Bruce Willis’s story of Aphasia
Bruce Willis’s diagnosis of Aphasia has drawn attention to this communication disorder that we as speech-language pathologists assess and treat on a regular basis. Aphasia is a communication disorder that occurs after when there is damage to the brain in the part that controls language. There are many causes of an aphasia. The most common […]
Ontario Autism Program (OAP) Approved Service Provider
The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) allows parents to access speech therapy from the service provider of their choice. All Speech Therapy Centres of Canada’s speech language pathologists (speech therapists) are approved service providers that deliver assessment and therapy services to children and youth on the autism spectrum. About the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) The Ontario […]
Help! My Toddler Isn’t Talking!
Many parents are unsure of when and if to be concerned when their toddler is not yet talking. It is important to remember that a speech-language pathologist can provide comprehensive assessments on even these little kids to help parents identify if a concern exists. Here is a list of the major speech and language milestones […]
The Importance of Playtime in the Development of Speech and Language Skills in Children
We all like to play – children, adolescents, and adults alike. But did you know that the development of play skills is integral to the development of a child’s speech and language skills? Who would have thought something so fun could be so beneficial! A play context, in fact, provides primary communicative opportunities for young […]
What Can I Do To Help My Child be More Aware of Different Sounds and Rhymes?
Children generally begin to show early phonological awareness when they demonstrate an appreciation of rhyme. For children as young as 4 years old, focusing on rhyme is a good starting place. Rhyming activities you can do at home: Sing fun rhyming songs together, such as Row row row your boat, gently down the stream Merrily […]
Five Strategies to Build Your Child’s Pre-Linguistic Skills
To become an effective communicator, your child must first develop the necessary pre-linguistic skills. The key to developing these skills lies in giving your child opportunities to communicate and making it fun. 1. Let your child show you what he or she wants If your child wants something and is trying to communicate what he […]
“Can I Help?” Three Activities for Building Language Through Cooking
“Can I help?” comes the question as little hands drag a stool or chair over to the counter. Many children like to help out in the kitchen. Preparing a meal or snack together is a great opportunity for parents to get things done while learning language skills at the same time. But, it’s important to […]
Five Pre-linguistic Skills Children Must Achieve
For a child, learning to communicate involves many steps. There are some skills that a child must develop before being able to use speech and language as a functional way to communicate. Here are five pre-linguistic skills your child must achieve: Joint Attention: This is your child’s ability to understand that he or she and […]
My Child Isn’t Talking Yet! A List of Sound Milestones
Often times I have heard parents report “My child isn’t saying his /s/ sound yet” or “We noticed he wasn’t using the ‘K’ sound at four years old, but now he’s seven years old and still not using it.” The problem is not all parents know the milestones for speech sound development or what constitutes […]
5 Stages of Storytelling in Gauging Language Development
Bedtime stories are part of the routines in many households. Most of the time, parents are the ones reading stories to their children, but learning how to tell a story is also a part of every child’s language development. Just as their vocabulary evolves, so do their abilities to tell a story. Here are some […]