Speech Therapy Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Carolina Therapy Connection

Your Baby’s Communication: Prelinguistic Vocalization

Posted on November 3, 2022October 4, 2023

What can I expect before my baby begins talking?

Your baby’s first form of communication will be nonverbal and happens soon after birth. Your may baby grimace, cry, or squirm to express a range of emotions and physical needs, from fear and hunger to frustration and sensory overload. Oftentimes, parents learn to listen and interpret their baby’s different cries, coos and babbles. Many parents wonder when their baby will begin using words, imitate them, laugh and form a variety of other communication methods to express how they are feeling. A very important part of language development is the prelinguistic stage, which is the stage that is characterized by vocalizations before language begins. So for starters, what is language? How does it develop during a baby’s first year of life?

Language is when we use and organize sounds and words to convey meaning. Language development is considered a continuum, and there is not an abrupt shift from babbling to talking. There is an overlap between all stages of language development. Every child is different in the way they learn and grow; however there are many exciting milestones to watch for as your baby explores their environment in the first few months of life. Continue reading to learn more about the prelinguistic stage, how you can interact with your child during this stage, and how Carolina Therapy Connection can help your child reach their full potential!

What can I expect from my baby during the prelinguistic vocalizations stage?

1: Reflexive and Vegetative

Occurs birth – 2 months
Reflexive sounds (crying, coughs, burps)
Cries that mean different things (hunger, pain, etc.)

2: Cooing and Laughter

Occurs 2 – 4 months
Vowel like sounds
Squeals

3: Vocal Play

Occurs 4 – 6 months
Longer vowel like sounds
Some consonant sounds
Changes in pitch and loudness

4: Canonical Babbling

This stage is when babies may start to imitate what they hear! This is a fun time to sit and play with your babies and babble to them and see if they imitate!

Occurs around 6 months – until first words
Reduplicated or strings of identical syllables: “mamamama” “babababa”
Variegated or strings of varying consonants and vowels: “madagama”

5: Jargon

During this stage, it will seem like your baby is trying to tell you a story. They may look at you and make facial expressions and use hand movements. This is a fun time to encourage them and engage with them in conversation. Check out this awesome resource from Reading Rockets for Tips and Activities to Encourage Speech & Language Development!

Occurs around 10 months or older
This stage overlaps with first words
Strings of babbling
Paired with eye contact, gestures, and adult like intonation

Why does the prelinguistic stage matter?

Research indicates that babbling correlates to later language development. Greater babbling complexity and a variety of sounds used positively indicate greater language growth. Delayed babbling may be an indicator for speech/language delays. If you notice that your child is not babbling by 10 months of age, it may be beneficial to consult with a Speech Language Pathologist. While this is not the only factor, it can be helpful when looking at your child’s overall development.

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

There is so much new information and research these days that can be overwhelming for a parent. At Carolina Therapy Connection, our team of pediatric speech therapists are licensed professionals who are trained to help children with any communication difficulties. We know that developing strong communication skills is one of the most important elements to socializing and creating relationships.

Our knowledgable and experienced team of SLP’s provide screenings, assessments, consultations, and treatment to children birth through 21 years old. If you have any questions about your child’s development or would like to set up a FREE screening with one of our speech language pathologists to determine the need for an evaluation, call our clinic at 252-341-9944 to speak with one of our staff members.

Meet the Author

Transitioning from Bottle to Cup

Posted on February 15, 2022October 4, 2023

When should my child transition from their bottle to a regular cup?

It’s time to transition off the bottle! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends transitioning from a bottle to a cup when your baby is about 15 months old. You might think it is time for those adorable sippy cups! BUT, current research is clear, and many therapists are recommending skipping the sippy cup altogether and moving straight to an open cup or a straw cup.

Many parents decide to use a sippy cup because they think that’s what they are supposed to do. Sippy cups were not designed as a tool for proper oral motor and feeding development, but instead were created to keep the carpets clean! The occasional use of a sippy cup is nothing to worry about, as it can be great for those long car rides and times where cleanliness matters. It is important to note that if your child has a medical reason to use a sippy cup, follow your pediatricians recommendations (i.e. some children require a valved sippy cup for safety). Despite the convenience of a sippy cup, parents should be aware that it is easy to become dependent on anything that makes life less messy, so when it’s possible to bring out the regular cup or straw, do it!

