Natalie Hearn, Speech-Language Pathologist

05/07/2025

Happy Speech and Hearing Month to all my S-LP & Audio friends! 👄🦻

Have you or a family member experienced the impact of speech-language pathology services? Share your moment with us this May for Speech and Hearing Month! By raising awareness for S-LPs, we can provide access to care for more children in our community. ❤

10/06/2023

Hear what our Speech Therapist, Natalie, has to say about Ms. Rachel:

"Ms. Rachel - for those of you who haven't heard of her before - is a teacher who started making YouTube videos in 2019 meant to help toddlers with their language development. Ms. Rachel's son was speech delayed, and she gained a lot of knowledge of and practice utilizing the strategies she promotes in her videos.

I can't count how many times I've been told "Wow you talk like Ms. Rachel!" or "You remind me of Ms. Rachel!", and these comments are based not in how our voices sound alike, but in the way we speak to children. Here are some strategies Ms. Rachel demonstrates in her videos, that I use in my therapy practice:

1) Ms. Rachel uses TONS of gestures and signs in her videos. Multi-modal communication helps children learn concepts easier and faster.
2) She uses parentese - that is - extending her vowel sounds out longer and speaking in a higher-pitched voice. This captivates a child's attention.
3) The pausing! She demonstrates this super important language facilitation strategy excellently. Pausing gives kids time to process what was said, and encourages them to respond.

Her videos also include components of parental education, and creative play skills with common toys. While we know that screen time is not recommended under the age of 2 - Ms. Rachel's videos are structured to resemble a video call, and they aren't overly stimulating, which is more beneficial than other TV shows our little ones watch.

All in all, while interacting and playing with your child directly is ideal - Ms. Rachel is a great option for that inevitable "iPad time" or for parents who need ideas on how to encourage language development in their child."

07/10/2023

Babies are born language learners! They need to have lots of Language input from all the people in their lives. Try some of these great tips to help stimulate language development in your little ones!

06/02/2023

Children must learn so many skills before those sweet first words are spoken! All the time playing, reading, talking and interacting with your baby is helping to lay the foundation that your child needs to begin communicating with words. If you have questions about how to help your child please give us a call to book a visit with a Speech Language Pathologist, 1-877-492-8255.

05/19/2023

03/03/2023

Speech Language Therapy - Could it be helpful for your little one?

It can be hard to tell if your child's speech is developing normally, or if their little quirks may actually be a sign that they could benefit from the support of a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). Here are a few examples that may be helpful in knowing whether it's time to reach out for support.

If you're unsure - contact us. We're happy to provide help and guidance - that's what we're here for!

❤ Does your child say "dod" for dog? Or "tate" for cake? These substitutions are considered normal up until 3.5 years of age. If your child continues to use these patterns beyond 3.5 years, they might benefit from seeing an SLP.

❤ Does your child leave out the last sound in a word? Like "fi" for fish, or "pla" for plate? This is considered normal until the age of 3 years old. After that, it may be time to consider working with a SLP.

❤ Does your child stutter? If their stutter has lasted for more than 6 months, only began after 3.5 years old, you have a family history of stuttering, and/or your child tenses up and struggles when stuttering, reach out to us.

If you have any questions or feel that your little one could use our support and expertise, visit our website or contact us today.

03/03/2023

Happy World Hearing Day! 👂🦻

I don't talk about it as much as I should, but I am part of that 1 in 5 people who have a hearing loss. Maybe I'll share that story someday.

Did you know you hearing loss makes your brain work harder? To fill in the gaps, to stain to hear. Hearing loss is also considered a top risk factor for dementia.

If you've been meaning to book that hearing test, order those hearing aids or buy ear plugs for that concert you're going to Saturday night - this is your sign to just do it!

ref: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/hearing-loss-and-the-dementia-connection #:~:text=If%20you%20have%20hearing%20loss,top%20risk%20factors%20for%20dementia.&text=Hearing%20loss%20can%20make%20the,and%20fill%20in%20the%20gaps.

March 3rd is World Hearing Day! If you have questions or concerns about your child's hearing contact Talk With Me to schedule a hearing screening, 1-877-492-8255.

03/03/2023

Loveeeeeeee NeuroWild

02/03/2023

I use strategies from my OT colleagues, All. The. Time.

Co-regulation helps your child calm faster while empowering them to self-soothe. It also builds your connection and trust with each other. It's a win-win!

👉Co-regulation: https://www.theottoolbox.com/co-regulation/

👉Co-regulation is the ability to regulate emotions and behaviors to soothe and manage stressing internal sensory input or external situations, with the support and direction of a connecting individual.

👉Co-regulation is nurturing connection of another individual that supports regulation needs through the use of strategies, tools, and calming techniques in order to self-soothe or respond in times of stress.

👉Co-regulation and self-regulation are part of the developmental process.

Image from on Instagram.

01/05/2023

The New Year has brought us new staff and we are so excited to be expanding our team! ✨ Meet Natalie!

Natalie is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works with children of all ages. She has specific interest in working with
✅ Speech delays or disorders
✅ Fluency (stuttering)
✅ Feeding

Working with an interdisciplinary team has always been an important part of Natalie's practice. Book an appointment with her today! littleonestherapy.ca/contact

12/22/2022

And I’ll add - the less your toys “do”, the better the pretend play. 😯

The fire truck doesn’t need to have a siren, your child can be it’s siren! The baby doll doesn’t need to cry, your child can be it’s voice!

I know money is tight - especially this time of year. You can skip the fancy toys that need 8 AA batteries, your child (or at least your child’s SLP 😂) will thank you!

It is easy to feel overhwelmed by the number of toys in your house, especially with the thoughts of Christmas on the way. Here are so many reasons to rotate the toys in your house! It will also feel so good to have less clutter and fewer things to trip over!

10/13/2022

Language learning should always be fun! The more engaged a child is, the better they learn - and the easier it is to teach!

Use your environment to teach your child new vocabulary - Halloween gives you so many opportunities! 🍂

Here’s a fun way to combine your fun family time with talking. All of these talking topics can be paired with sign or AAC. Thank you for a fun infographic Tiny Talkers