My Kid is a Picky Eater and I Need Help!

By: Laura Van Zandt, OTR/L

Around 2 years of age, children enter the age of autonomy where they become aware of their individuality and become increasingly independent. This is also the age where they become increasing comfortable testing limits. Around this age, kids are most likely to start becoming “picky eaters.” By the time children enter preschool, many have begun to move past this phase and start to expand their food preferences; however, some children don’t move out of the picky eating stage and continue to refuse foods. Foods once liked may become dropped and not added back into their diet. The big difference between typical picky eating and avoidant /restrictive food intake disorder (AFRID) is that typical picky eating fades away in conjunction with repeated food exposure and a positive mealtime environment.

Children with ARFID may also have other health issues or conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, sensory processing, food allergies, constipation, and/or anxiety. Some children who were born prematurely may have required breathing and feeding tubes during hospitalization which can increase oral sensitivity. A child who had a choking episode in the past, was forced to eat, or who had multiple respiratory infections at a time when she was learning to eat may have developed negative associations with eating. Some children may have a sensory system which is offended by the texture, smell, odor, or appearance of food. These sensitivities may alter how kids experience food and result in their refusing to eat many foods. Anxiety can stem from the food itself, especially if it’s unfamiliar or disliked, or it can result from other factors such as pressure to eat at mealtime or a negative memory of eating. Older kids may experience social anxiety around their peers.

Parents often have good intuition and know when something is not right with their child’s eating patterns. Some signs of AFRID include refusing food due to its smell, texture or flavor, or a generalized lack of interest in eating. Children may have poor eating or feeding abilities, such as preferring pureed foods or a refusal to self-feed. They may be underweight or demonstrate slowed growth due to inadequate or poor nutrition. They may also show signs of anxiety or fear of eating. If you feel like your child’s eating patterns is moving beyond typical picky eating, please schedule an appointment with a pediatric occupational or speech therapist that specializes in feeding.

What can be done:

1. Schedule a comprehensive evaluation with an occupational or speech therapist can assist you in helping rule in/out other medical conditions which may also be influencing your child’s eating behaviors and patterns. A therapist may also be able to make recommendations to further evaluate nutrition or evaluation for gastrointestinal issues causing discomfort or pain influencing feeding. They will help develop a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses all different angles of feeding.
2. Read occupational therapists Maureen Karwowski’s blog regarding playing with your food. Research suggests that when too much negative pressure is placed on the child for eating, the child’s appetite may also decrease and could spur an emotional response leaving the child to dread mealtimes. Vice versa, additional research also suggests that when children are allowed to mess with their food and are given permission to touch, handle, and even squash foods they are actually more likely eat them. Allowing your child to handle food without the expectation to eat the food allows them to gradually desensitize their body to the sights, smells, and feeling of a variety of food. Allowing your child to play with food helps to build new brain pathways that help to reshape prior negative experiences with food.
3. Recruit your child’s help. If you do not already meal plan, start meal planning and involving your child as much as possible in the process. When at the grocery store, ask your child to pick out food on the grocery list (even if it is not food your child regularly eats). At home, encourage your child to help rinse fruits and vegetables, stir batter, use scissors to cut herbs, or set the table. During mealtimes, serve dishes family style where everyone passes the different food bowls.
4. Be patient and start very small. Your child might need repeated exposure to try a new food. You may also need to start by presenting a single bite of a vegetable or a fruit versus presenting a lot of the food immediately off the bat. Sometimes, even reading books about different foods, might be the place to start with your child.
5. Think of fun and creative ways to present the same food. For example, if you child is learning how to like pizza, you can try serving pizza on a tortilla shell or on an English muffin. The following are a few books on food that are good to read with children:

• Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
• I Will Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
• The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
• Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell

5. Enroll your child in a food group. Easter Seals has routinely been offering an occupational therapy and speech therapy group called “Fun with Food” that helps children learn how to explore foods using all their senses, including touch, smell, sight, and taste. Each session will utilize sensory “warm up” games prior to heading to the kitchen for our snacks. Parents are encouraged to continue with food exploration at home based on weekly recommendations following each session.

