Speak Up Speech Therapy

02/22/2023

Now offering free screenings! Are you concerned about your child's speech and language skills, but aren't sure if speech therapy is warranted? Contact us today to set up a free screening. It's quick and easy and can help you better understand if your child is at risk for speech and language delays.

05/13/2022

It's always exciting to see someone use a different form of communication to express themselves. AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) for the win! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-valedictorian-orlando-rollins-college_n_627dad7ae4b010453ae3294f Valedictorian With Nonverbal Autism Delivers Inspiring Commencement Address

The 24-year-old college valedictorian used text-to-speech software to deliver her commencement speech.

02/23/2022

Parents, please be advised: These new milestones do not accurately reflect your child's development and should be considered with caution. No specialists regarding motor and speech development (speech, occupational, and physical therapists) were consulted when these changes were made. Early intervention is key to helping children with delays meet their developmental milestones. If you have concerns about your child's development, go with your gut and ask for a referral to a specialist. It never hurts to be proactive.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has reached out to the CDC and is attempting to work with them on how to more appropriately address speech, language, and social communication development.

Dear ASHA Members:

ASHA is in the process of analyzing the recent revisions to the developmental milestones used in the CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. initiative. This process includes a comprehensive comparison of the previous vs. new guidelines, as well as a comparison to ASHA-specified milestones. ASHA is also conducting an extensive review of published scientific literature.

ASHA has reached out to CDC, expressing its concern about inconsistencies and urging the agency to utilize the expertise of SLPs when making changes to developmental milestones in speech, language, feeding, and social communication. In general, ASHA is supportive of efforts to help identify children earlier, but the milestones presented to parents must be evidence-based in order for families to make well-informed decisions about their children's care.

ASHA will provide members with an update once its review process is completed and correlating action steps are determined.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
https://on.asha.org/342WAaL

11/02/2020

Last year, with the support of my family, I took a leap of faith and started my own private practice. I had a small windowless office with a desk and a few toys. With hard work and the constant support of my family, I've been able to grow my practice and upgrade my office. With increased space and a new swing and trampoline, I'm excited about how much better I can serve my clients. Progress is made with purposeful play! Thankfully, my new office is in the same building, just a different suite. @ Clackamas, Oregon

06/16/2020

It's never too early to talk to your kids! This dad is teaching his son so much about language and social communication.

06/03/2020

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder that I am open for business! I'm currently providing therapy via in person and tele-therapy sessions. For in person sessions, I have a clear shield that I can wear to protect my clients and I clean in between each client with disinfectant wipes. My office space is small with limited exposure to other people in my business plaza which makes it easy to keep my therapy environment safe.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions regarding therapy either online or in person.

I look forward to hearing from you!

05/18/2020

This is so important for parents to see. Sippy cups are convenient but are definitely not necessary for a baby/toddler's development. There is research to show that use of sippy cups can lead to delays in oral motor development and can result in tongue thrust which can lead to problems with dentition and articulation.

Straw cups, open cups or 360 training cups are ideal alternatives to sippy cups. Here are some of my favorite straw and 360 training cups:

1) Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup, Green/Blue, 7 Oz, 2 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MRZIFD0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4cGWEbR0SB3ZK

2) Dr. Brown's Cheers 360 Spoutless Training Cup, 9m+, 10 Ounce, Blue/Aqua, 2 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WM7FBF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TeGWEb2SGNF47

3) Munchkin SnackCatch & Sip 2-in-1 Snack Catcher and 2 Piece Spill-Proof Cup, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07895M6D9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FgGWEb30EGMNB

4) Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Straw Cup, 7 Ounce, Green, Pack of 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQSITMI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GlGWEbGD2FC08

https://www.facebook.com/146340342073238/posts/4019607614746472/?vh=e

12/03/2019

Something to think about when buying Christmas presents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a report saying that simple toys hold the most benefits for children.

10/21/2019

This is important information to know and share. A milestone is not an average. We have to be careful not to lower our expectations of children’s development. Thank you Mrs. Speechie P. fir sharing.

EVERY SLP, pediatrician, teacher, pediatric therapist/interventionist, and parent needs to see this and know the difference between milestones and averages. BOTH of these are important to know and consider when looking at a child’s development, and it’s critical to know the difference. Why? Because many parents (and pediatricians) are interpreting milestones as averages and as a result, children in need of assessment and likely intervention are NOT getting referred. In fact, when you look up milestones on the Mayoclinic and WebMD they are EASILY confused as averages as they use phrases like “say as many as 10 words!” - as if that was a lot. This leads parents to think their children are “not that far behind” when they have less words than the milestone- when in fact, the child could be significantly behind. So please understand milestones are minimums and if your child is at or below that level, they are in the bottom 10% of kids their age- which means intervention is most likely needed. It’s also important to understand the average isn’t a maximum, it’s what 50% of children are able to do- so half of the children at that age are even higher than that number. If your child is at or below the milestones listed below, please consider a speech and language evaluation!

10/04/2019