SPEECHCO Therapy Services

08/29/2025

Flexible seating in the classroom means designing the environment to respect and support the diverse sensory, emotional, and cognitive needs of ALL learners.

Some tips:

-Allow students to choose seating that works best for their body and brain.

-Offer options that accommodate different sensory profiles.

Seating for Movement Seekers:
• Wobble stools, rocking chairs, balance balls
• Standing desks with foot fidgets or wobble boards

Seating for Sensory Sensitivity:
• Soft, quiet bean bags

-Flexible doesn’t mean chaotic.

• Use visual schedules and clearly labeled zones so students know expectations.
• Keep consistent “home base” options for students who thrive on routine.

Our balance cushions are now back in stock in all colours www.ot-abc.com

08/24/2025

Supporting students with special needs often comes down to having the right tools at the right time.

iPads have opened powerful new possibilities, from apps that help kids with dyslexia build literacy skills, to communication tools for nonverbal learners, to navigation and accessibility apps for students with low vision.

In my latest guide, I’ve rounded up some of the most useful apps teachers and parents are already relying on:

1. Dyslexia apps: phonics games, audiobooks, and screening tools
2. Autism apps: AAC communication, speech therapy, and social skills practice
3. Low vision apps: object recognition, talking cameras, and Braille learning

This is a work in progress and I’ll be updating it regularly as I test and add new apps.

08/23/2025

08/17/2025

Don’t forget the kids who are doing the extra work.

The kids whose days don’t end with the final bell, the kids whose breaks don’t follow a school calendar.

The kids who spend their afternoons being shuttled to speech, or PT, or OT.

The kids whose schedules include services and therapies, on top of everything else.

The kids who need extra help and support.

The kids who are struggling to overcome barriers—whether physical, mental, or emotional.

The kids who don’t follow the typical schedules, hit the expected milestones, take the traditional path.

The kids who might need different strategies and tools to help them learn.

These kids are working so hard, too.

They’re tired, too, even if their successes seem smaller or maybe even completely unnoticeable to most.

There likely aren’t any awards for them at the end of the year, or special recognition for how far they’ve come.

But take it from me—they are working SO dang hard.

Don’t forget to acknowledge their efforts.

Because what might be a small hurdle on the track for most kids, could be a Herculean task for a kid who has to try 10 times harder just to make it to the starting line.

These kids might not excel in traditional ways, but there’s nothing unexceptional about them.

Because they work harder for every win, and they don’t take a single one for granted.

08/11/2025

07/29/2025

If you are like me and have active kids, all that inside time creates a problem. Try these fun indoor sensory diet activities!

07/11/2025

The vestibular system’s physical structures are mostly developed before birth 👶, but the brain pathways that process this input continue to mature through adolescence 🧠.

That development depends on active movement—especially in early childhood 🤸‍♂️.

When kids crawl, spin, jump, swing, and climb, they’re not just playing—they’re strengthening brain connections that support balance, focus, emotional control, and learning 🎯🪁📚.

Today, many children spend too much time sitting, especially with increased screen time 📱🪑.
Studies show that more than half of a child’s waking hours are spent in non-active states.

Without regular vestibular input, key motor and cognitive skills may not fully develop 🚫🧩.

Let’s get kids moving!