Speech Unbound

12/01/2025

🃏 December Activity Spotlight: Card Games Are Great for the Brain!

Who doesn’t love a good card game night? Whether it’s Euchre, Poker, Go Fish, or Uno — playing cards isn’t just fun, it’s fantastic exercise for the brain!

When we play, we’re doing so much more than we realize:
✨ Boosting memory and focus — remembering what cards were played and planning your next move.
🧠 Strengthening thinking and reasoning skills — deciding which card to play or when to fold helps keep the mind sharp.
💬 Encouraging communication and connection — chatting, joking, and explaining strategies are all great ways to keep language skills active.
❤️ Supporting emotional and social health — laughing and connecting with others can lift mood and reduce feelings of isolation.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), engaging in meaningful, social activities like card games supports healthy communication and thinking skills as we age.

Try this at home:
-Invite family or friends for a game night.
-Encourage your loved one to explain their strategy (“I’m saving this card because…”).
-Ask gentle questions to support memory (“Do you remember what was just played?”).
-Celebrate social connection — the conversation is just as important as the cards!

💡 The takeaway:
Thankful for a reason to play? Card games are a simple, enjoyable way to support brain health, language, and connection — all while having fun together.

12/01/2025

💡 Mindful Monday: Environmental Manipulation

This technique is all about using your environment to create moments where your child wants to use language—without any adult pressure or cueing! No more saying, "Say ___!"

What is Environmental Manipulation?
Environmental Manipulation is the intentional technique of structuring your environment to create opportunities that naturally elicit a child’s desire to communicate.
It involves strategically placing desired items or creating situations that require your child to use language (words, gestures, or signs) to achieve a goal.

Why is This Strategy Crucial?
This is an evidence-based strategy for promoting functional communication (ASHA). This method encourages spontaneous communication—language used without adult prompting.

Key Benefits:
✨ Increases Independence- Eliminates the pressure of direct cueing (like "Say 'cookie'").
✨ Fosters Intentionality- Helps the child understand that language is a powerful tool used to influence and control their environment.
✨ Supports Language Formulation- Brain is motivated to complete the full sequence: processing the need, formulating the plan, and executing the request.

11/29/2025

Today, we're celebrating Small Business Saturday by taking a moment to look back at where it all started! Watch to see a montage of our journey—from a big dream to the beautiful clinic we call home today!
This practice is the living testament to the grit and heart of our fearless leader, Sarah. She didn't just open a business; she poured her heart, sweat, and full-force "Sarah Says" determination into building a place where families can flourish. Her incredible vision, unwavering grit, and deep generosity are the engine driving this successful and thriving practice.
Today, we recognize Sarah's amazing commitment and the passion of all the other small business owners in our community! When you shop small, you're not just buying a product or service—you're supporting a dream, a family, and our local economy.
Thank you for choosing to support us!

Local Love Shoutouts!
Show some love to these amazing local businesses we adore:
Black Cat Coffee - Black Cat Coffee
Mae's - Mae's
The Nest Collaborative - The Nest Mount Clemens
Succulent Sweets - Succulent Sweets
Clementine Bakery - Clementine’s Pastries
Harrison Township Nutrition -
Harrison Township Firefighters Local 1737 Harrison Township Firefighters Local 1737
Animal Activity Center

11/28/2025

Reflecting on this week's Mindful Monday post - watch the powerful pause in action!!

🧠 Why Do We Need to Wait?
Communication is a marathon, not a sprint! Wait time is crucial because it gives the brain the time it needs to complete a complex, multi-step process:

Process (The "Hear"): Fully understand the auditory information.

Formulate (The "Think"): Access vocabulary, organize grammar, and create a response plan.

Execute (The "Do"): Coordinate muscles for speech (or sign/type).

Jumping in too soon cuts this vital sequence short!

✨ The Science: Evidence shows that extended wait time leads to longer, more complex, and more grammatically correct responses from children (ASHA). It also reduces pressure and builds communication confidence!

11/27/2025

A Feeding Therapist’s Thanksgiving Reminder 🍽️

The holidays are for connection, not correction. ❤️
As SLPs, we know that Thanksgiving and other holiday gatherings are not the best time to push feeding goals or strict therapy routines. These special days are about family, comfort, and shared joy!

The American Speech and Hearing Association reminds families that successful mealtimes come from trust and understanding, not pressure. Here are a few simple tips to help your child (and yourself!) enjoy the holiday:

🥣 Prepare, don’t pressure. Talk about the foods that will be served, but avoid forcing “just one bite.” Exploring is learning, too!

👩‍🍳 Get them involved. Let your child help stir, mash, or plate food — this supports sensory exploration in a fun, no-pressure way.

🦃 Make food fun. Try silly shapes, themed platters, or letting your child serve themselves “family style.”

💬 Set expectations for others. Let family and friends know how best to support your child — no pressure, no bribing, no shaming.

💡 Have a plan for calm. If things get overwhelming, take a walk, head to another room, or enjoy a quiet moment together.