Learn more about our occupational therapy services at http://www.easterseals.com/dfv/our-programs/medical-rehabilitation/occupational-therapy.html. 

Myths and Facts About Raising Bilingual Children

By: Jessica Drake-Simmons, M.S. CCC-SLP

There are many misconceptions about raising bilingual children.  Many well-meaning professionals can perpetuate myths that scare parents away from speaking to their children in their native language.  However, research supports the many benefits of being bilingual.  Let’s disprove some of these perpetuated myths:

MYTH: Parents should primarily speak English to their children regardless of their native language.

FACT: Parents should be supported to speak in the language they feel most comfortable.  Speaking their primary language will provide the most complex language models.  If a parent is learning English himself, he will not provide rich vocabulary and grammar models.  The child will be exposed to simpler linguistic models than if the parent spoke to the child in their stronger language.  Providing a more complex model in the stronger language is more beneficial to the child than reducing to just speaking English.

MYTH: Raising my child bilingual will cause a delay in language development.

FACT:  Children all over the world learn more than one language without developing speech or language problems. Bilingual children develop language skills just as other children do. If a child has a speech or language disorder it will show up in both languages.  However, these problems are not caused by learning two languages.

MYTH: Raising my child bilingual will cause him to suffer academically.

FACT:  Research indicates that being bilingual makes your brain healthier and more actively engaged.  It leads to better executive functioning skills, enables one to learn more languages easily and have more job opportunities in the future.

MYTH: My child will feel different than his classmates if he speaks another language.

FACT: Your family’s heritage and culture is a valuable part of who your child is.  Keeping him connected to your community and feeling secure in his identity will give him more self-confidence.

MYTH:  I shouldn’t expose my child to my family’s native language because he has a language disorder.

FACT:  It is a common misperception that when a child has a language disorder, its better to reduce to one language.   It may seem counterintuitive to continue to expose the child to two languages but the evidence does not indicate that bilingualism will impede a child’s English language learning growth.  If it is important to the family, they should feel supported in their decision to raise their child with two languages.

MYTH: I should only speak English to my child until he starts school so that he is ready academically.

FACT: The younger a child is, the easier it is for them to learn a language.  The most effective ways to raise bilingual children are:

Successive language learners: Speak to your child exclusively in your family’s native language. Developing a strong foundation in the first language will pave the way for developing the second language of English.

Simultaneous language learners: Use two languages from the start.  Some families choose to have one parent speak their native language and the other parent speak English.  Some families choose to speak a given language on certain days of the week or certain times of the day.

If you are concerned about your child’s language or other development, take our free online developmental screening tool for children birth to age five. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) will showcase your child’s developmental milestones while uncovering any potential delays. Learn more at askeasterseals.org. 

Recommendations for Pacifiers

By: Jessica Drake-Simmons M.S. CCC-SLP

Babies show a natural tendency to suck on fingers and thumbs from the time they are in utero.  Sucking provides comfort and is a natural way for babies to explore the environment.  Allowing a baby to suck on a pacifier can have the advantages of helping to sooth a fussy baby, providing a distraction and helping a baby fall asleep.   Additionally, pacifiers may help minimize reflux.  The Mayo Clinic suggests that a pacifier could help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome when used at nap time and bedtime.

The problem with pacifiers comes when little ones become dependent on them.  As a speech-language pathologist, seeing kids more frequently in their toddler years and beyond, I see some of the detrimental effects that persistent pacifier use can cause.  The preferred oral rest posture is having the lips closed, tongue placed up against the roof of the mouth, a slight space between the teeth and nasal breathing.  This oral rest posture supports dental alignment and wide rounded dental arches. Prolonged pacifier use (or other sucking habits) can cause a child’s teeth to be misaligned or not come in properly.