Why should I skip the sippy cup?

At only 12 months of age, your baby is developing a more mature adult-like swallow pattern! As opposed to the anterior-posterior suckle pattern infants use with a bottle, at only a year old, the tongue begins to stay in place or even move backward and rise while pressing on the alveolar ridge (the hard, ridged spot just behind the front teeth). The tongue will rise, push, and propel the food backwards! When your little one drinks from a bottle or a sippy cup, the spout prevents their tongue tip from elevating, often forcing the tongue down or requiring them to stick their tongue out in order to drink. If the tongue doesn’t rise to the alveolar ridge at rest and when swallowing, the brain creates a habit to keep the tongue on the floor of the mouth. This can contribute to oral motor weakness, and an impaired oral phase of the swallow.

According to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, when the tongue sits low in the mouth it often forces the mouth to rest in an open position, which leads to mouth-breathing instead of your little one breathing through their nose. Long-term use of a bottle or sippy cup may also lead to dental concerns. The immature pattern of an anterior tongue thrust during the swallow increases the risk of pushing their teeth forward and creating a dental malocclusion. The tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw all play important roles in both articulation of speech sounds and eating, and little ones with weaker oral motor skills may be at increased risk for a speech sound delay.

What are the benefits of using a regular cup or straw?

Open cups and straw cups help build normal movements in oral musculature.
Using a straw helps your child develop lip, cheek and tongue strength.
Open cups provide practice using the mature pattern of swallowing that will allow your child to safely drink and eat.
Straw drinking supports a child’s early articulation of speech sounds.
Regular cups and straws encourage proper breathing patterns and prevent mouth breathing.

What’s the best way to make the transition from the bottle to a cup?

When beginning to make the transition from a bottle to a straw cup or regular cup, it’s important to start small! This process can take time and it’s important to know it won’t happen overnight.

Start by introducing an open cup at mealtimes. You can hold the cup for your child to sip from the side of the rim to get them comfortable.
A great straw sipping cup is the Talk tools Honey Bear Straw Cup, which allows your child to squeeze the bottle so they can get comfortable with using a straw to start out with.
Offer both straw cups and open cups to allow for comfort with various drinking cups.
Use a weighted straw cup, which is spill-proof and allows a child to drink from any angle!

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

Your child may need speech therapy if they have difficulty with speech/articulation (pronouncing sounds or words) or using words to communicate. Because the muscles and structures used for speech (such as lips, tongue, teeth, palate and throat) are also used in drinking and eating, a speech and language pathologist may also help with feeding, drinking and swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia.

While using a sippy cup does not necessarily mean your child will need speech therapy, it’s considered best to encourage oral motor development by using open cups or straw cups at home! Ditch those sippy cups, and check out the spill-proof options for open cups and straw cups they make these days! Spill-proof….now that’s a concept we can ALL get behind!

As always, if you have any questions about your child development, call our clinic at 252-341-9944 to speak with one of our speech-language pathologists!

Written by: Ashley R. Holloway, MS, CCC-SLP

Optimizing Therapy Progress

Posted on February 1, 2022October 4, 2023

Competence Brings Confidence

When we begin treatment with a new patient, or we begin working on a new skill at home as a parent, we often become so excited about the goal, or the end game, that we forget about all the small steps we should take to get there. Over the past 20 years working with children and families as an SLP and raising my own children I have learned that we need to celebrate the small steps in life and for therapy progress.

At some point I started telling parents of preschoolers and early elementary students, “Competence brings confidence!”

Your child might learn a very small step toward their goal in a therapy session. This small step should bring a lot of excitement, praise, and chances to “show it off” at home. These chances are growing your child’s confidence in their abilities. Those chances are giving neural connections a chance to form. Those chances are reinforcing new motor patterns. Being competent in a new skill, no matter how small, brings confidence! Confidence gives us the drive and the will to keep working hard and keep going. It keeps us excited in our pursuit to learn something new or difficult and optimizes therapy progress.

