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...
I’d just like to preface this blog post by saying that masks are not up for debate on this platform. My job is to bring you information relevant to speech, language, and hearing, and that’s what I’m going to do. My husband works at a retail pharmacy here in the greater Grand Rapids area. He...
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...
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Over 5 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and is the cause of death for 1 in 3 seniors. Despite these big numbers, Alzheimer’s can still be a confusing or even unknown topic in many of our households. As I always say,...
Friends, we have made it to the end of the school year School is OUT (or almost out)! Let’s take a moment to celebrate this fact! (Time yourself – one minute, please.) You should certainly celebrate this accomplishment, but for our friends with speech difficulties, the work does not stop here. Have you heard of...
In the last 2 months, I think we’ve all been there – we’re on a video chat with a child and it goes TERRIBLY. There are a lot of blank stares, long moments of silence, and sometimes (read: almost always) the phone shakes as if you’re in a 6.0 magnitude earthquake. Talking with children over...
I am living for my walks these days. We’re currently on a two-a-day schedule, or however many our dog demands. It’s good to get outside and enjoy the weather, especially here in Michigan! I’m not alone. I see families on walks even where I live (in the middle of nowhere). Facebook and Instagram are plastered...
We’re lucky to have Beth Kirchenberg, Middle School and Teen Librarian at River Forest Public Library, back with us for another round. Since we’re all stuck at home, it’s an excellent time to pick up a book. For your kiddos who are YA aged, Beth has provided us with the ultimate YA literature picks. I mean,...
Following my quick Q&A video on the DLST Facebook and Instagram pages, I had even MORE questions about gender-affirming voice modification. You know I love audience participation, so I’m so happy people are asking great questions and learning more about this service. Since my video addressed the basics of voice modification, the rest of the...
Research tells us that, when given meaningful activities in which they can participate, individuals with dementia are more cognitively stimulated. Meaningful activities also help to alleviate anxiety and depression, and promote positive social interactions. All of these factors lead to an improved quality of life for the individual with dementia and, as a result, their caregivers.