Bravo Online Speech Therapy

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Vancouver, WA
Bravo Online Speech Therapy

17 year SLP helping kids⭐in the PNW🌲 compassionate & neurodiversity affirming online clinic 🗣️🌈 Welcome to Bravo Online Speech Therapy!

I'm Heather Zortman, and I've been a pediatric speech therapist for 15 years, guiding babies, toddlers, and children of all ages through their milestones. I've had success helping children with various speech and language difficulties flourish through personalized, family-centered therapy. I specialize in early language delays, autism spectrum, and speech sound disorders. I use compassionate and engaging techniques to boost childrens' confidence and ability to advocate for themselves. I work on neurodiversity-affirming social and conversation skills, effectively reduce/manage stuttering behaviors, and provide evidenced-based strategies to address lisps. Online therapy sessions provide a unique opportunity for me to get a view into the child's world when they are in their most comfortable environment. I have access to their most motivating and engaging toys, parents can more immediately implement techniques as they are already engrained in every day normal life, ensuring that your child receives the personalized attention they need to thrive. Each family's journey is unique, so I provide guidance and support every step of the way. I collaborate closely with families, listening to their concerns and aspirations while teaching essential skills to help children succeed in all environments. Bravo's therapy sessions are designed to be fun and playful, drawing on my background in musical theater and a passion for making a positive impact on families' lives. This approach helps me engage and motivate children to achieve their goals. It's all about the power of praise and steady support to shape behavior and foster success. I'm here to help your child find their voice, build their confidence, and achieve their communication goals. And if you've read this far down, Bravo! Schedule a free Meet & Greet video chat with me to discuss any concerns you might have. You can schedule here: https://www.bravospeechtherapy.com/

01/16/2024

🟢🟡 Pass a Ball! 🟡🟢

Passing a ball is a quintessential game, but its simple back and forth reciprocity can have great benefits on your child's connection and joint attention.

Try this at home 🏠

🔵 Bring the ball near your 👀 eyes to help move your child's attention to you and improve connection. Say “catch the ball”, and pass the ball to them by rolling it or bouncing it on the floor in their direction.

🔵 Model the action of returning the ball for your child. Say “give me ball” to encourage them to pass it back. Then repeat!

Helpful tip 💡- Try using two 'helpers' - one person sitting with your child, physically helping them catch and throw the ball, and another person sitting across to receive the ball. Encourage siblings to play!

⭐JOINT ATTENTION⭐ in young learners is vital because it fuels their development and language absorption! It is a precursor to language learning. Parents are eager for their little ones to talk and understand, but often miss this foundational skill. If joint attention is not well established, a child may experience language delays.

12/18/2023

🧒🏾 👧🏼 “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work."

- C.S. Lewis
British writer and lay theologian

🤷‍♀️ Maybe you can relate…I often find myself multi-tasking so much that I’m only half listening to my child and half doing the other thing - not being fully present to either..

❤️ I like this quote because it reminds me to prioritize my time, and give my daughter the genuine attention she truly needs and deserves to thrive in her development ⭐

12/08/2023

👶 10-12 months now - nearing the end of their first year - what should your baby be doing? Take a look at my chart detailing ASHA’s updated communication milestones for babies 10-12 months. (ASHA stands for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association).

Your baby is growing rapidly! 💗 👏

✅ Let’s talk about a few things they should be doing ✅

- Using more gestures, such as waving, pointing, showing you and giving you objects.
- Copying sounds you make
- Responding to words and phrases showing they understand
- Dancing

👀 🎦 See my updated blog and video where I discuss these milestones further, and share some simple ideas for you to help your baby at home 🏠

🔗 Blog link in bio

12/05/2023

📣 Now onto 7-9 month olds 📣 The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has recently updated their communication milestones!

What speech & language skills should your 7-9 month old have at this time? 👏👶🏽

Here are a few:

- Looking at you when you call their name 👀
- Recognizing the names of some familiar people and objects 👵🏽 🍼
- Babbling a lot more 🗣️
- Pushing unwanted items away 😝

🗣️ My recent blog post and video discuss these milestones, along with various tips to encourage your baby's development at home 🏠

🔗 Link in bio

11/28/2023

📢 🗣️ Let’s talk 4-6 month old communication milestones! ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) has updated their speech & language milestones.