Focus on the Small Steps for Big Victories

Often parents and practitioners focus too much on the end goal. Young children do not even know what the end goal is. We need to celebrate each very small step along the way.

With the confidence your child has from practicing a seemingly small skill at home, they come to therapy ready to move on and add more new skills. They will have the skill they have become so good at in their tool belt, and add to it! They might have started making a speech sound with confidence in isolation. When they are confident with that skill because they have shown it off many times, they will be ready to move on to making that sound in words.

In the opposite scenario we might spend time working on the small skills, try to speed along, and forget to give praise and practice at each step. We are focused on the end goal, for example, clear speech. All along your child or patient might practice and never realize all the small gains because we forget to praise them with small steps or have them show off their small steps. In this scenario, opportunities to practice important building blocks are missed. Opportunities to build confidence are missed, and ultimately the pace of progress is slower.

In the end, learning the “end goal” should have felt like many moments of satisfaction and praise to finally reach where we wanted the child to be. It should not feel like many moments of trying and not {quite} getting there and being corrected over and over until we {finally} get good enough.

Incidentally, this works for grown ups too! If you are trying to learn something new, give yourself some grace. Focus on a small step you have mastered and practice it or show it off many times, and then move on. In the long run, you will be smarter and stronger for building competence in the small steps all along, and you will be more confident with your goal when you get there!

Optimizing Therapy Progress at Carolina Therapy Connection

The key to success is realizing that our large or end goals aren’t going to happen overnight, in the next week or maybe even the next year, but this is okay. We tend to take the present moment for granted – it seems insignificant, and we believe the little things we do in the moment are not changing us. At Carolina Therapy Connection, we believe in a culture that embraces the small victories for your family! Each time your child has milestone achievement, we will find a way to celebrate. We believe it is critical to make therapy as fun and motivating as possible by celebrating the small victories as well as major achievements. After all, when children enjoy what they are doing, who they are with and the environment they are in, anything is possible! If your family has concerns regarding your child’s development or goals you would like to achieve, call us at 252-341-9944. We would love to help you and make you a part of our CTC family and culture.

Written by: Susan Hill, MS, CCC-SLP

Phonological Patterns

Posted on January 14, 2022October 4, 2023

What are phonological patterns?

So your child’s speech-language pathologist says your child presents with phonological patterns…What does that mean? Phonological patterns are “patterns of sound errors that typically developing children use to simplify speech as they are learning to talk” (Hanks, 2013). Children often demonstrate difficulty coordinating their lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and jaw for intelligible speech. There are many different patterns that your child may demonstrate.

What is a phonological disorder?

A phonological disorder is when a pattern persists past what is considered “normal” for their age. For example, if your 4 year old still uses the phonological process of “reduplication” (saying, “wawa” for “water”) that would be considered delayed since most children stop using that process by the time they turn 3 (Hanks, 2013).

Typically, if your child is exhibiting several phonological patterns, their speech is difficult to understand or “unintelligible”. You, as a parent, may understand what they are saying because you are familiar with these speech sound patterns; however, other family members and peers demonstrate difficulty understanding your child.

As described above, a speech sound disorder is considered a phonological disorder when:

Phonological processes persist beyond the typical age of development.
Phonological processes are used that are not seen in typical development
A child is highly unintelligible due to the excessive use of phonological processes

What are common phonological patterns and what do they mean?

Assimilation: when one sound becomes the same or similar to other sounds in the same word

Age of Elimination: 3 years
Example: “I want a pip” when they meant to say “I want a sip” (the “s” becomes like the “p” at the end of the word)

Final Consonant Deletion: when a child drops off or doesn’t produce the last sound at the end of a word

Age of Elimination: 3 years
Example: “Look at the bow!” for “look at the boat!”

Devoicing: when a child produces a voiceless sound instead of the voiced sound

Age of Elimination: 3 years
Example: “Where is my back?” For “Where is my bag?”

