Ideas for Video Play Dates

Ideas for video play dates.jpeg

It is important to try and have play dates and social interactions for your children. However, because we are social distancing the safe way to do this is through video conferencing or calling. Interacting with other people through play will increase your child’s emotional regulation and social skills because they can practice controlling emotions, practice solving conflicts, and practice negotiating.

 There needs to be both a verbal and nonverbal back and forth between people who are communicating. We may have to model this back and forth interaction so our children can learn how to do this through video communication. Children learn through play, so it will help if we set up a child’s video play date with toys and games just like they may have during an in person play date.  However, we may have to help guide our children and initially give them some play ideas for their video play date.  

 But what should your child play during their video play date?

 After setting up some video play dates for my own young children, and also practicing teletherapy I have started a list of ideas and activities to bring to your next video play date.

 

-Have your child bring their favorite toy or book to show. Take turns telling about your item.

-Have the child play and you narrate what the child is doing.

-Have the children play with the same toy on each side of the screen and talk about what they are making. Some examples could be: Play with playdoh, magnet tiles, dolls, and cars.

-Crafts! plan with the other parent the same craft that the children can create at the same time.

-Color! Have each parent print out some coloring pages that the children can do together.

-Dress up! Have fun items like a variety of hats, sunglasses, glasses, capes, animal ears, or costumes ready. Each person can dress up.

-Freeze dance

-Simon Says

-Hangman

-20 Questions

-Would you rather game

-Guess who or Battleship if each family owns the game

-Grab a deck of cards and play War

 

If you have the ability to share your screen some of my favorite websites for games include:

-www.abcya.com

-www.pbskids.org

-Snakes and Ladders

-Mr. Potato Head

Let me know what works and what does not. Good luck! 

 

, ,

My Favorite Songs for Speech and Language Therapy

, ,
Songs for Speech and Language!.jpg

When developing our little one’s speech, language, and social skills we are trying to integrate the brain and the body.  Music is a wonderful tool to help strengthen the connection between the body and the brain, and to make sure the body and the brain are moving together as a team! When I’m hanging out at home or driving in the car with my children I often play music to help with the mood in the room.  I pick playlists to help calm and focus my children, or I may pick a playlist to pump everyone up.  I also use music during my speech-language therapy sessions to work on specific speech and language goals.  Since many of us are home with our children right now I want to share some of my favorite songs I use to target speech and language goals.  These songs focus on developing movement and imitation, pre-reading skills, and articulation skills.  

 

What playlists or songs do you love to listen to with your children?

Songs for Movement!.jpg

How Can a Speech Therapist Help My Child?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the expert in communication and feeding skills and development.  This means they have extensive training on BOTH normal and disordered speech, language, feeding, and social skills development.  They are able to evaluate, diagnose, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language, social, or feeding skills the best place to start is to talk to an American Speech-language Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologist.  So, How can a SLP help your child?

, ,

Using Visuals at Home and in Speech Language Therapy

, ,

Many times parents only look at the end goal of their child talking, but visuals are a great way to help us achieve that goal.  To run a marathon we need to train by breaking down the race into shorter training runs.  Visuals also help us break down and scaffold skills.  However, we need to understand how and why we are using visuals.  Here are some ways I use visuals in therapy.

, ,

Activities to Increase Joint Attention

, ,

April marks the beginning of Autism Awareness Month.  Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) struggle with joint attention.  Joint attention is also an important preverbal skill that develops within the first year of life.  Joint attention means the ability to share focus of something with another person.  

What to Expect During a Speech Therapy Evaluation

Making the first move to schedule a speech-language evaluation is always a hurdle.  However, scheduling an evaluation will answer many of your concerns about your child’s communication development.  It will also allow you and the clinician to determine if there is a speech, language, or communication concern and, if needed, it will help you and the clinician develop a treatment plan.  Whether you have or have not yet scheduled an evaluation it is important to understand what will happen so you can feel ready and more comfortable.