A study from Van Norman, 2001 found that 60% of dental malocclusions were related to sucking habits.  When the shape of the roof of the mouth is changed and dental malocclusions are created, kids can develop articulation errors such as a forward tongue position for production of /s/ (lisping).  Obstructing the mouth with a pacifier can negatively impact babbling and imitation of sounds.  Additionally, there is a correlation between pacifier use and increased incidence of ear infections.  Frequent ear infections are a common cause of speech and language delays.

Guidelines to follow for pacifier use:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to offer a pacifier until a baby is 3-4 weeks old when breast feeding is well established.
• Don’t use the pacifier as a first line of defense. Try other strategies such as changing positions or rocking the baby to sooth them. 
• Use the appropriate size pacifier for your babies age in order to help maintain correct jaw alignment.
• Recommendations vary between 6 months and 2 years for when it is appropriate to discontinue pacifier use. It can be easiest to wean the pacifier by the time a baby is 12 months.
• Use pacifiers that are rounded on all sides. This allows for a more natural position of the tongue during non-nutritive sucking.

For help with discontinuing pacifier use: http://www.orofacialmyology.com/StopPacifier

To learn more about speech language-pathology and Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley visit eastersealsdfvr.org

My Favorite Apps for Creativity and Interaction

By: Jessica Drake-Simmons M.S. CCC-SLP

Screen time for the purpose of passive consumption should be limited, as it does not activate a young child’s brain the way that real interaction with another person does.  Children learn most efficiently from back and forth communication, interaction in the real world and hands on play.

However, the screen can be a platform to promote back and forth interaction between a caregiver and child.  Here are my favorite apps that promote creativity, collaboration and FUN interaction:

Video Star lets you easily create a music video in which you are the star!  Select the song, special effects, start shooting and then watch back the hilarious video that you created!

Songify transforms your recorded speech into a song.  It is SO FUN!!!

Puppet Pals is an app in which you can create your own unique puppet shows.  You can select the actors, background, animation and record the audio.

Funny Movie Maker lets you replace the mouth (or entire face) of a picture of a friend, celebrity, pet, etc.  You can record videos, adjust the pitch of your voice and add music to complete your video.   I think this could be an entertaining way to get that articulation homework done!

Book Creator is a simple way to make your own book right on you tablet.  In this app, you can customize books by adding pictures, text, video clips, music and even your own recorded voice.  What a great way for a child to re-tell a previous event or create their own imaginative story!

As with all media use, play these games along with your child. These apps may spur your creativity too!

To learn more about Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley visit eastersealsdfvr.org.

Speech and Language Evaluation: What to Expect

By: Jennifer Tripoli M.S., Speech Language Pathologist

You and your child may wonder what to expect when participating in a speech and language evaluation. Many children (and parents!) feel less anxious when they know ahead of time what they will be doing. Of course, the outline of a speech and language evaluation depends on the age of the child and the areas of need. Below is a general outline for a speech and language evaluation:

1. Parent Interview

Parents are the best reporters of their child’s development. They know their child and can paint a clear picture of their child before the speech pathologist begins the formal assessment. A formalized assessment does not always “pick up” everything that should be known about a child. A caregiver or parent’s role in a pediatric speech and language evaluation is crucial in helping the speech pathologist determine your child’s needs. During this interview, the therapist will usually ask you why you have come in for an evaluation, and ask about your concerns and goals for the evaluation.

2. Case History

A case history usually includes a medical history and developmental history. Typically, the speech pathologist is able to review provided information prior to the evaluation, but often there are additional questions that need to be answered.

A medical history includes any medical issues that your child has encountered since birth or before birth. Often this includes, but is not limited to pregnancy/birth history of the mother (e.g. complicated pregnancy, premature birth, complicated delivery), major surgeries, procedures or tests (e.g. tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, ear surgeries, brain surgeries, hearing screenings/tests, MRI/CT, etc.), significant illnesses, infections or injuries (e.g. chronic ear infections, chronic congestion, respiratory illnesses) and/or hospitalizations.