Voicing: when a child produces a voiced sound for a voiceless sound

Age of Elimination: 3 years
Example: “I want more bees” for “I want more peas”

Stopping: when a child stops the airflow needed to produce a sound and substitutes it with another sound

Age of Elimination: 3-5 years
Example: “my two” for “my shoe”

Fronting: when a child substitutes sounds that they should be making in the back of the mouth with sounds towards the front of the mouth

Age of Elimination: 3.5 years
Example: “Daddy’s tea” for “Daddy’s key” (substituting “t” for “k”)

Cluster Reduction: when a child drops off or deletes one of the consonants in a “cluster”

Age of Elimination: 4 years
Example: “I see a nail” for “I see a snail”

Weak Syllable Deletion: when a child drops off or doesn’t say one of the syllables within a word

Age of Elimination: 4 years
Example: “I want a nana” for “I want a banana”

Deaffrication: when a child doesn’t produce the pressure sound in a combined sound

Age of Elimination: 4 years
Example: “I want ships” for “I want chips” (ch -> sh and j -> zh)

Gliding: when a child substitutes the “l” and “r” sounds for the “y” and “w” sounds

Age of Elimination: 5 years
Example: “The apple is wed” for “The apple is red”

*Examples and explanations are referenced from Adventures in Speech Pathology

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

This is a lot of information that can be overwhelming for a parent trying to help their child. We know that you want the best for your kiddo and we want to help! Our team of pediatric speech therapists provide screening, assessment, consultation, and treatment to help children overcome communication obstacles. Call Carolina Therapy Connection at 252-341-9944 to speak with one of our skilled and knowledgable speech-language pathologists. They can evaluate your child’s communication patterns, further explain phonological processes, and discuss the best treatment interventions for your family.

Written by: Brandi Ayscue, MS, CCC-SLP, CAS

Making “Sense” of Our Experiences

Posted on July 16, 2021October 4, 2023

The Pyramid of Learning

The Pyramid of Learning was developed by Occupational Therapist Kathleen Taylor and Special Educator Maryann Trott. The Pyramid of Learning is an easy-to-understand illustration that depicts a general idea of a child’s foundational skills, and what other skills build upon those. Think about it: You can’t place stones on the top until the foundation stones are in place… every block relies on the ones underneath to be strong and stable. This pyramid explains why the sensory systems are so incredibly important to support academic learning. In other words, kids NEED routine sensory input for their bodies and their brain! Our central nervous system processes and organizes the sensory information we put into it each day. Adequate sensorimotor development for things like motor planning, postural security and body awareness are built on adequate modulation and processing of sensory information that we take in every day! Sensory input can be anything such as, smells, tastes, sounds, movements, pressure, and textures.

When a child is referred to occupational therapy, it is usually for things like attention to task, handwriting difficulties, picky eating, self-care tasks, tolerating routine changes, or school readiness skills. These functional difficulties are in the “Cognition and Intellect” categories at the top of the learning pyramid. The role of an occupational therapist is to determine underlying causes of these issues and utilize specific interventions to address them. Often times, it is hard for parents to fully understand why their child is not performing at the level at which they would like them to be. Some parents may see their child become frustrated when they are trying their best to be compliant, listen and learn, but their sensory processing abilities are hindering them. These frustrations root from the child working throughout the day just to do the simple things, the things that should be automatic and unconscious for them. This may include things like listening to the teacher, keeping their balance on the stairs, standing close to their friends in line, trying a new snack, or engaging in messy play. It all begins at the bottom of the pyramid!

Understanding Our Sensory Systems

Proprioception is our ability to sense the location, positioning, and movements of our body and its limbs. It allows us to navigate a crowded area without bumping into people and furniture in our path.
Vestibular sensation is housed in our inner ears and uses gravity to sense spatial orientation and movement. This system is responsible for maintaining balance during movement. If you or child is a victim of motion sickness, you have the vestibular system to blame!
Tactile sensation comes from receptors in our skin found all over the body. Tactile sensation includes sensations of pain, temperature, pressure, and textures.
Gustatory includes specific tastes (spicy, sweet, minty, bitter) and specific textures (crunchy, chewy, mushy). Taste also involves knowing the difference between food items and non-food items.
Olfactory or smells involve the ability to distinguish, detect, tolerate and object certain scents.
Visual includes noticing and tolerating visual patterns, colors, shapes, bright and dimmed lights and moving objects.
Auditory involves the ability to distinguish and tolerate loud sounds (fire alarms, sirens or loud music) and soft sounds (finger snapping, repetitive tapping, hearing others breathing).

