Making Connections LLC

Making Connections LLC Pediatric speech and language therapy clinic

✨ Before a child can talk, listen, eat, or learn, their brain and body must first feel safe and calm.🧠 The brain works i...
10/16/2025

✨ Before a child can talk, listen, eat, or learn, their brain and body must first feel safe and calm.

🧠 The brain works in layers:
1️⃣ Survival – “Am I safe?”
2️⃣ Emotional – “Am I loved and understood?”
3️⃣ Thinking/Communicating – “Now I can talk, listen, and learn.”

When the lower layers aren’t secure, communication can’t fully happen. Regulation isn’t extra; it’s the foundation.

🌿 Connection comes before communication.

💬 Question: What helps your child feel safe and calm before they can talk or learn? Share your go-to strategies below 👇

Breathe your way to calm.October is Emotional Wellness Month 🍁—a reminder to slow down, breathe, and care for our mental...
10/08/2025

Breathe your way to calm.

October is Emotional Wellness Month 🍁—a reminder to slow down, breathe, and care for our mental health.

A simple tool I teach families is 4–8 Breathing: inhale through the nose for 4, exhale slowly through the mouth for 8, and repeat for 1–2 minutes.

This activates the body’s “rest + digest” system, releases tension, supports relaxation and sleep, and builds mindfulness at the end of busy days.

Try it with your child at bedtime (or use it yourself whenever stress feels overwhelming). Save this for tonight 🌙

October is Emotional Wellness Month 💛—the perfect time to focus on tools that help us feel calm, centered, and in contro...
10/02/2025

October is Emotional Wellness Month 💛—the perfect time to focus on tools that help us feel calm, centered, and in control.

Box Breathing (4–4–4–4):
➡️ Inhale for 4
➡️ Hold for 4
➡️ Exhale for 4
➡️ Hold for 4
➡️ Repeat

🌿 Benefits:
• Reduces stress + anxiety
• Creates balance in the nervous system
• Improves focus and self-regulation
• A simple reset for kids and adults

This month, try box breathing when you (or your child) feel overwhelmed, worried, or need a brain break. Emotional wellness starts with the breath. 🫶

Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder where the brain has trouble planning the movements needed for speech.Kids o...
09/25/2025

Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder where the brain has trouble planning the movements needed for speech.
Kids often know what they want to say—but can’t always get the words out. 💬

With therapy, children build speech pathways step by step—and progress happens. 🧠➡️🗣

❓ Has your child ever been evaluated for apraxia?

👩‍⚕️ Send us a message today if you’d like to learn more or schedule an evaluation. We’re here to help!

🦜☠️ Ahoy, Mateys! ☠️🦜It’s National Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we’re celebrating the joy of communication! 🗣️💬Just like ...
09/19/2025

🦜☠️ Ahoy, Mateys! ☠️🦜
It’s National Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we’re celebrating the joy of communication! 🗣️💬

Just like pirates need clear speech to shout “Land Ho!” or give directions on the high seas, kiddos need strong communication skills to share their ideas, make friends, and be understood.

We help children strengthen their speech and language skills—whether it’s learning to say new sounds, building sentences, or finding their voice through AAC.

🏴‍☠️ So while we may be practicing our “Arrr’s” today… we’re really helping kids say ALL their sounds with confidence!

📞 Call us at 573-206-9050 or send us a message to learn how speech therapy can support your child’s communication journey.

🎉✨ Happy Birthday, Lauren! ✨🎉Today we celebrate YOU — an incredible speech therapist and teammate. Your dedication, comp...
09/19/2025

🎉✨ Happy Birthday, Lauren! ✨🎉

Today we celebrate YOU — an incredible speech therapist and teammate. Your dedication, compassion, and expertise have changed the lives of our clients.💙

Thank you for bringing your heart, your talent, and your joy into everything you do. We are so grateful to have you on our team and can’t wait to see all the amazing things this year brings for you.

🥳🎂 Here’s to another year of growth, laughter, and making a difference together!

🥄 Tongue Lateralization for Feeding DevelopmentBefore little ones can safely chew and move foods around their mouths, th...
09/17/2025

🥄 Tongue Lateralization for Feeding Development

Before little ones can safely chew and move foods around their mouths, they need to learn how to move their tongue side to side (lateralization). This skill develops gradually in infancy and is essential for safe eating.

👶 Babies (around 6 months):
• Early purees encourage forward–back tongue movement.
• Introducing small tastes on the sides of the lips helps the tongue start shifting side to side.

👧 Older babies to toddlers:
• Tongue lateralization helps move soft solids from the front of the mouth to the gums for chewing.
• It supports safe handling of textures like soft fruits, puffs, and small pieces of table food.

🌟 Ways to encourage tongue lateralization for feeding:
1. Flavored prompts: Place a small dab of puree or yogurt on one corner of your child’s lips and wait for their tongue to find it.
2. Safe tools: Use a baby spoon, teether, or soft silicone feeder to gently touch the corners of the mouth.
3. Chewing practice: Offer dissolvable puffs or soft foods that require tongue movement to push side-to-side.
4. Modeling: Playfully show your child how you move your tongue while eating or making silly faces.

💡 Pro tip: Keep mealtimes positive and pressure-free—skills grow with time, exposure, and playful practice.

🇺🇸 Today, on Patriot Day, we pause to remember the lives lost and the heroes who showed courage on September 11, 2001.In...
09/11/2025

🇺🇸 Today, on Patriot Day, we pause to remember the lives lost and the heroes who showed courage on September 11, 2001.

In our work, we see every day how resilience, hope, and connection make us stronger — values that remind us of the unity our nation showed during that time. 💙❤️🤍

May we never forget.

✨ Did you know Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can affect how your child eats, speaks, breathes, and even sleep...
09/10/2025

✨ Did you know Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can affect how your child eats, speaks, breathes, and even sleeps? These signs are often overlooked—but early support makes all the difference.

👶 Common red flags include:
💨 Mouth breathing
👅 Tongue thrust
🍽️ Trouble chewing or swallowing
🗣️ Speech difficulties

If you notice any of these, don’t wait. The earlier therapy begins, the easier it is to help your child thrive at home, in school, and socially. 💙

📲 Have questions or want to schedule an evaluation? Send me a message today—I’d love to guide you through the next steps and answer anything you may be wondering about. Your child’s confidence and health are worth it. 🌟

Address

525 East McCarty Street, Suite 5
Jefferson City, MO
65101

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Making Connections LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Making Connections LLC:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category