Giggles & Gab Speech Therapy

11/26/2025

🦃 “What’s That Word?” Wednesday – Thanksgiving Edition

🥧🍽️ “All done — I’m full!”
This week’s word is “Full” — a simple, powerful word that helps children express body awareness, preferences, and participation in holiday mealtime routines.

🎯 Today’s Word: “Full”
💬 “I’m full now.”
💬 “Cup is full!”
💬 “No more — full belly.”

🧠 Why it matters:
Full helps children talk about how their body feels and describe the world around them — whether it’s a full cup, a full plate, or a full tummy. This supports sensory awareness, self-advocacy, and routine-based communication — especially helpful during big holiday meals.

🎉 Try This at Home (or Thanksgiving Dinner!):
➡️ Model “full” during meals: “Your cup is full!” or “My belly feels full.”
➡️ Show opposites: “Now it’s empty!”
➡️ Encourage AAC, signs, or gestures if the word isn’t yet verbal.

💡 GLP Tip: You might hear early scripts like:
🗣️ “I so full.”
🗣️ “No more food.”
🗣️ “All done — I’m full now.”

11/25/2025

🦃 Talk It Out Tuesday

Thanksgiving Talk: Build Language Through Choices!

Holiday gatherings can feel big, loud, and busy—but they’re also full of natural opportunities to support communication.
One simple strategy? Offer choices!

Choice-making helps children communicate wants and needs, reduces frustration, and encourages early vocabulary and phrase development.

💬 Try These Thanksgiving Choices:
   •   “Do you want apple pie or pumpkin pie?”
   •   “Big spoon or small spoon?”
   •   “Turkey or rolls?”
   •   “Sit with me or sit by the table?”
   •   “Coloring or reading?” (for downtime)

🌱 Why This Works

Choices support expressive language, empower children, and make communication feel meaningful and successful—especially during busy holidays.

🏡 Home Tip

Keep choices simple (2 options only). Too many choices can overwhelm little ones—especially when routines change.

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🔖 Hashtags:

11/25/2025

11/24/2025

🦃 Make-It-Happen Monday: Thanksgiving Language Fun! 🍂

At Giggles & Gab Speech Therapy, we love helping families turn holiday moments into rich language-learning opportunities — all through play, connection, and FUN!

✨ This Week’s Simple Idea:
Thanksgiving Sensory & Play Talk!
Use Thanksgiving-themed sensory play and simple activities to spark conversation and build vocabulary naturally.

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🍁 1. Fall Sensory Bin Talk

Create a simple bin with leaves, mini pumpkins, scoops, cups, and soft items.
Model simple words as you explore together:
➡️ “The pumpkin is big!”
➡️ “Let’s scoop the leaves.”
➡️ “I found a tiny acorn!”

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🥧 2. Pretend Thanksgiving Feast

Use play food, play dishes, or real safe utensils for pretend play:
➡️ “Let’s serve the pie!”
➡️ “The turkey is hot! Blow, blow, blow!”
➡️ “Can you pass the corn?”

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🧡 3. Feelings & Gratitude Talk

Thanksgiving is perfect for practicing emotional vocabulary:
➡️ “How do you feel today? Happy? Excited?”
➡️ “I’m thankful for you!”
➡️ “You’re thankful for your family and toys!”

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💡 Why it helps:

✅ Builds seasonal vocabulary (feast, leaves, thankful, dinner, pumpkin)
✅ Encourages imagination, social skills & conversation
✅ Strengthens describing words (big, tiny, soft, warm, crunchy)
✅ Helps children connect language to real experiences and feelings

👂 Speechy Tip: Follow your child’s lead — if they’re excited about the leaves, talk about the leaves! Shared joy = stronger language learning.

💛 Giggles & Gab Speech Therapy — Helping Little Voices Grow This Thanksgiving!

11/24/2025

11/23/2025

💛 Small Wins Sunday

This week we’re celebrating a big shift in one little one’s therapy journey!

When this sweet toddler first began sessions, structured play felt tricky, fast transitions were hard, and shared attention was fleeting.

But this week… ✨
➡️ He engaged in longer structured play with his SLP.
➡️ He showed beautiful joint attention — checking in and staying connected during play.
➡️ And he even responded to safety words like “stop” and “wait” — huge wins for self-regulation and communication.

💬 These are the building blocks for interaction, safety, and future learning.
We are so proud of his progress — and so thankful we get to celebrate these moments with his family.

Way to go, little buddy! You’re soaking it all in and showing us more each day 💛

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11/23/2025

11/22/2025

🦃 Sensory Support Saturday: “Parent Tip Saturdays” – Thanksgiving Edition

🦃 Parent Tip Saturday 🦃
Big crowds. Loud voices. New foods. Disrupted routines.
Thanksgiving can be a lot for little nervous systems!

Here’s how to support sensory success at your holiday gathering:

🍽️ Before the meal:
✅ Let them help prep or serve to feel involved
✅ Offer a small, familiar snack first
✅ Talk through what to expect (who will be there, where you’ll sit, etc.)
✅ Pack a comfort bag: headphones, chewies, preferred utensils, calming fidget

🍴 During the meal:
✅ Allow movement or breaks
✅ Skip pressure around trying new foods
✅ Let them choose a quiet corner or alternate seating
✅ Use “first/then” visuals or a timer

🌟 All communication is valid. All bodies are welcome at the table.

11/21/2025

🦃 Friday Feeding Tips

“Tiny Tastes at Turkey Time: Supporting Holiday Mealtimes”

Holidays bring big meals and even bigger feelings! For some children, the sights, smells, and sounds of Thanksgiving can feel overwhelming — especially when unfamiliar foods are on the table.

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💡 Try This: “Tiny Tastes”

Offer your child a tiny serving of a new or less-preferred food — even just the size of a pea, lick, or crumb! This reduces pressure and invites exploration.

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🧠 Why It Helps:
   •   Builds familiarity without requiring big bites
   •   Encourages sensory exploration (smell, touch, taste!)
   •   Creates positive mealtime memories
   •   Supports feeding therapy goals in real life!

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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parent Tips for Holiday Meals:
   •   Use a “Try-It Plate” with 1–2 new foods
   •   Pair new foods with preferred ones
   •   Let your child help serve or prepare the food
   •   Encourage language: “It’s soft like a cloud!” or “It smells sweet like cinnamon!”
   •   Allow safe exits if overwhelmed (calm-down spot, headphones, fidget toy)

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🎉 Progress doesn’t have to mean eating the whole meal — celebrating even the smallest steps builds confidence.

11/21/2025