FAQ's about the SAY AND PLAY Programs and Speech and Language Development
Additonal Questions and Helpful Information is available on our Blog:
http://www.sayandplayfamily.com/sayandplay-blog.html
and on our easy to listen to podcasts:
 What is ASHA? What is CCC-SLP?
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional association for speech-language pathologists. CCC is an acronym for Certificate of Clinical Competence, awarded by ASHA. SLP is the acronym for Speech-Language Pathologist.
What are some general indicators of child language disorders?
According to ASHA, general indicators of child language disorders are:
Absence of words by age 18 months
Absence of two-word phrases that have a message by age 2 years
Inappropriate responses to questions
Echoing of speech
Poor intelligibility of speech
Undeveloped play skills
Poor understanding or use of adjectives and prepositions
Word-finding problems
Dependence on gestures to follow directions
Need for frequent repetition of directions
Poor social interaction with peers
Poor school performance
*American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2003). Let's Talk: Child language disorders. Rockville, MD: Author.
What is the difference between speech and language?
Speech is the production of sounds that make up words and sentences. It involves the coordination of the jaw, lips, tongue, vocal folds, vocal tract and respiration. There are three divisions to speech: articulation, voice and fluency.
Language refers to the use of words and sentences to convey ideas and express our wants and needs. Speaking, use of gestures, writing, understanding verbal conversation and understanding what one reads are all language related.
Is my child's language "late blooming" or a language problem (birth through age two)?
If you find your child is understanding most of the things you say and you notice small gains with language each month (e.g. babbling with new sounds, attempts to imitate or approximate words, new hand gestures, etc.) these are good signs that your child may be a "late bloomer" and not necessarily have a language disorder.
However, the older your child is at the time of a diagnosis of a language disorder, the more difficult it may be for your child to efficiently reach his/her language potential. Consulting with a certified speech-language pathologist may be a wise decision to ease your fears, empower you to help your child and potentially get an early start to language intervention.
How may language learning be affected by ear infections (otitis media)?
Children often have ear infections up through age three. Unfortunately, this is a time when they are learning to speak and understand words. Speech may sound muffled when a child has fluid in the ear. If a child can not hear sounds correctly, it may be difficult for him to produce words and say them correctly. Some researchers report that frequent ear infections may lead to speech and language difficulties.
How can sign language help improve verbal communication skills?
By using signs / gestures, parents can communicate with babies as young as 6 months. Usually children use their first verbal words by 12 months. Incorporating signs can help you know what your child is feeling (e.g., hot, tired, hungry) and help avoid potential frustration when your child can not verbally communicate to you that he or she wants to play with the Cookie Monster doll that is out of reach.
Signs enhance language development, and indicate that a child is understanding and using language. Children who use signs often develop a higher IQ than children who do not use them. Signing can help develop listening and visual attention skills because children observe parents signing the name of an object while hearing the corresponding word.
If appropriate, Say and Play teaches parents how to begin using signs with their children to facilitate language development and provide a total communication approach.
How can the language development of a child be affected in a bilingual home?
Bilingual children develop language skills just as other children do. In general, learning two languages may take longer than learning one. Children can be expected to go through periods of mixing grammar rules between the two languages and using vocabulary from the different languages in the same sentence. Some children may go through a "silent period" where they do not communicate as much when a second language is introduced. These experiences are normal and should gradually disappear as their language skills develop. Major language milestones such as using first words by age one and using two-word combinations by age two, should still be achieved.
How can the Say and Play programs improve language through reading books?
Say and Play teaches parents how to choose the most appropriate books for their child that will improve vocabulary, grammar and cognitive skills (e.g. attention, thinking, memory, etc.). Often, parents choose books that are not beneficial for their child's age and language development. Therefore, the books are not as fun and the child may have difficulty listening to the story.
Specific techniques to improve speech and language skills while reading books are provided and demonstrated with Say and Play programs. Techniques may include how to ask your child great questions, encouraging verbal participation in familiar books, and playing thinking games.
Did you know that the best way to encourage speech and language skills while reading to your young child is face to face? When you face your child while holding the book next to your face, (not in front of your mouth) your child can observe your facial expressions and watch how you move your mouth when you speak. Stephanie will always provide specific book recommendations for birth-four year olds in Say and Play programs.
What is oral-motor therapy?
Oral-motor therapy uses a variety of exercises to develop awareness, strength, coordination and mobility of the mouth muscles (jaw, lips and tongue). It is often used in conjunction with feeding and articulation (speech) therapy. Oral - motor intervention can help resolve issues with drooling, thumbsucking and pacifier use.
I understand that Stephanie is PROMPT trained. What is PROMPT?
PROMPT = Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets.
This type of treatment involves using dynamic tactile cues (paired with verbal and visual cues) to stimulate speech production in children who have difficulty articulating specific sounds. PROMPT may also be used with children who have motor-based speech disorders, such as developmental verbal apraxia of speech.
What is developmental verbal apraxia of speech?
This is when a child may have difficulty with volitional movement for the production of speech. Common characteristics may include: uneven or slow speech, difficulty putting sounds in the correct order, omission of sounds, more difficulty with longer words and sentences, and inconsistent mistakes.
What are typical feeding concerns and how are they addressed?
Feeding issues may include, but are not limited to: "picky" eating, refusing to eat, choking, gagging, food pocketing, drooling, difficulty transitioning to more demanding textures, and difficulty with cup drinking. Feeding issues often require oral-motor therapy. A feeding technique often used with babies includes obtaining lip closure and reducing tongue thrust through a specific spoon-feeding method. Later on, when a child is ready to talk and he or she now can close his or her lips, it should make it easier for the child to articulate sounds like m, b and p.
What is a tongue thrust?
A tongue thrust occurs when the tongue moves in a horizontal plane and pushes against the teeth during a swallow, instead of a vertical plane.
A tongue thrust may cause dental issues such as an overbite or an open-bite. A tongue thrust may be associated with thumbsucking, mouth breathing, and ear infections. Children with upper respiratory issues and chronic ear infections may exhibit an open-mouth posture. An open-mouth posture may lead to a forward tongue position.
How can a speech therapist resolve drooling and negative oral habits?
Drooling can often be eliminated through oral-motor exercises and improving awareness.
Negative oral habits, (e.g. thumb, finger, hand, shirt and object suckling, as well as pacifier, bottle and sippy cup usage) may directly interfere with speech (articulation) and feeding skills. Stephanie can assist you with eliminating these bad habits.
What is Floortime / DIR?
Floortime or the D.I.R. (Developmental, Individual, Relationship-Based) Model created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Serena Wieder uses motivating experience-based learning to improve language, independence, specific concepts and social skills for children with language delay. Traditional language therapy often focuses on teaching specific skills, which some children memorize. This may results in rote, unnatural responses.
Floortime, along with other contemporary language approaches, respects and engages a child's individuality and interests while challenging him or her to become a more related and logical thinker.
Say and Play Appointments: Who, Where and How?
All Say and Play sessions are conducted and customized by Stephanie. You can make an appointment by phone (646-295-4473) or by e-mail (sayandplay@yahoo.com).
Evaluations, treatment and consultations are conducted in the comfort of your Manhattan home. Stephanie may provide services in the following Manhattan areas; Upper West Side (to 96th Street), Upper East Side (to 96th Street), Midtown, Village, Soho, Tribeca, and Gramercy.
Stephanie does not accept insurance.
Are individual, continuous therapy sessions available?
If Stephanie's schedule allows, your child may be placed on her weekly caseload.
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