Smart Play Therapy

11/08/2025

I have a little weekend challenge for all you awesome parents out there 👊⬇️

What if instead of playing with our children the way that WE think play should be...we simply join in and let THEM direct the play (no matter what that kind of play is).

Dr. Richard Solomon, Behavioral Pediatrician and creator of The P.L.A.Y Project states that "When you do what the child loves, he or she will love being with you."

You might be asking...what does all of this have to do with speech and language skills 🤔 Well...if your child loves being with you and you are doing what they love, won't they want to communicate more with you? I know as an adult I love talking with people who love the same things that I do.

My challenge to you this weekend is to join your child where they are and follow their lead in play...I promise you will love it and they will love you for it 😉

11/05/2025

It's that feeling when someone is continuously asking you questions that you either don't know the answers to or don't see the need to answer the same questions over and over 🥴

This is how our toddlers feel when we are constantly quizzing them
❓What's this?
❓What sound does it make?
❓What color is this?
❓What letter is this?

Instead...make more comments to TEACH and fewer questions to TEST! Try to make three comments for every one question.

This helps to
👉Reduce pressure
👉Teach new things
👉Keeps your child with you and not running away from the "test"

11/05/2025

Join Bethany Graham at Thrive Feeding and Lactation for a parent class on Understanding Picky Eating. She is very knowledgeable and this class is packed full of excellent information!!

11/04/2025

Reading to your little one, as early as possible, is a wonderful way to build language and literacy skills...but don't feel like you have to read the book word for word each time.

Here are some ideas for how to make reading more interactive and help enhance language skills.

📕For the toddlers:
- Point out specific pictures and simply label the object or action
- Use hand gestures and enthusiasm in your voice to emphasize important words in the story
- Play a game of seek and find...ask your child to find certain items or people that are on the page
📘For the preschoolers:
- Ask your child open ended questions about what they see on the page
- Talk about similar real life experiences
- If the story is familiar to your child, have them try to tell the story in their own words

Making reading fun and engaging sets your child up for a future of loving books 🤓

10/31/2025

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween 🎃

10/30/2025

To wrap up AAC awareness month we wanted to share this quote from Ido Kedar who is a non-speaking autistic AAC user.

Ido Kedar's book "Ido is Autismland: Climbing out of Autism's Silent Prison" is a remarkable inside look at non-speaking autism where he chronicles his personal growth in his struggles to overcome his limitations.

👉 This is why it is so important for us to presume competence, especially for non-speaking people. We should never assume that they don't understand what is being said and always presume that they can think, learn, and understand even if they cannot show you in a conventional way.

10/29/2025

Just want to give another shout out for this beautiful movie that shows us the journey to finding a voice for non-speaking people and why early introduction to robust AAC is so important ❤️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVxyoQQzFs

10/27/2025

💫 Connection first - Building a genuine and authentic connection with your child will help them build trust and know that we are a true partner who cares deeply about their interests.

💫 Focus on what matters - Your child’s happiness and well being are what comes first. Growth happens when they feel valued.

💫 Start with regulation - We meet kids where they are! Starting with sensory system regulation and then building engagement and finally communication.

💫 Prioritize autonomous communication - We follow the Communication Bill of Rights. Every child deserves the right to freely express themselves in any mode that they choose. We follow their lead to support them in finding self determination to make choices freely and interact authentically.

10/24/2025

In today's edition of "Who Wore it Best" we are supporting our hometown teams in their long-standing rivalry on the field tonight.
💙💛🏈🧡🖤

You know us though...we just want everyone to have fun 🙌

10/23/2025

The kids are LOVING our new compression swing at the clinic!!

AND

We are LOVING all of the awesome options from Fun and Functional to help keep them regulated and engaged while supporting their communication!

We have added so many things to our Christmas list already 😁🎅

Cozy Compression Swing

10/21/2025

Our children's overall well-being and development are very important to us as parents. So when we get that feeling in our gut that something seems a little different we start asking the questions 🤔

"Is this normal for her age?"
"Should we get him checked out?"
"Should we wait and see?"

When we use the "wait and see" mentality in response to a speech and language delay we could be missing out on important early intervention. 👉 Early intervention can give you a clearer understanding of your child's unique needs and teach you how to best support your child so you don't have to keep asking the "wait and see" question.

As a Speech Language Pathologist, we are trained in all methods of communication and can help support children in their communication journey as early as 9-12 months old.

➡️Yes, sometimes we do complete an evaluation and our recommendation is to give them a few more months to grow and see how things go BUT this comes with expert advice and suggestions for how to support them best. It also comes with open communication with the SLP and a close watch on your child over the next few months.

We would love to chat with you so you can stop asking the "wait and see" questions. Fill out the contact form or give us a call for a FREE phone consult with an SLP to answer all of your questions and make a plan!

☎️ 937-368-7847
💻 www.smartplaytherapy.com/contact

10/17/2025

We love personalizing our clients AAC devices with words and phrases that are fun and communicative. It might be a gestalt/phrase that they are using to communicate, a picture of a special person in their life, or a story that tells about a fun weekend adventure. Sometimes children use video clips to access language and it is our job to investigate how or when they are using it and bring it to life on their AAC device.

Personalizing the device helps them to get excited about communicating and connecting with others!

I mean, let's be real, who doesn't want to talk about their absolute favorite things all day long 💁‍♀️