Kids don’t eat much on Thanksgiving! Between the new foods, loud conversations, and busy environment, it can be sensory overload.
It’s totally fine if your child’s plate looks more like chicken nuggets and mac & cheese than turkey and green beans. 🧀🍗 The goal is comfort, not cuisine.

Thanksgiving isn’t the time to focus on trying new foods — it’s a time to enjoy family, connection, and what feels safe and familiar. ❤️

Focus on helping kids build positive, lifelong relationships with food — one bite, one smell, and one smile at a time. 🧡

Sources:
ASHA. (2022). How To Help Children With Feeding Difficulties During Holiday Meals.
ASHA. (2022). Be Tech Wise With Toddlers.
www.asha.org

11/26/2025

🐾 Pawject Manager Report 🐾

Reporting for duty one last time before I take my very important four-day break to patrol the living room for dropped turkey.

All systems are a GO for our holiday closure! A few final updates before the humans lock up:
✨Closure Reminder: The clinic will be closed Thursday, Nov 27th, and Friday, Nov 28th. We are back open on Monday, Dec 1st!
✨New Pawject: The humans will be initiating a door decorating contest for the Holiday season starting next week! Ask your therapist about their plans and how you can help bring their vision to life! It's going to be a fierce competition—I'm the designated judge!

That’s all for now! Have a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving. Stay pawsome, and I’ll see you in December!

Happy Thanksgiving! 🧡

11/26/2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

11/24/2025

⏳ Mindful Monday: The Superpower of the Pause!
This week, we're sharing a simple, game-changing tool you can use today: Wait Time!

🤔 What is Wait Time?
Wait time is the intentional, silent pause we take after asking a question, giving a direction, or making a comment. Instead of jumping in to repeat, clarify, or answer for our loved one, we simply wait. It's often recommended to wait at least 5 to 10 seconds.

🧠 Why Do We Need to Wait?
Wait time is crucial because it gives the brain the time it needs to go through a complex, multi-step process, especially for individuals with language or processing difficulties.

- Processing Input (The "Hear"): It allows the listener's brain time to fully process the auditory information or the question being asked.

- Formulating a Plan (The "Think"): The brain must then access and organize the necessary vocabulary, grammar, and motor plans to create a response.

- Executing the Response (The "Do"): Finally, the speaker must coordinate the muscles for speech (or sign/type) to execute the plan.

This entire sequence takes longer than we often realize. Jumping in too soon cuts this process short.

✨ The Science: Evidence shows that extended wait time leads to longer, more complex, and more grammatically correct responses from children (ASHA). It also reduces pressure and builds communication confidence!

🌟 Master the Pause!
It's not just for kids! Wait time is essential for everyone, from young communicators to older adults processing complex information.

And guess what? You've seen the masters in action! Think about the brilliant pauses used by:
- The iconic Dora the Explorer (for our early 2000s mamas!)
- The wonderful Ms. Rachel (for our Generation Alpha babies!)

They demonstrate that a genuine pause shows you value and expect an answer.

👇 Tell Us! Are you a Dora or a Ms. Rachel enthusiast? Comment below with who taught you the power of the pause!

11/21/2025

✨ Amazon Mom vs. Pinterest Mom ✨
Both have their strengths — one clicks “add to cart,” the other hot-glues a masterpiece. We’re all about finding your version of success!
We love creating a vision board for future goals, sequencing life events, or using visuals to generate communication and expand language. Mood boards aren’t just cute — they’re powerful tools for helping kids (and adults!) talk about what they want, plan steps to get there, and build meaningful connections through communication. 🗣️💡
So whether you’re Team Amazon or Team Pinterest... we’re Team Speech & Language Growth! 💬🌈

11/21/2025

11/19/2025

🐾Pawject Manager Report🐾

Woof woof! It's me, Otto, Pawject Manager!

The clinic is closing next week so that my humans can talk about how thankful they are to have me AND so I can smell yummy food! So, my current Pawject is making sure all the necessary tasks are 101% complete!

PUP-DATE 1: I have successfully tested all the office couches for maximum napping comfort. (Grade: A+).

PUP-DATE 2: I am supervising the Human Assistants to make sure they have called every single person to talk about rescheduling their appointments next week.

PUP-DATE 3 (The Important One!): Human clients! Listen to your Pawject Manager! If you haven't talked to your Speech Therapist yet, you MUST call us today—Wednesday, November 19th—to confirm or change your session. The human staff needs this info for their final paw-per-work!

P.S. I am preparing my best "begging" posture for next week. Happy holidays, everyone! Stay pawsome! 🐾

11/18/2025

📅 Final Holiday Closure Reminder! (One Week Out)
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! This is a final reminder about our office schedule next week:

We will be closed next Thursday, November 27th, and Friday, November 28th.

We will be back in the office and ready to see you on Monday, December 1st.

Your therapist should have already discussed options for rescheduling your session. If you have not yet confirmed, rescheduled, or canceled your appointment for that week, please call the office no later than Wednesday, November 19th.

Thank you for your cooperation! We wish all of our wonderful clients a happy and healthy holiday. 🧡