How Sensory Processing Difficulties Affect Behavior

As a parent, it can be difficult when our children are having difficulty with negative behaviors. Let’s say that you receive a call from your child’s school reporting that they often seem distracted and don’t pay attention in class, bump into kids in the lunch line, can’t hold a pencil correctly, become upset when asked to switch from one activity to another, or melt down during circle time. Although these seem like behaviors that are caused by the child seeking attention or not getting their way, sometimes it can root from difficulty with sensory input. It is important for parents to work with an occupational therapist in determining the root of the problem. Sensory integration therapy or a sensory diet may be the key to diminishing these behaviors. Sometimes, just some simple routine changes can allow the child to regulate themselves. Regardless, it is important to have an occupational therapist on your team to help make those adjustments.

Sensory Integration

Sensory integration refers to how your body recognizes, processes, and responds to information received by our sensory systems on an individual and combined level. This includes our traditional 5 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; however, we also have proprioceptive and vestibular sensory systems. Occupational therapists use sensory integration therapy by exposing a child to sensory stimulation in a structured and organized way. The goal of sensory integration therapy is to adapt the child’s brain and nervous system to process sensory information more efficiently. The OT may use a sensory gym to engage the child in these repetitive and stimulating activities.

Sensory Integration Strategies

Messy play – mud, dirt, water, food play, finger paints, shaving cream, bath bubbles, etc.
Noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs
Window shades or adjustable lights
Include your child in meal preparation process – encourage them to help whether with their hands or using cooking utensils to interact with the many food textures and smells
Food play – Encourage your child to interact with new foods in the most basic manner; the SOS Feeding Approach, used commonly by Occupational Therapists, encourages the following progression with new foods: See –> Touch –> Kiss –> Lick –> Taste –> Chew & Swallow. It is important to allow your child to move at their own pace and allow them to clean off hands or spit out food at any point along the continuum.
Sensory toys – check out Ark Therapeutic, a leading manufacturer of innovative therapy tools and special needs products! They have great sensory toys, chews and fidgets that can help your child deal with sensory overload.
Finger painting – also try bathtub paint to reduce mess and give child control over cleaning off their hands
Listening to music
Having a clear visual schedule posted with plenty of preparation for transitions.
Providing sensory breaks such as walking in circles, jumping on a mini-trampoline and sucking on sour candy.
For the child who needs to move a bit, you might try an inflated seated cushion or a pillow from home so they can both squirm and stay in their seat.

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Sensory Integration Therapy and play-based treatment intervention that is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. Sensory Integration involves specific sensory activities (swinging, bouncing, brushing, and more) that are intended to help your child regulate his or her response to incoming sensory input. The outcome of these activities may be better focus and attention, improved behavior, and even lowered anxiety. Our therapists may work on lowering a patient’s negative reactions to touch, help them become better aware of their body in space, and work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.). Various techniques include swinging, deep pressure therapy, which may include squeezing, rolling, etc., jumping on a trampoline, or gross motor play such as wall climbing, balance beam, etc.

Carolina Therapy Connection now has the largest and most state-of-the-art sensory gym in all of Eastern North Carolina! Check out our 360° view of our sensory gym HERE. Our sensory gym is fully equipped with a zip-line, monkey bars, slides, scooter board ramps, ball pit, trampolines, rock climbing wall, and an expansive set of swings to offer a wide-variety of sensory experiences for each child.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a screening for your child, call our clinic at (252) 341-9944 to learn more about what you can do and how we can help!

References:

Pyramid of Learning by Taylor and Trott (1991)

Amy Hathaway, OTR/L DEVELOP, LEARN, GROW

Kids First Children’s Services

Now Offering Free Screenings!

Posted on June 1, 2021October 4, 2023

What is a Screening?

