Blossom Speech and Language Therapy

12/13/2023

Giving your child a choice is a great communication opportunity between you and your child that you don’t wan to miss! This is a great way to give your child a chance to communicate their wants and needs.

💜TIP: Take every opportunity (snack time, play time, getting ready to go out) to ask your child between two choices, instead of making a choice for them. Let them communicate!

07/15/2023

Will exposing my child to more than one language cause a language delay? The answer is NO!. Exposing your child to two or more languages will not cause a language delay.⁠⁠⁠

Children all over the world learn more than one language all the time. Learning another language will not cause or worsen speech or language problems. Bilingual children develop language skills just as other children do.

TIP 💜: Speaking two languages is like any other skill. With practice and consistency, you can help your child use both languages with ease.

If you notice that your child has trouble in both languages, they may need help from a speech-language pathologist.

⭐️Is your family bilingual?!

References: www.asha.org

05/22/2023

Did you know that teeth play an important role in speech? They help to produce certain sounds and position the tongue and lips in the correct way for speech. Some sounds are more dependent on teeth than others.

✨ Here are some examples of how teeth help produce speech sounds:

⭐️The "s" sound is made by forcing air through a narrow opening between the tongue and the teeth.

⭐️The "f" sound is made by forcing air through a tiny opening between the upper teeth and the bottom lip.

⭐️The "th" sound is made by placing the tongue between the teeth and forcing air through.

💜If a child's teeth are not in the correct position, they may struggle to produce these sounds accurately. Moreover, missing teeth can make it challenging to make these sounds.

✨ If you think your child has speech difficulties, don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation.

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05/18/2023

05/17/2023

Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) often struggle with coordinating the muscles necessary for speech production, resulting in inconsistent and repetitive speech errors. They may have difficulty producing and sequencing sounds, syllables, and words, leading to distorted or unintelligible speech.

Speech therapy is the primary treatment for childhood apraxia of speech, which focuses on improving the child's motor planning and coordination skills through targeted exercises and interventions. Therapy may incorporate repetition, imitation, and multisensory approaches to help the child develop more accurate and fluent speech patterns.

05/11/2023

Now that you know the difference between speech and language, let me explain the difference between a Speech and a Language disorder.

⭐️ When a child has difficulties in saying sounds or articulating words, stutters when speaking, or has voice problems, they might have a speech disorder.

⭐️When a child has difficulties understanding what others say, and using language appropriately, they might have a receptive and/or expressive language disorder.

💜 If you suspect that your child is struggling with speech, language or both, don’t wait and see. It’s never too soon to ask for help. Let me know if you have any questions! 👇

05/08/2023

If you observe your child presenting any signs mentioned in this post, follow the five tips below.

⭐️ Get eye-to-eye with your child. This way can see your face and mouth when you talk to them.

⭐️Listen and respond to your child, even if they are not using words.

⭐️ Use different sounds and words with your child every day.

⭐️ Talk about what you are doing and what your child is doing during everyday routines.

⭐️ If your child is not understanding or responding, don’t wait and see. If you are concerned, it is never too soon to ask for help.

05/04/2023

✨It's common for parents to worry about their children using more than one language and whether it might cause speech or language disorders.

✨However, this is not the case. Children around the world learn multiple languages without any problems. Bilingual children develop language skills in the same way as monolingual children.⁣

✨While bilingual children may experience occasional confusion, such as mixing words from both languages, this is a normal part of the learning process and should improve over time.⁣

✨Additionally, some children may go through a "quiet period" when learning a second language, where they don't speak much for a few months to a year. This is also normal and temporary.

💜Follow me to learn more about language development and bilingualism!

05/03/2023

✨ Imitation is a vital skill that allows us to learn quickly and efficiently by observing others. Children, in particular, learn everything from basic motor skills to language and social skills by watching and imitating their parents, caregivers, siblings, and peers.

💜 Does your child imitate your facial expressions? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️

05/02/2023

✨Now booking! One-on-one therapy for your child to maintain and improve speech and language skills during the summer!

Note: In-home evaluations, virtual screenings, and virtual therapies. Outside evaluations are accepted.

04/29/2023

🌟You are so eager for your child to say their first words! But these foundational skills need to be achieved before we can expect first words.🌟

➡️These pre-linguistic skills typically develop within the first year of life. When I evaluate a 1-year-old, I first look to make sure the child’s hearing was tested (rule out a hearing loss) and whether they are demonstrating these skills consistently.

💜Is your baby demonstrating pre-linguistic skills? Tell me below 👇

04/29/2023

Did you know that speech and language are different things?!? Keep reading to learn more! ⬇️

👄Speech is how we say sounds and words. Speech includes:

⭐️Articulation 
How we make speech sounds using the mouth, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit.”

⭐️ Voice
 How we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds.

⭐️Fluency 
This is the rhythm of our speech. We sometimes repeat sounds while talking.


🧠Language refers to the words we use and how we use them to share ideas and get what we want. 

Language includes:
⭐️Receptive language- the ability to understand what others say. 

⭐️Expressive language- the ability to share our thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

SLPs work with people who have speech and language disorders. SLPs work in schools, hospitals, and clinics, and may be able to come to your home.

If you suspect that your child is struggling with speech and/or language, reach out to your pediatrician as well as an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. To find an SLP near you, visit www.asha.org and click Find a Professional.


References: www.asha.org ⠀