It is also important for the speech pathologist to be aware of any specialty physicians your child has seen such as otolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, etc. A developmental history is taken in order for the therapist to understand your child’s developmental progression. Developmental histories include all areas of development; not just speech and language milestones. They can include when your baby first sat unassisted, crawled, walked, babbled, etc.

3. Speech and Language Concerns

During this part of the evaluation, the therapist will ask more detailed/specific questions related to your child’s speech and language skills. The types of questions will depend on your child’s age and the type of evaluation. The therapist will ask you questions related to your child’s expressive language skills, receptive language skills, social/pragmatic language skills, oral motor skills, and speech sound production.

4. Discussion of Previous Therapies

It is important that your therapist knows what services your child has participated in previously. Has your child received early intervention services? School based services? Other private therapies? You should be prepared to explain the other therapies your child has participated in including occupational therapy, developmental therapy, physical therapy, or behavioral therapy. Please be specific in the goals of each of the therapies if applicable.

5. Formal Assessment

The point where the therapist begins the formalized assessment can vary significantly depending on the age and deficits of your child. For a young toddler, this part of the assessment may be play based. The clinician will likely be observing your child’s current communication skills in a play setting while administering a standardized or norm referenced test. The therapist may ask to observe you playing with your child.

For a preschool or school aged child, a standardized/norm referenced test would likely be administered depending on the abilities of your child. This would yield a score that will compare your child’s skills to other children his/her age. A standardized test will likely be your child looking/naming pictures in a book and answering questions.

The clinician will also interact with your child in a less structured way by engaging in conversation or asking questions related to his/her life. The therapist may also take a language sample, which will analyze your child’s expressive language skills and speech intelligibility (ability to be understood by others). Additionally, the therapist will likely complete an oral motor assessment if appropriate in order to examine your child’s oral structures. An oral motor assessment usually asks the child to do certain movements with his/her lips, tongue, jaw and face. The therapist may also have your child eat/drink something. Though this is not a feeding evaluation, it is often difficult to separate speech and feeding skills.

6. Discussion of Results and Recommendations

Toward the end of the evaluation, the therapist will discuss your child’s results and make recommendations for any further evaluations needed. If your child would benefit from therapy, a recommended frequency would be given (e.g. weekly therapy, twice weekly, monthly, etc.) At this time, you can ask questions regarding the evaluation or your child’s prognosis.

Think your child may need a speech and language evaluation? Learn more about speech and language services provided at Easter Seals DuPage and Fox Valley here.

 

Beyond the Sippy Cup

By: Jennifer Tripoli, M.S., CCC-SLP

I often get asked the question “Should my child use a sippy cup?” It’s a difficult question to answer. Sippy cups were initially invented in the 1980s by a mechanical engineer who was sick and tired of cleaning up his son’s juice mess around the house. He uniquely devised a prototype for the no spill mechanism and just like that problem solved! He eventually sold his patent to Playtex ® and the rest is history as this became the go to type of cup for babies learning to transfer from bottle to cup.

I am sure you probably see tons and tons of children walking around the mall, playing at the park, and in the car with their sippy cups. This is the era of “to go” cups. Everyone, including adults bring their drinks (coffee, tea, water) to their next destination. I understand the convenience of sippy cups for parents and quite frankly I get it, but hopefully I can convince you to try out some other convenient cups that will support your child’s oral motor and speech development.

So why are they really SO bad?