A screening for occupational therapy, speech-language therapy and/or physical therapy is a quick 10-15 minute discussion or observation of your child for potential areas of developmental concern. A screening may be over the phone, zoom or in person. A screening is used to determine whether your child may or may not need a formal evaluation.

What is a Formal Evaluation?

There are a variety of evaluation methods and standardized tests that are designed to assess different areas of functioning including visual-motor, visual-perception, gross motor, fine motor, sensory integration and many others. A child’s performance on each of these tests is compared with the average performance of other children in his or her age group. In addition to these tests, clinical observations are made based on discussion between the parent and the therapist. These formal evaluations allow the therapist to see your child’s current level of function, determine if services are needed, and develop client-centered goals and planning for therapy outcomes.

Everything You Need to Know About a Screenings

One of our amazing Occupational Therapist, Kelly Burton, explains everything you need to know about the screening process in the video below. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development or would like to set up a screening, call our clinic at 252-341-9944!

Apraxia and PROMPT

Posted on May 16, 2021October 4, 2023

May is Apraxia Awareness Month

According to Apraxia Kids, for the first time, the entire month of May has been designated Apraxia Awareness Month and corresponds with May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder in which a child knows what they would like to say but has difficulty sending the message from their brain to their mouth. It is a significant problem with motor planning and coordination of the lips, tongue, jaw and palate to produce intelligible speech. Parents of children with childhood apraxia of speech commonly say things like, “No one can understand my son,” “It looks like he is trying to say the word, but can’t get it out,” and “He said that word one time, and then I never heard it again.” Our goal this month, is to educate families about apraxia, spread awareness, and provide resources that may be helpful for children struggling with apraxia.

A quote from Apraxia Kids: “The more people that know and understand Apraxia, the more support children and families will have. Early intervention is crucial. A team supporting a child with Apraxia is crucial. I’ve learned along the way, we don’t know what we don’t know. Let’s help people know about Apraxia!”

What are the signs of apraxia?

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA, 2007), the three most common features in children with apraxia of speech are:

Inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels in repeated productions of syllables or words (for example, a child says the same word differently each time he tries to produce it).
Difficulty producing longer, more complex words and phrases.
Inappropriate intonation and stress in word/phrase production (for example, difficulty with the timing, rhythm and flow of speech).

Apraxia and PROMPT

PROMPT (Prompting for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) is a multifaceted approach used to treat a variety of speech production disorders such as expressive language, stuttering, motor planning, articulation/phonology, and auditory processing as well as cognitive or global delays. PROMPT is a highly successful treatment method for children with motor speech disorders such as apraxia. During PROMPT, a speech-language pathologist manually guides a patient’s jaw, lips, vocal folds, and tongue by targeting certain words, phrases, or sentences. They use touch cues to shape and support the proper movements. In doing so, the therapist helps the patient produce phonemes, or the smallest units of sound that distinguish one word from another. Together, the therapist and child progress through different sounds at a steady pace, moving to new sounds only when the patient is ready. The child learns through assistance and repetition to plan, organize, and create steadily more advanced vocal sounds. For more information about PROMPT, watch this quick video.

Carolina Therapy Connection is now using PROMPT

To be certified in the PROMPT method, a speech-language pathologist attends PROMPT training courses and meets a number of certification requirements established by the PROMPT Institute. One of our amazing Speech-Language Pathologists at Carolina Therapy Connection, Lindsey Grant, is now certified in PROMPT! Lindsay graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2012 from East Carolina University with her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Hispanic Studies. She then continued at East Carolina University, receiving her Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorder in 2014. While completing her Master’s degree, she completed a research project on the relationship between dyslexia and language. Lindsay has experience working with children of all ages in a variety of settings including school, home, daycare, and clinic. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she received her Certificate of Clinical Competence. She is also a Certified Autism Specialist through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. Lindsay has a passion of helping children with apraxia of speech make significant improvements to their speech and communication skills.

If you have any questions about your child’s speech development, apraxia or PROMPT, call our clinic at 252-341-9944!

Better Speech and Hearing Month

Posted on May 3, 2021October 4, 2023

What is Better Speech and Hearing Month?

Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) was founded in 1927, by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The aim of Better Speech and Hearing Month is to raise awareness around both speech and hearing problems while encouraging people to take a look at their own speech and hearing and to make a change if there is a problem. Developing strong communication skills is one of the most important elements to socializing and creating relationships. Communicating can be difficult for children with speech and/or language disorders, causing frustration and isolation. A Speech-Language Pathologist helps children overcome communication obstacles, and this month we are giving a huge shout out to our amazing Speech-Language Pathologists at Carolina Therapy Connection!

How can I be involved in Better Speech and Hearing Month?

According to the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC), hearing loss affects 48 million Americans. Nearly 1 in 12 (7.7 percent) U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing. Considering these statistics, millions more family members and friends are also impacted. Better Hearing and Speech Month offers an opportunity for everyone to come together and bring awareness to hearing and speech related issues, educate themselves, and enthusiastically promote hearing and speech health. Anyone can celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month, so we encourage you to get involved in your own community! In order to do your part this month, you simply can shine a spotlight on hearing health or speech issues. You could do this by sharing educational materials, encouraging your loved ones to be aware of their speech and hearing needs, telling your personal journey on social media, or simply just reading this blog to become more aware!

What are the areas of Speech-Language Pathology?

In light of Better Speech and Hearing Month, we want to provide resources for a better understanding of speech-language pathology and the roles of SLPs! The graphic below was created by Allison Fors, a speech-language resource author that creates speech therapy tools and educational resources for the public and all SLPs. View her blog here to learn more about each area of speech language pathology.

Recognize the Early Signs of Communication Disorders

As a parent, the early stages of communication disorders are easier to spot when you know the signs. Early detection and treatment of speech, language, and hearing issues is absolutely critical to improving the quality of life.

Here is a list of examples that are commonly known signs of communication disorders in children birth to 4 years old:

Does not smile or interact with others using verbal and nonverbal communication
Makes only a few sounds or gestures, resulting in using mostly nonverbal communication only
Words are not easily understood or language is unclear (12-18 months)
Has trouble with reading and writing skills (2.5 – 3 years)
Has trouble interacting with other children
Stretches out or repeats the first sounds of words: “f-f-f-f-farm”
Uses a nasal sounding voice
Uses a horse or breathy voice (frequent pauses or breathing between words)

Speech-Language Pathology at Carolina Therapy Connection

Our SLP’s at Carolina Therapy Connection design each therapy session with your child’s specific needs in mind. Our approach not only helps your child with their speech, but it also helps with communication, comprehension, social skills, expanding vocabulary, articulation, and many other areas. If your child is in need of therapy, it is best to begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early (before they’re 5 years old) tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later. Older kids may progress at a slower rate, because they often have learned patterns that need to be changed. Your child may need speech therapy if they have difficulty with speech/articulation (pronouncing sounds or words) or using words to communicate. Because the muscles and structures used for speech (such as lips, tongue, teeth, palate and throat) are also used in eating, a speech and language pathologist may also help with feeding and swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia. Our team of pediatric speech therapists provide screening, assessment, consultation, and treatment in the following areas:

SOS Feeding Therapy ®
Beckman Oral Motor Approach®
VitalStim® Therapy
Early Intervention Services
Feeding and Oral Motor Development
Articulation and Language Development
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evaluations

If your child is experiencing any difficulty with communication, call our clinic for a FREE screening. A screening is a 10-15 minute conversation between an SLP and the family regarding the need for a clinical evaluation. Our focus is the wellness of the child. All of our therapists work together to insure they are receiving all the help they need to reach their highest potential!

Carolina Therapy Connection Expands to New Bern

Posted on January 18, 2021November 7, 2023

Carolina Therapy Connection Strives to Meet the Demand in Eastern NC

For over 10 years, Carolina Therapy Connection has embodied a vision of being the regional leader of skilled professionals providing diverse, collaborative services for children and their families. After growing from about 25 families in the first year of the practice, to over 1600 active patients today, we continue to improve the quality of life of children in Eastern North Carolina and provide support and education to parents and families.

