Friends, this week we are lucky to have Caitlin Giammona, fellow SJSU alum, and speech-language pathologist and owner of The Signing SLP. Caitlin provides speech and language support to signing deaf and hard of hearing folks, and like us here at Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, is a firm believer in all practices that promote...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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....
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 it comes to tough conversations about the kiddos, it can be somewhat problematic....
The people have spoken, and you want to know more about milestones. I wrote a blog post earlier this year about communication milestones and red flags at 24 months, so this week, we’re taking it back to 18 months. Our Facebook page featured some of the milestones on Monday (see below), but what are...
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...
Friends, we have made it through nearly 3 months of distance learning! 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...