Speech Unbound

01/16/2026

The "Brain CEO" Snow Pivot ❄️🧠
If you are in Southeast Michigan, did that unexpected snow storm throw your entire Wednesday and Thursday into "auto-pilot" chaos? 🌨️

When the weather changes our plans, our stress levels usually spike before we even realize why. This is where your Brain’s CEO, Awareness, needs to step in!

In our Mindful Monday series, we talk about Executive Functioning being the "ladder" to solving problems. The very first rung is Awareness. Before you can figure out how to handle school closures, icy roads, or a disrupted work schedule, you have to notice the shift in your environment and your internal state.

How to move from reacting to leading your afternoon:
• Hit the Pause Button: Instead of rushing to "fix" the snow day mess, stop for 30 seconds.
• Ask the CEO Question: "What am I noticing right now?" (e.g., I’m noticing I feel rushed, the driveway is blocked, and I’m worried about my 3 PM meeting.)
• Name the Facts: By naming the problem, you move it from the emotional part of your brain to the logical part. That is where the solutions live!

Awareness is the difference between reacting to the storm and leading your way through it.

How did the snow change your flow this week? Drop a "❄️" if you’re practicing Awareness with us!

01/16/2026

Whether we realize it or not, we all have a relationship with food. Refusing to eat is rarely about being defiant.

01/16/2026

Hearing "It’s time to clean up!" can feel intimidating and, let’s be honest, a bit of a fun-killer. For a child, it can feel like they have zero say in their world, which often leads to resistance or a meltdown.
The Fix? A simple reframe! ✨
Instead of a demand, try giving The Power of Two Choices. Instead of "Time to clean up," try: "Do you want to put away the ice cream or the cone first?"
Why this is a Win-Win:
Autonomy: It gives the child a sense of control and power. They get to decide the how, even if the what (cleaning up) is non-negotiable.

It’s not a 100% guarantee every time, but it is a powerful place to start! By giving a choice, you turn a potential battle into a collaborative moment.

Try it today: What’s one transition you can add a choice to? Tell us below! 👇

01/15/2026

In this week’s Mindful Monday, we talked about awareness being the first step in the brain's "CEO" system. Here is what that looks like in action with a 2-year-old!

Watch the Process:
✨The Snag: He’s trying to build the yellow giraffe, but a purple rhino piece is in the way.
✨The Prompt: Instead of fixing it for him, I label the feeling: "Oh no, something’s not right." This encourages him to stop and attend to the toy.
✨The Scaffolding: He isn't quite sure why it’s wrong yet, so I provide a clue by showing him the purple rhino.
✨The Click: Once he sees the facts, he has the awareness he needs to solve the problem!
Why This Matters:

By slowing down and pointing out the discrepancy, we are building the neural pathways for self-correction.

✨The Goal: We want kids (and adults!) to move from being stuck to being observant. The next time your child is frustrated, try saying, "Hmm, I notice something is different here..." and see if they can find the "purple rhino" in their own situation!

01/15/2026

Larissa has been working so incredibly hard in speech therapy, focusing on her verbal working memory and mastering sounds that are tricky to say. Watching her learn to self-monitor and grow more confident every day is the best reward.
When she’s not crushing her goals in speech therapy, you can find her baking up a storm 🍰, splashing in the pool 🏊‍♀️, or hanging out with her favorite furry friends🐾. She is the brightest light in every room, and we are so proud of her!

01/14/2026

🐾 Pawject Manager Report: The Master of Awareness! 🧐

It's me, Otto, Pawject Manager!

I heard the humans talking about Awareness on Monday. Did you know that dogs are basically professional awareness experts?

I spend my whole day practicing. Right now my sense of smell is my primary awareness tool:
🥕I can smell yummy food from 3 rooms away.
🍃I can sniff out the smallest change from one blade of grass to another.
🧁I can sniff out a container of treats hidden in different areas of the house.

Being aware means slowing down and taking inventory before we act because if we don’t stop and think we may get in trouble! It’s what makes me such a great manager (and a very good boy).

Challenge for you: What is one small thing you’ve noticed today that you usually walk right past? Tell me in the comments! 👇

01/13/2026

There can be mixed emotions when cleaning up from the holidays. Some of us may feel sad the holidays are over, others may feel relieved. Some may be feeling disappointed to see the holiday lights and colors disappear, others feel a sense of calm that the added clutter is gone. However you’re feeling is valid! For us at Speech Unbound, we are feeling re-freshed with the new year cleaning and we were excited to have a bit of sensoery-fun taking these decorations down (just listen to that crinkle!).

01/12/2026

❤️❤️

The doll is the first Barbie with autism. She carries a pink fidget spinner that actually spins, wears pink noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload and holds a pink tablet that represents her augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, device. https://cnn.it/4qibTBu

01/12/2026

🧠 Mindful Monday: Your Brain’s CEO – Awareness!
We often talk about Executive Functioning in children, but here is a secret: these are "Brain CEO" skills that we use every single day of our adult lives, too! 💼

The very first step in the cognitive ladder—for humans of all ages—is Awareness.

Why Awareness Matters for Everyone
Before we can solve a problem, we have to notice that there is one.
For a child: Noticing the tower is leaning before it crashes.
For an adult: Noticing that your stress level is rising before you snap at a coworker.

If we aren't attentive to the environment or our own internal state, we can't move to the next step: making a plan. When we stay in "auto-pilot," we are reacting to life rather than leading it.

The Key Takeaway:
We want to move from reacting to observing. Whether you are coaching your child or managing your own busy Monday, the goal is to flip the "Awareness" switch.

💡 Practice this today (no matter your age!): When things feel messy or frustrating, hit the pause button and ask: 👉 "What am I noticing right now?" 👉 "What are the facts of this situation?"

By naming the problem, you move it from the emotional part of your brain to the logical part. That is where the solutions live! 🧗‍♂️

01/09/2026

Baby Playgroup will return on Monday, January 12th!
Looking for fun in your morning before nap time? Join us for stories, toys, bubbles, songs, and more every Monday between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.! Just drop in, have fun, and meet other babies and caregivers.

01/09/2026

What is considered a word?

01/09/2026

Ever wonder how SLPs turn storytime into a powerful learning session? Mrs. Jhay-lah wrote the book on it—literally! 🐾✨

Saydee May’s Golden Day is a fun children's book that doubles as a guide for parents. Jhay-lah designed this story to bridge the gap between clinic learning and home practice, making it easy for you to target:
-Rhyming
-Blending/Segmenting
-Comprehension

How to read it: 📍 Request a copy to look through during your next visit to Speech Unbound! 🛒 Support Mrs. Jhay-lah and grab your own copy on Amazon!

Let’s make 2026 the year of confident readers! 🚀

https://amzn.to/4jvaiFF