Communicate & Connect Therapy, LLC

08/08/2025

📬✨ Summer Fun Literacy Activity: Send a Card! 

Nothing beats the joy of a surprise card in the mail — and it’s a fun way to sneak in some writing and social-emotional learning! 💌✍️ 

Here’s how to turn card-writing into a meaningful literacy boost: 

🧠 Think Before You Write 
– Choose someone to send a card to: a family member, friend, teacher… or even someone you don’t know, like a frontline worker or soldier! 🇺🇸💗 
– Talk about why you’re sending it. 

🎨 Get Creative 
– Pick a card at the store OR make one with paper and art supplies! 

📝 Plan Your Message 
– Draft your message on scratch paper 
– Use CHOPS to revise your writing: 
 Capitalization Handwriting Organization Punctuation Spelling 
– Then neatly write it on the card 

📮 Bonus Literacy Points: 
Have your child help address the envelope and add the stamp too! 🧑‍💼📫 

This activity supports: 
🔤 Writing mechanics 
🧠 Planning and organizing thoughts 
💌 Empathy and perspective-taking 
📖 Vocabulary and sentence structure 

08/01/2025

🎉 Silly Games, Serious Skills! ☀️📚 
Want a screen-free activity that builds reading & writing skills and delivers big laughs? Try MAD LIBS! 🤪✍️ 

This silly fill-in-the-blank game helps kids:

🔤 Practice Reading & Writing 
🧠 Build Vocabulary & Spelling Skills 
📚 Learn Parts of Speech 
🔎 Spot Word Patterns & Suffixes 

👉 Try these learning tips while you play: 
✔️ Ask family members to suggest words — your child writes them down while sounding out each word 
✔️ Check spelling together 🕵️ 
✔️ Identify word types: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs 
✔️ Notice suffixes! 
* Adjectives: -ous, -able/ible, -al, -ful, -ic, -ive, -less 
* Adverbs: -ly, -wards, -wise, -ily, -ally 
✔️ Have your child read the final story aloud and enjoy the giggles! 😂📖 

💡 Pro tip: Play at the park, on road trips, or even at dinner! 

06/02/2025

It's Research Tuesday! Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) may be misidentified if they also have ADHD or Dyslexia. Read this article from AJSLP that highlights the relationship between word reading and ADHD in children with DLD and Dyslexia: https://at.asha.org/El

05/16/2025

🎉 Happy Speech-Language Pathologist Appreciation Day! 🎉

While the official day isn’t until May 18th, we couldn’t wait to start celebrating the amazing SLPs at Communicate and Connect Therapy!

Whether you're supporting speech, language, or literacy skills, your work helps kids thrive—not just in the classroom, but in every part of life. Your expertise, compassion, and dedication open doors to meaningful communication, academic success, and a lifelong love of learning.

We’re so grateful for all that you do!

05/15/2025

We’re proud to celebrate 10 years as a SPELL-Links Certified Center!

For a decade, Communicate & Connect Therapy has been committed to evidence-based literacy intervention—and we’re so honored to be part of this incredible community. 💬📚

A heartfelt thank you to SPELL-Links|Learning By Design, Inc. for the kind words —we’re grateful for your support!

We are thrilled to announce that Communicate & Connect Therapy, LLC, under the direction and supervision of Adria Leno, MS, CCC-SLP, has been a SPELL-Links Certified Center for 10 years! YAY! HOORAY! WOO-HOO! 🙌 🙌 🙌

05/14/2025

📣 Curious about your child’s speech and language milestones?
From cooing to conversations, communication development in the early years lays the foundation for lifelong learning.

🎥 Check out this free video from ASHA that walks you through typical communication development from birth to age five — and when to seek help:
🔗 https://stream.asha.org/your-childs-communication-development-birth-to-five-years

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, this is a great resource to better understand how young children learn to communicate.

How does a child’s communication skills develop in their first five years of life? What milestones...