• Promote immature tongue movement pattern or suckle
  • Sippy cups promote an anterior-posterior tongue movement pattern, similar to the way an infant extracts liquid from a bottle or breast (suckle pattern). We want to begin to promote a more upward and backward swallow pattern for infants and toddlers by way of an open cup or straw cup. Sippy cups promote a suckle pattern especially with continued use.
• Promote inappropriate tongue position for swallowing
  • The spout on the sippy cup can anchor the tongue tip down during swallowing. The only way for the tongue to move is forward. During a mature swallow pattern the tongue tip elevates to the area behind the upper teeth (alveolar ridge) as the tongue moves upward and backward.
• Promote speech sound errors
  • Continued and overuse of sippy cups (and pacifiers!) promote the tongue to rest forward in the mouth. This inappropriate resting tongue position can directly impact your child’s ability to produce certain sounds. For example, a child may produce the ‘th’ sound (a frontal produced sound) in for an ‘s’ sound (‘tho’ for ‘so’). It is important to note that not all children who use sippy cups will have speech sound errors. My thought is though let’s set our children up for success by using developmentally appropriate cups!
• Poor dental development and Dental Caries
  • Sippy cups can cause cavities and tooth decay. If your child is sipping on fruit drinks, milk, or any other sugary drinks, sugar can be left on their teeth which will cause the enamel to erode away. Sippy cups (and pacifiers!) can also cause misshaped oral cavities and affect resting tongue position.
• Risk of Injury
  • In my research on sippy cups, I came across a study proving sippy cups can be dangerous?! Who would have thought?! A study conducted in 2012 by Dr. Sarah Keim at Nationwide’s Children Hospital in Columbus, Ohio stated every 4 hours a child in the U.S. is rushed to the hospital due to an injury from a sippy cup, bottle, or pacifier. Dr. Keim stated this likely occurs due to the child learning to walk. As they are learning to walk, they trip and fall often. If they have a bottle, pacifier, or sippy cup in their mouth they can injure themselves.

So what’s the alternative?

• Open cups
  • Many parents think I am crazy when I suggest an open cup for a young child. Yes, it may seem a bit ambitious, but an important step in the development of good oral motor and feeding skills! When children drink from an open cup they are developing a more mature swallow pattern. A smaller open cup (with a smaller rim) will allow your child to have better motor control of the liquid. You can first try giving your child an open cup to practice without liquid (place a preferred pureed on the rim of the cup) or you can use thickened liquid in the cup for a slower flow.
• Straw Cups
  • It may take your child some time to learn how to extract liquid from a straw, but be patient and the skill should develop! When choosing a straw cup choose a straw that is thin versus thick. Also make sure the straw is not too long. It is possible for young children to drink from a straw cup with a suckle pattern. Some children are able to extract liquid from the straw by placing the straw under their tongue. To avoid this, you can slowly cut the straw ¼ inch at a time until the straw is short enough that the child cannot place his/her tongue underneath it.

Here are a few of my favorite open cups and straw cups!

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To learn more about development milestones and speech-language therapy services, visit eastersealsdfvr.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Communicative Temptation: Arranging Your Environment Can Get Your Child Talking!

By: Jennifer Tripoli, M.S., CCC-SLP

Communicative temptation is a speech therapy technique I use consistently during my sessions with children who are late to talk. It is an easy strategy that can be implemented across environments, not just in therapy! Communicative temptation was coined in 1989 by Wetherby and Prizant in order to use a creatively engineered environment to facilitate communication in young children.

In short, communicative temptations are what they sound like. You are going to tempt or entice your child to communicate by setting up your environment in a specific way. Sometimes we do not give late talkers a chance or an opportunity to learn/use communication. Not because we do not want them to talk, but more so because we anticipate their needs way too frequently.

Is your child ever struggling to open a container full of a preferred food and you jump in and open it for them? Do you ever anticipate the type of snack your child would like without allowing them to tell you? Are all of your child’s preferred toys in reach? Here are a few examples of ways you can tempt your child to communicate! 

