ABC Speech and Language Services

09/06/2024

Be sure to check out this sweet story written by an amazing professional that I’ve had the pleasure of working beside (literally 😉). It’s all about learning to identify and manage difficult feelings for our little ones.

05/22/2024

Don't let all of that hard work put in during the school year go to waste! Take a peek and see what ABC Speech has to offer you this summer.

www.abcspeechmass.com

05/08/2024

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing month! Check out your knowledge of speech and language development by taking the quiz below. As always, please contact us if you have any concerns for your little (or not so little) one's communication skills!
https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-quiz/

10/05/2023

He fidgets with the menu.

He orders a Caesar salad. He speaks clearly. He declines the anchovies.

I think back to all the times we chased him through restaurants.

All the times he would only eat chicken fingers.

The times he dumped his entire plate on the floor in a rage.

All the times I had to explain he has autism to the people around us trying to enjoy their meal.

Now, this young man sits before me.

My son Jack.

He turns back to me.

I smile.

05/19/2023

Check out what ABC Speech has to offer you this summer!
https://www.abcspeechmass.com/summer-2023

11/08/2022

An awesome info night with 3 great local resources!

Join them on
Tuesday, November 22nd 6:30-7:30pm
to learn about 3 local services offered to support your child’s academic, speech and language, and social- emotional well-being:
☆ Bradford Education Project
☆ Be Well with SEL
☆ ABC Speech and Language Services

10/05/2021

07/30/2020

Great tips for navigating the new world of speech muffled through masks.

Face masks make communication difficult. What can we do during—and after—the pandemic to help patients overcome this barrier?

04/24/2020

Check out this great podcast in which a former colleague of mine, OT Abby Diaz, and her mother, who is an SLP, discuss the importance of including family members, particularly siblings, during intervention.

This week on the podcast: We’re joined by SLP Barry Prizant, author of "Uniquely Human," an acclaimed book that conceptualizes autism as a difference, rather than a disability. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Prizant joins us to discuss the parent-clinician relationship, and the ev...

03/16/2020

*Animal Themed Speech and Language Practice Ideas*
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens will be hosting a Facebook Live safari adventure each day at 3:00pm EST to showcase some of their animal exhibitions! I encourage you to hop on with your children and watch....and use it as a time to practice those speech and language targets!
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Below are some ideas to help incorporate some practice for your speech and language skills.
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Overall Language skills:
Tell all about the animals that you saw and learned about.
-Looking Good! Describe the way that the animals looked (color, shape, size). Did they have fur or wrinkly skin? Were their ears pointy or round? Did they have a tail?
-Animal Actions! Talk about how they moved (fast vs. slow, walk, climb, slither, etc). Did they use 2 limbs to move or more?
-What's on the Menu? Tell what you learned about the types of foods that the animal eats. How does the animal eat (with its hands/paws, does it lick or lap at foods, does it tear or smoosh its food)? Does it hunt for its food or gather it?
Compare and contrast the different animals showcased each day! How are they alike/different?
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Get creative with your words! Remember to encourage and model complete, grammatically correct sentences!
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Articulation:
Think of words relating to the areas above that contain your speech targets! For example, think of /s/ words to practice that relate to the ways the animal moves, eats, or looks! Identify where in the word you hear the target sound (beginning, middle, end). Remember to practice your targets at the level that your child is working (single words, phrases, sentences or conversation). Use a mirror if necessary to help achieve that "just right spot" with his/her lips, teeth and tongue.
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Fluency:
Use the above language activities as an opportunity to practice slow and smooth speech! Incorporate strategies that you've been working on in therapy, such as pausing, stretchy speech, east onsets, and light contact.
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Have fun practicing!

https://www.facebook.com/cincinnatizoo/

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025!
The mission and vision of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is dedicated to creating adventure, conveying knowledge, conserving nature, and serving the community.