05/05/2025

🎉 Happy Birthday to Adria—our founder, CEO, and an incredible speech-language pathologist! 🎂🎈

Today, we’re celebrating Adria, whose passion for language and literacy has shaped not only our clinic but also the lives of countless clients and team members. Her dedication, empathy, and expertise set the standard for excellence every single day. 💬📚✨

Whether she’s empowering students, mentoring clinicians, or cheering on her team, Adria brings warmth, vision, and heart to everything she does. When she’s not leading with purpose, you’ll find her cooking up something delicious in the kitchen, spending time with loved ones, or relaxing with her beloved kitties. 🍳💕🐾

Adria, your impact reaches far and wide. You inspire us all to aim higher, care deeper, and lead with integrity. Here’s to a year filled with joy, fulfillment, and everything that brings you happiness! 🌟

05/01/2025

Prevent the Summer Slide—and Set the Stage for Success! 📚☀️

Looking to help your child retain hard-earned progress or make serious gains in reading, writing, or executive functioning this summer?

Communicate & Connect Therapy offers intensive, individualized support for students from preschool through college who are facing challenges with language, literacy, and learning.

🌟 Our Intensive Summer Intervention Program (ISIP) 🌟
This tuition-based program delivers 10, 15, or 20 hours of one-on-one therapy—tailored to your child’s specific needs and goals. Sessions take place over multiple weeks (consecutive or not—we know summer gets busy) and are offered in-person at our Ravenswood Manor clinic or virtually via Zoom.

You choose the schedule that works for your family:

🧠 20 hours for maximum momentum

✍️ 15 hours for steady skill-building

📖 10 hours for a lighter touch that reinforces learning during a busy summer

ISIP runs five days per week and includes detailed planning, parent communication, and scheduling options that respect your summer plans—all within a structure that fosters meaningful progress.

📅 Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

📩 To learn more or reserve your child’s spot, email us at info@candctherapy.com

04/23/2025

🚨 We're Hiring! 🚨

Communicate & Connect Therapy is growing, and we’re looking for a passionate speech language pathologist for a part-time position! If you're someone who values connection, collaboration, and making a real impact, we want to hear from you.

🔗 Apply here: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Communicate-&-Connect-Therapy,-Llc./jobs?jk=645be46025c45a37&start=0&clearPrefilter=1

We're all about supporting our clients and our team. If you're ready to work in an environment that truly cares—this might be your next great move.

Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Tag them below or share this post! 🙌

04/14/2025

🌟 Therapist Spotlight: Meet Rena Spiegel, SLP & Certified SPELL-Links Provider! 🌟

Rena has been with C&C Therapy since 2017 and brings a deep passion for literacy to every session. As a certified SPELL-Links provider, she helps clients strengthen their reading, writing, and communication skills through personalized, engaging therapy.

Whether she is targeting reading, writing, or language skills, Rena ensures every session is personalized, meaningful, and, of course, sprinkled with a little humor along the way! 💬📚

She also serves as Chair of the Speech and Communication Disorders Department at Sarah Hartman Women’s College, where she mentors the next generation of SLPs.

Outside of work, Rena enjoys spending time with her family, going on leisurely hikes, exercising, and diving into a good book. We’re so lucky to have her on our team! 💛

04/11/2025

👉 A must-read for educators, parents, and anyone who works with kids.

ADHD and DLD can have overlapping symptoms and lead to misdiagnosis. Learn more at DLDandMe.org by reading the article by Tatyana Elleseff MA CCC-SLP https://www.dldandme.org/all-articles/beyond-adhd-the-hidden-language-challenges-behind-academic-struggles?rq=beyond

04/04/2025

At Communicate & Connect Therapy, we believe every child deserves a safe and nurturing environment. Recognizing the signs of child abuse and knowing how to respond can make a profound difference.

Learn more about the indicators and steps to take if you suspect a child is in danger: https://dcfs.illinois.gov/safe-kids/prevention/howtotell/tips-for-recognizing-child-abuse.html.

Together, we can protect our community's children.