Over the past year, our greatest challenge has been tirelessly working to meet the demands and needs of the pediatric population within our community. After becoming the first Certified Autism Center™ in Eastern N.C., it was clear that our next priority was to expand to New Bern! This realization led us to opening a new location in New Bern, North Carolina! Despite the challenges of COVID-19, our amazing team has gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide an exceptional new clinic and prepare for the needs within and around Craven County.

About Our New Bern Clinic

Our New Bern building is 2500 square foot, accommodating for 6 huge offices for our therapists and administrative staff, and a state-of-the-art sensory gym. Our New Bern team consists of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Educational Specialists. Currently, our team specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Torticollis, Interactive Metronome, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Feeding Therapy, Sensory Processing Disorder and many others! Having an open mind to drive innovation, we believe all our clinics should be an educational resource to provide the community with direct access to the latest research and developments in pediatric habilitative and rehabilitative services.

Through demonstrated excellence in clinical, school, and home-based practice, our therapists provide screening, assessment, consultation, and treatment in the following areas at our New Bern location:

Sensory Integration
Interactive Metronome ®
Therapeutic Listening®
Handwriting Without Tears®
SOS Feeding Therapy ®
Beckman Oral Motor Approach®
School-Related Skills
Gross and Fine Motor Development
Early Intervention Services
Feeding and Oral Motor Development
Balance and Coordination Skills
Age-Appropriate Daily Living Skills/ Self-Help Skills
Handwriting Skills
Adaptive Equipment Purchasing and Modification
Articulation and Language Development
Augmentative Communication
Adaptive Equipment Purchasing and Modification
Wheelchair Assessments
Evaluations for Orthotic Devices and Equipment (AFO’s, Helmet, etc.)

Expanding Our Community Outreach Program

Our New Bern administrative staff and therapists have been working hard to reach out to the community to get as much viable information as possible. As we continue developing our community outreach plan for 2021, we are constantly updating our website resources page for in and around Craven County. We are also working hard to ensure that the pediatric offices, daycares and schools are aware of the services we provide. Over the past few months, we have sent out a community survey to better understand how we can partner with with local organizations in making a way for greater resilience within our community. Amidst the struggle of COVID-19, we have also been able to reach out to multiple locations around New Bern by email, phone call, and also by delivering goodie baskets! We are so excited to be working with all these great organizations and can’t wait to see where the future takes us!

Pictures of Our New Bern Clinic

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Posted on October 21, 2020October 4, 2023

What is AAC?

AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. So, what exactly does this mean? In short, it is any type of communication that replaces or aides natural/verbal speech. Most often people think of AAC as a big fancy communication device with voice output, but it is so much more than that! We all use forms of augmentative and alternative communication everyday including gestures, body language, or facial expressions. On top of that, it can also include (but is not limited to) sign language, pictures, writing (even with simple pen and paper), pointing to letters or pictures on a picture board, or communication devices.

How do we use AAC at Carolina Therapy Connection?

Here at Carolina Therapy Connection, our kiddos and their SLPs (speech-language pathologists) use a wide variety of AAC daily. This includes sign language, picture symbols and picture symbol books, and communication devices. After we evaluate your child’s speech-language skills, including comprehension of language, we can help find a system that will fit your child’s communication needs. We are very excited for some of our kiddos (and their families!) who have gone through the therapy and funding process to get their own communication devices! Here’s a look at some of our happy kiddos below!

Common Misunderstandings

As a speech-language pathologist, most often the first question I hear from parents is “Will using augmentative and alternative communication impact my child’s ability to produce verbal speech?” This is a very common misconception with AAC. Actually, research shows that AAC can have positive effects on speech-language development when the therapist in using it in a multimodal approach (using both alternative communication systems and working on verbal speech at the same time).

Another misconception is that a child may be too young for AAC. Again, research debunks this misconception. Instead, the research shows that early implementation of AAC can aid in the development of natural speech and language skills.

As a parent or guardian, if you are interested in seeing this research on one or both of these topics, one of our SLPs will be happy to get that information to you!

At Carolina Therapy Connection, learn more about AAC and how it can help your child from our awesome speech therapists! Please call us at (252) 341-9944 to set up an evaluation.

—Written by: Laurel Wilsen, MS, CCC-SLP, CAS