Cold Spring Speech Therapy

04/21/2026

What are your non-negotiables when it comes to screen time? Drop them below so we can support each other! 

As an SLP and mom with ADHD, I’ve learned that “balance” looks different for every household, especially when neurodivergence comes into play.

These are the rules I swear by to keep us calm and happy, but I totally acknowledge that parenting is not one-size-fits-all. Use what helps your family and skip what doesn’t. 🫶

04/09/2026

Thank me (and save this post for) later...

If you’re trying to get your kid to talk more, rapid fire questions (“what’s this?” “what does this animal say??”) often trigger performance anxiety and makes them refuse to say anything 🙅

Instead, let’s make a “silly little mistake.”

TRY THIS ➡️ While playing, pick up a toy and misname it with total confidence. Example: Pick up the lion and say, “I found my cow! He’s going in the barn. Moo!”

Then, we pause for 5–10 seconds.

We are looking for a confused face or a check in with their eyes, where they’re showing you their brain realizes the data doesn’t match what they already know. They think, “wait a minute… do I know more than my dad?!” “Did Mom just make a mistake??”

All kids love to tell you that you’re wrong. When they do, lean into humor (“Doh! You’re right- that’s a lion! My bad!”)

If they don’t react, use an exaggerated look, stop yourself, and say, “hold on... is this a cow? No!!!” with a big smile and over the top head shake.

This is also a great strategy to break the tension when your kid is feeling “stuck” on a big feeling.

And if you’re new here, hi! I’m Lauren. Around here, we believe that communication is about shared joy and connection, not just word counts.

12/19/2025

Number 5 is my favorite 🛸

There is a special place in parental purgatory for books that are 50 pages long, rhyme badly, and just never *get to the point*.

As a speech therapist, I know I should say all reading is magical. But as a mom? I have *absolutely* hidden the annoying ones on the top shelf.

These are the ones that actually save my sanity.

Confession time: what is the one book that has mysteriously gotten “lost” in your house?

12/06/2025

If you’re looking for a therapist who enforces “quiet hands” and table time... I’m probably not your girl.

In my sessions, the floor is our desk. The TV is a tool, not a villain. And “help” is way more important than “please.”

Sometimes it looks messy. Sometimes it’s loud. But it’s always real communication.

Swipe to see why I ditch the old-school rules ➡️ and follow along for more tips for connecting with your kids through language.

12/04/2025

Be honest. You know the “1... 2... 3...” routine doesn’t really work.

Sure, it might get them to stop screaming in the grocery store for five minutes. It might get the shoes on today.

But if it actually worked, why are you having the exact same battle, at the exact same time, every single day?

Here is the hard truth: Counting to three relies on fear. It says, “Stop this, or else.”

And that works... if the problem is that they just don’t want to listen.

But what if they can’t?

That is the missing piece. Strategies like counting and time outs assume the child is choosing to be difficult (that they won’t). But usually? They are struggling with a skill (they can’t).

And no amount of counting is going to teach a skill.

• Counting to three doesn’t help a brain that is too overwhelmed about seeing new people to process your words.

• Threatening a time-out doesn’t give them the vocabulary to say “I’m frustrated” instead of hitting.

• Getting louder doesn’t help a child who has forgotten the steps because their brain’s full and their attention moved to something else.

When we focus on “making them listen,” we are treating the symptom.

When we get curious about the “why,” we are treating the root cause.

It takes a little more work upfront to play detective. But I promise you, it is so much less exhausting than playing “bad cop” every single day.

If you are ready to stop just managing the behavior and start actually solving it, hit follow.

10/24/2025

Listen, straight up: I’m guilty of this too. Parenthood is hard, but so is being a tiny human with big feelings.

The “I see you’re mad” script isn’t working because your child knows when you’re phoning it in.

Your kids are master pattern detectors. They can tell from your face and body when you’re just checking a box, not truly connecting. You might be saying the right words, but your stress is telling a different story.

You don’t have to suddenly care about the blue cup. You do have to care about them.

The shift is simple: drop the script and act the connection.

Get down to their level, soften your body, and try to come with curiosity. Ask: “What is the message, really?”

Your child is having a hard time. Show them you see that. That genuine connection is the only thing that calms a dysregulated nervous system.

Follow to learn more tips on how to build closer connections with your kid through language!

10/09/2024

Comment “CONNECT” to register for our FREE TRAINING!
Attention parents! I’m excited to announce that I’m hosting a FREE virtual parent training on Autistic language on October 15th through my practice, Cold Spring Speech Therapy! This is a topic that I’m deeply passionate about, and I can’t wait to help parents learn more about it. This training is for anyone whose child:
➜ Repeats the same words or phrases the same way every time
➜ Repeats quotes from movies, books, songs, or things they’ve heard others say
➜ Mixes up pronouns (such as saying, “Are you okay?” when they get hurt)
➜ Is “stuck” using only single words
➜ Has a hard time answering questions or repeats your question instead of answering it
➜ Seems out of context when they speak
Feel free to pass on the invite to anyone you think might be interested in attending!

DM or comment “CONNECT” to save your spot today, or register at www.coldspringspeech.com/training

09/05/2024

Comment BASICS for a link to our latest blog post covering the basics of gestalt language! Think of it as a mini crash course. 🚀

How is gestalt language development different than how we traditionally think of language (analytic language development)?

The stages of GLP is longer than it is for analytic language learners, who only need to progress through 4 stages. Gestalt language learners have two extra stages of language development to go through. Some may progress quickly, while others may get stuck in those early stages (a sign you may need a GLP-trained SLP!).

Remember that GLP is a framework and not all individuals will follow these stages exactly. As your child progresses through these stages, you'll notice them shift from relying on scripted phrases to using individual words more flexibly and creating brand new, original ideas.

09/05/2024

Check out our new blog post where we talk about the basics of Gestalt Language Processing. ♾️

Is your child a GLP? Learn about this unique language acquisition style and how it can impact autistic communication. Gain insights and strategies to support your child's development, and find out when you should seek out a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

07/25/2024