With the cold weather taking over Chicago, and the ebb and flow of the pandemic, it’s important to know that Teletherapy is a useful and viable option for all families looking for help for their children from the comfort and safety of their homes. But did you also know that all insurance plans (as of January 2022) are still covering Telehealth…
If your child uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, chances are you have heard about the importance of modeling. Modeling, aided language stimulation (ALS), natural aided language, aided language modeling and partner augmented input (PAI) all refer to the same thing: providing the AAC user with language models using their communication device. Think…
It is an exciting time for a parent to hear their child say their first word, no matter when that happens! As a speech-language pathologist, we often have caregivers state that their young child uses words but that they are using the same word for so many different things. Something heard quite often is “He…
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst or BCBA holds a graduate level certification in behavior analysis. BCBAs are certified through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). They must adhere to the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts. In order to become a BCBA, an individual must obtain their Master’s degree, complete supervised fieldwork, and…
Your child is just starting ABA therapy and you are meeting your ABA team for the very first time, but who is part of this team? As many families first begin ABA therapy, there are many questions that arise. One of those questions being, “who is going to be working with my child and what…
Ways to Help Your Child With Memory & Recall – From a Speech Pathologist Perspective Does it sometimes feel like pulling teeth when asking your child what they did at school or what they did during a play date with a friend? Does your child have a hard time remembering a lot of things? As…
“I Want To Start ABA, But I’m Afraid My Child Will Not Play!” Playing is a foundational skill that children begin to engage in at birth. Babies begin to engage in play by exploring the way their body moves. They also engage with toys that are placed in front of them. As children develop their…
What are the benefits of Multi-Disciplinary ABA? Let’s find out! Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy works on a variety of areas with a child, from language, to feeding, to transitions, to self help skills, the list goes on and on! The speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists that may also be on your child’s…
An important technique to help enhance your child’s language skills is known as “Parallel Talk.” Many parents and caregivers naturally use this type of technique during their daily routines and activities with their child without even knowing it! What is Parallel Talk and what does it do? Parallel talk is a technique used to narrate…
Do you have a child that could possibly fall into the category as an “open mouth breather?” If your child’s lips are constantly apart and their mouth appears open at rest, they are considered to be open mouth breathers or have habitual open mouth posture. Here are some reasons as to why your child may…
Does your child label objects and point to get what they want? Maybe your child produces a variety of single words, but is not yet combining words? Expansion is a simple language enhancement technique to help your child’s communication skills take off. Reinforcement and Exposure Expansion involves repeating what a child has said and adding…
Waiting! We ask our children to do this all day long, but are we just as much of the culprits of showing impatience, or speaking too soon? Waiting is an incredible tool to use with children whom you would like to encourage more verbalizations, signs and just overall communication. Their little brains are growing, exploring,…
The moment you become a parent; every day is filled with learning experiences. My name is Emmanuel and being the father of a son with Autism makes the everyday roadblocks and life lessons a little more challenging, but not impossible. When our son, Ezra was born there was no road map, operation manual, or Lego…
If you are looking for new ways to facilitate language development, look no further than your own home. There is no need buy expensive toys — you can create novel and exciting play activities with everyday items you already own. Here are 5 ways to target expressive (what is spoken) and receptive (what is understood)…
Most language facilitation strategies focus on helping your child begin to talk. Parents are ultimately hoping for verbal communication first, so we do everything in our power to encourage the use of words. But, what if we told you there is more to communication than just the use of words? In fact, there are numerous…
