If you are a parent of a child with an articulation disorder, it can be really tricky to find time to incorporate practice into your day. Your SLP likely sends you homework, but sometimes it’s hard to sit down and do “speech homework.” Luckily, you can really practice speech sounds in almost any activity in...
I talk a lot about core words on our Facebook and Instagram pages, but what in the world are they and why would anyone teach them? AssistiveWare defines core words as the “50-400 words that make up the majority of everything we say.” There are a bunch of really interesting studies out there that used...
A conversation that often comes up when I tell people I’m a speech-language pathologist often revolves around the topic of school-based speech and language services vs. private speech-language services. If you ask around, you’ll find that there are a lot of people out there who received speech services in school. In fact, according to the...
It’s the time of the year toys and play get a lot of attention. Hey, I’m all about it! Play is such a powerful language learning tool, and, above all, is enjoyable for the children. I thought I’d take some time this week do discuss the connection between language development and play in more detail...
by Tamiko Teshima, M.A., CCC-SLP Practice Owner & Speech-Language Pathologist Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC This time of year, our team is often asked for input on gift giving. Most questions are typically about what toys are best for language development. The truth is that there is absolutely no toy on the planet that will...
Today, we continue our Fall Language Series. Last week, we talked about language development at the apple orchard. This week, we’re taking it to the pumpkin patch, AAC style. For those of you who don’t know, AAC stands for alternative and augmentative communication. AAC is, essentially, any form of expressive language that isn’t spoken words....
Like any red-blooded Midwesterner, I am a sucker for the fall. Call me basic, but there is something about this time of year that just makes me so happy. Maybe it’s the colors? Maybe it’s the sweaters? Whatever it is, I love it! Fall brings with it its own set of activities. Apple orchards, pumpkin...
Allergies, amirite? Every September, Mother nature warmly welcomes me into her loving autumnal arms by giving me giant case of seasonal allergies. There is nothing quite like constant sneezing, coughing, and congestion, especially during a global pandemic (READ THE ROOM, MOTHER NATURE!), to really ring in the new season. As if this wasn’t annoying enough...
Michigan residents cling to summer weather like velcro. We only get about 4 months of sunshine, so we spend all the time we can outside during the summer. The outdoors can be a great place to work on building your child’s language skills (as we already know). They’re doing activities they love, so you already...
by Tamiko Teshima, M.A., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC Updated for July 2024 We live in a society that values politeness in uncomfortable situations. Have you heard the term “Midwest nice?” It’s very real. While this can be very pleasant (“Hey, thanks for not bringing up the terrible COVID-cut I gave my bangs!”), when...