate in social things such as dances and weekend gatherings. They form teams, audition organizations, and clubs.
But when you have a child with neurological differences, this is often not the case. Learning can take longer, both academically and socially. Despite their tremendous efforts, results are often a fraction of their peers and social acceptance is fleeting, setting them up for painful comparisons and bitter frustration. Instead of a fun and rewarding experience, school can become a breeding ground for depression and anxiety—and assign a battlefield at home. It's exhausting for both parents and kids. ❤️✨

💜💙💛This Monday starts the week of SPED (Special Education), AUTISM, Asperger, Dyslexia ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and any neurological difference, awareness.

To all the children struggling every day to succeed in a world that doesn't recognize their gifts and talents, ✨ and for those who are walking alongside them, please let this be a loving reminder to be kind and accepting of ALL people.

Children who learn differently are not weird. They are simply talented in ways our society doesn't appreciate enough. Yet they want what everyone else wants: To be accepted!!
💜💚💜

If you so choose, please COPY AND PASTE this in honor of all the children who, like so many, are considered "different." Our world would be so much less beautiful without them and so much easier with your empathy..

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍 for the wonderful children who make HUGE efforts every single day of their lives.

10/25/2020

Thank you Tamara for writing this :

During this time of Covid and online learning we continue to see so much change. Decreased engagement, decreased grades and questionable learning. As my sister reminded me, grades don’t depict learning. This is something I am constantly reflecting on because I am not sure what grades measure at this given time. I also know that our children are learning so many other skills (I.e., technology skills, organization, time management, digital citizenship, typing, formatting AND academics) that maybe their academics are slightly on hold as they brains are being rewired and required to learn more than just the academics. Therefore, there is a lull in academic scores and achievement. However, learning is still taking place. Attention and engagement are a struggle right now for good reason. Even though we are home...there are still many things fighting for our attention.

Our emotional states are taxed during this time. Our brains are hardwired to use emotions to help us filter, retain and determine what goes to our frontal lobe for further learning and thinking. This just makes me reflect on the importance of connection before correction, grace before grades, and the importance of engagement in education. “...emotions serve as the gateway for getting our attention and for deciding what information is processed. If the limbic area interprets the new information as negative, it may deny access to the frontal lobe, thereby inhibiting thinking and learning. On the other hand if the limbic structures interpret the information as positive and they grant access to the frontal lobe which can then boost thinking and learning, and determine whether the new learning makes sense and has meaning.”

Bottom line: when teachers and parents tie emotions to curriculum context students are likely to remember it. I would add, let those emotions be positive and encouraging because our students and children need more poured into their emotional cup to fill their self esteem.

10/13/2020

This is a universal truth but so imperative to virtual learning:

“...emotions drive attention, and attention drives learning. Consequently, students who feel emotionally disengaged from their school are not inclined to become intellectually engaged. “

“Whenever students get emotionally involved in their learning, they are more likely to remember it.”

08/09/2020

From Gracie Brown:

I would just like to put this out there. If your children are not around special needs children at school, and have never been taught that not everyone is the same, then maybe you could take 10 minutes tonight to explain this to them. Because even though they may not be around these children at school, they will encounter them in their lives, as it should be.
In the light of recent events on the exclusion of a child who has autism or ADHD from participating in a school trip, and a child with Down Syndrome being kicked out of dance class because she couldn't keep up, I feel the need to share this. There are boys and girls that nobody invites to birthday parties.
There are special kids who want to belong to a team but don't get selected because it is more important to win than to include these children. Children with special needs are not rare or strange; they only want what everyone else wants—to be accepted !! For all the wonderful children out there.
💖❤️💘💜💝🧡💞💛💓💚💗💙🖤🤎

Please teach your children to be kind to these beautiful children!❤️

08/04/2020

I see you taking your kid to therapy while your friends take their kids to football or ballet.

I see you sneak out of the conversation when all your friends boast about achievements and exam notes.

I see you juggle events and meetings.

I see you sitting on the computer for hours investigating what your child needs.

I see you make a bad face when people complain about what looks like nonsense.

I see you disappear little by little but you keep going beyond for your family.

