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Tips for Managing Stuttering in Preschoolers: Creating a Positive Environment

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  Stuttering doesn’t look the same from individual to individual. Some repeat sounds and syllables, others prolong sounds, and still, others interject their own sentences with filler words and noises, such as ‘um’ or ‘like’. Just as there are different ways a stutter can sound, there are different categories for stutters to fall into. Developmental stuttering, the most commonly diagnosed, often happens to children between the ages of 2 and 5 when their words are lagging behind their thoughts. Neurogenic Stuttering Neurogenic stuttering is directly correlated to a brain injury that involves significant issues between the nerves and muscles of speech. Psychogenic stuttering is uncommon but usually associated with an emotional trauma or an issue with thinking and reasoning. Each of these categories requires its own line of diagnosis and specialized treatment plan to prevent the stuttering from occurring, but there is no cure for stuttering. Developmental Stuttering Thinking on developmen
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SLEEP DISORDERS AND BEHAVIORAL ISSUES

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  Children facing sleep disorders   may experience issues such as learning impairments and behavioral problems. It is crucial to address sleep disorders in children promptly to manage the condition and prevent potential harm to their development. At Speech and Occupational Therapy of North Texas, our trained staff can diagnose and treat various sleep disorders in children. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):  OSA occurs when a child’s airways are blocked or restricted during sleep. Enlarged tonsils, excessive soft tissue near the airways, obesity, or distortions in airway size can contribute to OSA. Roughly 5% of children may be affected by OSA. Parasomnias:  Parasomnias encompass behaviorally based sleep disorders like sleepwalking, nightmares, and sleep-talking. About 50% of children experience some form of parasomnia, influenced by genetics and aggravated by lack of sleep. Behavioral Insomnia:  Behavioral insomnia is an acquired inability to fall or stay asleep, affecting up to 30% of ch
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How to Help a Child with Communication Disorders

 Communication is crucial in today's world, especially for children with communication disorders . Taking your child to a pediatric neurologist for assessment is the first step, allowing professionals to identify specific communication challenges and suggest interventions. However, you can also play a significant role in improving your child's communication skills in various ways: Read Books Together: Encourage reading, as it can enhance vocabulary and communication skills. Choose books that resonate with your child's interests, whether they prefer traditional books, comics, or picture books. Reading together provides an opportunity for language enrichment. Describe Your Environment: Practice describing the surroundings with your child. Initially, let them use familiar words, gradually introducing new vocabulary. Another effective practice is discussing their day, and helping them express their experiences and thoughts. Diversify the Words You Use: Increase the variety of w
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Right Professional Communication Disorders

  Parents often wonder if their child is developing speech normally or if there's a communication disorder. Children progress at different rates, making it challenging to assess the need for assistance. Research has established developmental standards, but how can families determine if their child is on track? A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the go-to expert for speech and communication development questions. SLPs, licensed healthcare providers with a Master's degree, specialize in acoustics, physiology, neurology, cognition, and anatomy related to speech and language. They evaluate, diagnose, and treat various disorders within their scope of practice. Speech & Occupational Therapy of North Texas has qualified pediatric SLPs dedicated to helping children reach their potential. These experts are adept at evaluating and treating communication and feeding/swallowing disorders in infants, toddlers, and older children. Apart from technical expertise, effective communicati
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FREE AND EASY LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT FOR YOUR CHILD!

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  Speech Language Pathologists will tell you that sharing books and stories with your child is an excellent way to positively impact language development. Your Public Library is a fantastic resource for your family. Did you know that many area library systems have wonderful Children’s Departments as well as regularly scheduled Story Times? Books are a great way to enrich language development for all ages, from infants through school age. Early childhood is a perfect time to explore colorful, beautifully illustrated books with age-appropriate vocabulary and engaging story structures. This is a perfect way to learn about the concepts of characters, cause, and effect, and sequencing of events; all important skills that help us understand how to relate to others in the world and are also foundational for many other cognitive activities!
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IDEAS FOR ECHOLALIA

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  By Anne Russell Bramlett, MS, CCC/SLP Many of our children on the autism spectrum use echolalia, which is the repetition of another’s speech that occurs either immediately, or even later, after the original production. According to Barry Prizant (1987), echolalia is characteristic of at least 85% of children with autism who acquire speech. In the past, it was sometimes suggested that this verbal behavior should be extinguished since it appeared non-meaningful. However, many now think that echolalia does serve a purpose for individuals with autism. It communicates to us certain things about how they may be feeling or what they may be trying to say. Many of us had experienced our children saying, “Do you want a cookie?” when they wanted a cookie. They were echoing our past questions that related to the desired outcome. Instead of ignoring this, we might want to think about how to shape this behavior into a more typical communication. Some thoughts and ideas were taken from a chapter in
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BUILDING BLOCKS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPEECH SOUND DISORDERS

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  Building Blocks for Children with Speech Sound Disorders Developmental problems in children often cause issues with speech, articulation, and communication. The ability to communicate effectively through speech comes from a confluence of finely coordinated motor skills, a good understanding of the language and its nuances, and the mental capacity to convert thoughts into speech using the right words quickly. You might be parenting a child with speech sound disorders. In that case, it is vital to approach this problem systematically, using a simple-to-complex approach and setting up the right building blocks of practice that can lead to articulate, intelligible speech and effective communication. Here are some basic pointers to help you construct the right practical building blocks for a child with  speech sound disorders .
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