• Placing a highly preferred toy or food item out of reach for the child. Key is in sight but out of reach!
• Placing highly preferred objects inside a clear plastic container that the child cannot open on their own
• Placing a lock on a cabinet door where a preferred object is located
• Eat a desired object in front of the child but don’t offer it to them
• Take the batteries out of a preferred toy and wait for the child to communicate the toy is not working properly
• Initiate a reciprocal interaction game such as “peekaboo”, then stop and wait
• Blow bubbles with the child a few times then place the bubbles out of reach or hand the child the bubbles container without the wand
• Push the child on the swing a few times and then stop
• Block the entrance of the slide they want to go down
• Change a familiar routine

Hopefully these examples, will allow you to think of other creative ways to engineer your home, daycare, toy room, etc. to allow for more communicative opportunities! The outcome is not always “talking”, it can be ANY type of communication! A gesture (e.g.

Photo by: Christine Carroll

pointing or reaching), a facial expression, a word, a phrase, etc.! The key here is WAITING. Often times, we do not give children who are learning language enough time to communicate. We jump in quickly and eliminate that opportunity to communicate independently.

Depending on your child’s language level you may need to model what is expected first (a gesture, a word, etc.). For example, if a child is attempting to open a locked cabinet you may first need to model the word “open” and then slowly fade this model. You eventually hope that the child will independently use the word after they are “tempted.”

Take a quick look at your home today. How can you make a few small changes to facilitate communication in your environment? How you can change how you interact with your child to increase communicative opportunity?

For more information about our speech services and other programs at Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley, click here.

My Child is Stuttering; Will He or She Grow out of it?

By: Valerie Heneghan, M.A., CCC-SLP/L

You may have noticed that your child appears to be getting stuck on words or repeating words and sounds recently, what do you do?  Your friends and/or family may have told you not to worry about it as they will likely grow out of the problem, is this true?  How can you tell if my child is stuttering?  When do I seek help for this problem?

In this post, you will be provided with a brief summary addressing questions related to childhood stuttering.

Prevalence

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), in preschool age the prevalence of stuttering can be as great as eleven percent. The prevalence of stuttering is also greater in boys than girls up to 4:1 as the stuttering progresses.

Characteristics of Stuttering

Disfluency is anything that interrupts the forward flow of speech. Stuttering occurs when this disruption occurs within a word.

There are two forms of stuttering:

1) Sound/Syllable Repetition: repeating a single sound or syllable (e.g., g-g-g-going, bi-bi-cycle, etc.) and 2) Sound Prolongations; pausing or stretching out single sound (e.g, g__oing, ____bicycle).

Associated and/or secondary characteristics may also be present for a child who stutters.  These are described as movements as a reaction to the stuttering including but not limited to: distracting sounds, facial grimaces, head movements, movement of the extremities, etc.

Risk Factors

Stuttering is a disorder of childhood with typically emerges between the ages of two and a half and five years old. While genetics and neurophysiology appear to be related to the underlying causes of stuttering, environmental factors, temperament, and speaking demands may influence a child’s reactions to stuttering.

Recovery

80% of children will outgrow stuttering within four years.  During the first year however, 12% recover spontaneously.  Indicators that your child may continue to stutter includes but not limited to: no changes in frequency of stuttering, changes in stuttering type, persistence of associated behaviors six months post onset, family history of stuttering, increased communication demands, etc.

When therapy is recommended

If you notice that your child is stuttering, mark when you first noticed the problem begin.  Initially, do not draw attention to the stuttering, decrease the communication demands and model slow and smooth speech when speaking to or near your child.

If you are concerned about your child’s stuttering, have them evaluated by a Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in assessing and treating children who stutter.

7 Tips for Learning and Loving it!

By: Jessica Drake-Simmons M.S. CCC-SLP

Does helping your child with their homework ever feel like a laborious task?  These learning strategies will help you teach your child in a way that increases their understanding and retention.  Above all, these tips are meant to make the learning journey an enjoyable experience for all of those involved!

1. Relate new information to known information.  Our brains are pattern-seeking devices.  They are always searching for associations between information being received and information already stored.  Linking new information with familiar information creates a connection that your brain will hold on to.