I see you pull strength from weakness with a force you didn't even dream you had.

I see you showing respect for teachers, therapists and medical professionals who help your child and help you.

Watching you wake up early in the morning to do it all again after another chaotic night.

I see you when you're on the edge of the precipice struggling to live.

I know you feel invisible, like no one notices.
But I want you to know that I see you.

I see you push forward always. I see you choose to do everything you can to give your child the best care at home, school, therapy and the doctors.
What you do matters. It's worth the struggle.

On those days when you wonder if you can make it one more minute, I want you to know I see you.

I want you to know that you are beautiful.
I want you to know it's worth it. I want you to know that you are not alone. I want you to know that love is the most important thing, and that you are the best at it.

And in those days when you see an improvement, those moments when hard work has its reward, and you can taste success, I'll see you then too.
And I'm proud of you.

Whatever day today.....you're doing it right.

And I see you. ❤

✒ Alethea Mshar
📷 John Walker / Flickr

07/29/2020

Do this now if you want to make a difference! See that number? 48744 Text it withe the message STUDENTS and you will have access to our senators to share your concerns, fears and expectations. Took 10 seconds to do. Action makes change! Inaction keeps things status quo. Are you a warrior for education?

07/29/2020

It goes deeper than this one story.

A Colorado Kindergarten teacher allegedly said the following on social media: I'm so tired of hearing about special needs children...They were re****** before COVID and they’ll still be re****** after...Do you really think they will be any different after staying a year at home with their parents...Sorry, you f***** got pregnant and had a re****** kid. Your problem not mine. And yes, I’m a f****** teacher.

Of course, this is despicable. The school board is moving towards dismissing him.

Still, special needs parents are posting the story. Why?

Because it goes deeper than just one man’s words.

You see, most people don’t make outwardly horrendous comments like these about our kids.

They are much more subtle.

It’s the in-law’s friend who decides to pull you aside and explain why your views on school inclusion are wrong.

It’s the acquaintance who makes you feel guilty for using tax dollars to get services for your child.

It’s the online commenter who says you did society a disservice by choosing not to abort.

It’s the disapproving stares from the old man at the store.

Do you see what I’m getting at?

It’s not just this one man’s words. It’s that over the years we have received a similar message from strangers and those who are close to us:

Your child is not as worthy as others.
Not worthy of services.
Not worthy of rights.
Not worthy of human dignity.
Not worthy to pursue happiness.
It’s your problem.
It’s their problem.
Not ours.
Deal with it.

I’m not saying these comments are the norm. I can’t speak for the special needs parenting community, but I can tell you that the positive outside encounters with our child have outweighed the negative ones.

But the negative ones are not forgotten.

And when we see something said that’s so egregious like the statement above, those old memories come rushing back.

Do you know why so many special needs parents are posting this teacher’s words? Because we know the truth- they are simply a symptom of a collective illness.

Thanks to the tireless work of advocates, society has improved for our children with disabilities. And yet still has so far to go.

Part of the cure is knowing this- a different life is not a less than life.

Our children are worthy.
Of rights.
Of extra support.
Of inclusion.
Of dignity.
Of growth.
Of the pursuit of happiness.

Why? Because they are human. Fully human. Like me. Like you.

We know that. We want you to know it too.

03/25/2020

This looks fun

Kids Stories In ASL

03/24/2020

In this time of crisis, enjoy every moment with your kids

And the results are delightful.

03/12/2020

02/27/2020

They rise to our expectations

02/25/2020

EVERY.SINGLE.WORD
- April Vernon
👇👇👇👇

01/31/2020

Free access to quality care accelerated his recovery after a prenatal stroke.

12/30/2019

This is why I love this profession. Helping one child find his/her voice one day at a time.

A journalist writes a letter thanking her childhood SLPs for helping her communicate clearly and learning to feel confident in her voice.

11/11/2019

We need to have these conversations at school

08/12/2019

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderResearch in Brief1 Aug 2019Pediatric Cancer Survivors With Severe Hearing Loss May Struggle With Reading https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.RIB1.24082019.16SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Children and adolescents who have survived b...