Exercises to Keep your Brain Fit
The body undergoes many changes as we age. As kids, humans typically grow taller, get stronger, and learn. Our brain is made up of little things called neurons which connect and essentially “talk” to each other to make our brain function. We start out with thousands. At age three we have approximately 15,000. Then by […]
Tips for Communicating with People who have Hearing Loss
According to Statistics Canada, more than one million adults across Canada reported having a hearing-related disability. This number is 50% greater than the number of people reporting problems with their eyesight (StatsCan, 2002). With this many people reporting some type of hearing loss, it leaves friends and family asking the question…. How can I effectively […]
9 Tips for Teachers about Stuttering
When I was in elementary school, there were about five students in my class that would always raise their hands to ask and answer questions. They always participated in class discussions and actually seemed to enjoy talking aloud. The rest of the class slouched in their seats, wouldn’t make eye contact, and prayed they would […]
What Can You Do to Help Your Kids Get Ready for Back-to-School
With the start of a new school year already upon us, here are some activity ideas to help you and your kids as they get back into the grind. By incorporating activities for listening, language expression, reading and writing into your daily routine, and creating a language-literacy rich environment, you can help ensure smoother transitions […]
How to Help Someone with A Communication Disorder
Last week I was in Tim Horton’s when I saw a man trying to order a coffee but he was struggling because of a communication disorder. He was having a difficult time being understood by the Tim Horton’s employee and needed help getting his money out of his wallet because of physical difficulties. Although the […]
How a Speech and Language Therapist Can Help Your Child with Math and Reading
Parents often ask why, we, as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with their school-aged kids on reading and math. It is sometimes difficult to see what our role is in these subjects. We are not tutors, we are not teachers, we are language specialists. What this means is that as SLPs, we need to figure out […]
Social Communication and Bullying
Social communication is the way that we relate, understand someone else’s perspective, make connections and develop meaningful relationships. Being able to communicate effectively is vital to being a part of the world around us and feeling included. For many children delays in social communication or speech delay, even the slightest and most subtle delays can […]
Some Tips to Work on Early Language During Bathtime
When life gets busy it can be hard to find time to work on your child’s early language skills, BUT you can enhance your child’s communication during everyday activities that you’re already doing! Here are some tips on how to facilitate communication during bath time. Being face-to-face with your child is important and bath time […]
Why Does my Child Stutter?
As a speech-language pathologist, I am often asked “what causes my son/daughter to stutter?” Unfortunately, there isn’t one, straight-forward answer. Although much research has been done, clinicians and researchers alike are still unsure. Some researchers think that some people are more genetically predisposed to stuttering. This is why some children exhibit the behaviour and others […]
At-Home Tips to Encourage Early Literacy in Your Preschooler
The environment and daily routines in your home can be one of the best teaching tools to help children develop pre-reading skills and overall literacy. A print-rich environment helps foster skills needed for reading. By surrounding your children with print in your home and talking to them about what it means, they will learn more […]