2. Multi-Sensory involvement: the more varied experiences a child has with a new concept, the more neural pathways will be developed.  Whenever possible, teach the concept in a way that the child can experience.  If your child is learning about volcanoes, you can have them:

Role play being a volcano OR create a visual Venn Diagram comparing it to something they already know about.

3. Active learning-the more a child is involved with the information, the more efficiently he will consolidate and recall it.  When a child passively receives information, he will understand and remember less.  Passively receiving information would be listening to a lecture or passing your eyes over the print from beginning to end in a chapter. Active learning would involve making predictions about the chapter, taking notes and discussing what was read or learned.

4. Rhythm and Music: Rhythm and music stimulates both sides of the brain.  It activates our attention system and multiple neural pathways which facilitates memory and retrieval.   Create a song, set to a familiar tune that reviews key concepts in a curricular area.  Memorizing the 50 states, days of the week, or spelling words can all be easier when taught within a song or chant.
5. Movement: Adding movement to an activity provides extra-sensory input and enhances attention.  Movement helps increase cognitive function while also helping children get rid of “the wiggles”.

It is also beneficial for children to have downtime for movement built into their days. Many studies have found that students who exercise do better in school.   Exercise triggers the release of a substance that enhances cognition by boosting the ability of neurons to communicate with each other. Below are some ideas to incorporate movement into learning:

• Air writing letters
• Playing charades to act out a history lesson
• If the answer is correct, make a sign like a referee
•  Jumping on the trampoline while doing math facts
• Playing catch while reviewing information

6. Humor– Humor wakes up the brain cells!  It also encourages attention and relieves stress.  Humor keeps learning an enjoyable experience for teachers, parents and children.  Using humor lets students have an increased feeling of safety in making an error or getting an answer wrong.  Make time for laugh breaks to keep your child alert and attentive while learning
7. Reflection– Downtime is important to help the brain process new information and strengthen neural connections.  Have your child learn and study in small chunks of time.  Implement breaks for movement, listening to music, doodling or having a snack.

For more information on strategies for learning and about Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley, visit: eastersealsdfvr.org.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Signs and Symptoms

By: Jennifer Tripoli M.S, CCC-SLP

You may have heard the term “apraxia” before but wondered, what exactly does this mean? According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA),

“Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.”

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is not a black and white diagnosis and can be difficult for speech language pathologists to diagnose especially in very young children (under the age of 2). Children with CAS may have coexisting conditions such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or some other neurological disease. Some children with CAS though do not have any other known neurological deficit.

Children with CAS may present the following key characteristics:

• Limited vowels produced, lack of differentiation between vowels, and/or vowel distortions
• Inconsistency or variability in productions
• Groping of oral structures or physical struggle to produce sounds
• More difficulty with multisyllabic words or more complex productions (longer phrases/sentences)
• Difficulty with imitation, better productions observed with spontaneous, learned, or automatic productions
• Choppy or monotone speech (equal stress patterns on multisyllabic words)
• Slow rate of speech
• Difficulty with non-speech oral movements such as sticking tongue out, pursing lips, etc. (oral apraxia)

Listed below are other common signs present in children with CAS, though are not exclusive to CAS:

• Decreased babbling or vocal play as an infant
• Lack of imitation skills in infancy
• Delayed speech production or expressive language skills
• Poor speech intelligibility (ability to be understood)
• Decreased sound inventory for his/her age
• Words used once and never used again

Children with CAS may not present with all of the above characteristics. There is currently no “rule” regarding how many characteristics a child must have to qualify for a CAS diagnosis.  If your child presents any of the above key characteristics, an evaluation by a speech language pathologist who specializes in CAS is recommended in order to differentially diagnosis your child.  Children with the above characteristics may present CAS or another speech sound disorder.

Visit Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley at EasterSealsDFVR.org to learn more about speech-language services and evaluation. And to learn more about CAS and access parent friendly resources, visit Apraxia Kids.