✨What is your baby doing now? ✨

Check out my chart outlining their development in the 4-6 month range 👶🏼🍼

Milestones are so important!

But why?? 🤔🧐

👣 They alert new parents to possible speech-language delays or disorders.
👣 Having this knowledge, parents can get the EARLY help their baby may need!

⭐ I'll be talking ASHA milestone updates all week, and I just updated my blog post that talks more about this. I also share some tips for home! Link in the bio.

11/17/2023

📢 New Milestone Alert! 🌟 ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) has rolled out fresh updates to their baby speech & language milestones, so let's discuss them! They might reflect a modern understanding of our little ones' early communication. 🆕💡

Are these changes representing a nod to evolving views on how babies interact with their world? 🌍✨ From emotional cues to non-verbal communication, I believe the focus is shifting to a holistic view of development.

Let's talk about the differences in the milestones ASHA recently updated for babies 0-3 months. Are there any? Maybe not as much with this age range as others. But it's definitely interesting to look at the overall trends and examine the language 👶🏻✨

➡️ I'll be talking ASHA milestone updates all week, and I just updated my blog post that goes into deeper detail. I also share some tips for home! Link in the bio.

11/14/2023

🍪🥛“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”🍪🥛
Written by Laura Numeroff, Illustrated by Felicia Bond

“…If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw…” and so on 😉

📚This is a great storytelling book. Just when the mouse thinks of one thing... he thinks of another!

Speech-Language Benefits 👏 ....

- New Vocabulary 🗣️

- Role-Play! Pretend to be the mouse and the boy to act out the scenes, using real life props from home 🐭👦

- Sequence events to build language skills ⭐

- Increase bonding through imaginative play! 💕

Do you have this book at home? What do you love about it? 🐭🍪

11/06/2023

🏆" Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them.” 🏆
- Rita Pierson, an educator known for her inspiring talks on student-teacher relationships

♥️ This quote is really powerful. I believe in it wholeheartedly ♥️

🎭🎟️ My highschool theater director was that person for me. He was that champion who always believed in me and pushed me to be my best 👏

👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽 As parents, we really strive to be our child's best advocate. Sometimes it's hard. Oftentimes, it's very hard… 😩 but the support that comes from OTHER adults in our child's life can be just the recipe that's needed 💜

🏡🏡“It takes a village…” 🏡🏡

Thoughts to ponder 🤔…

👉 Did you have a champion in your childhood? Are YOU that champion for your own child? For another child in your life?

👉 Are you seeking family/community support from other adults in your child's life to be a champion?

11/02/2023

🫧🩵🫧 Pop Bubbles 🫧🩵🫧

Bubbles are a great way to connect with your toddler. Here's how! 👍

🩵 Blow many bubbles to get your child interested in the activity! Model popping the bubbles one by one, Say, "pop! pop bubbles!".

🩵 Blow a big bubble and catch it with your wand, put it near your face so your child connects with you.

🩵 Then pop it saying, “pop!”. Repeat this, but this time, encourage your child to pop it.

⭐JOINT ATTENTION⭐ in young learners is vital because it fuels their development and language absorption! It's a precursor to language learning. Parents are eager for their little ones to talk and understand, but often miss this foundational skill. If joint attention is not well established, a child may experience language delays.

Does your child love bubbles??💕 🫧 💕

10/06/2023

👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽 “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽
-- Kay Redfield Jamison

📚 I had a college professor emphasize a similar truth - that play is a child's “work”. People often use play as a relief from learning, but this shouldn't be the case. For a child, play IS serious learning! 🧸 ⚽

⭐ Play is essential to speech-language development 🗣️ and there are so many ways to provide speech therapy during play activities ⭐

📝 There are underlying goals that your speech therapist is working on, even if it “just feels like play”, as I've heard many parents describe. Hopefully your speech therapist tells you all about WHY they're playing with WHAT and HOW it will benefit your kiddo ✅ 🎯

If they don't, be proactive and ask! ❓🙋🏽❓

09/23/2023

🐻 Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? 🐻
Written by Bill Martin Jr.
Illustrated by Eric Carle

📚 This children’s literature classic is full of sequencing, repetitive rhythms, and bold colorful animals that keep kids engaged.

I personally love the board book version, as it’s sturdy and rip proof from little hands 🖐️

🐻 🐸🐦Each animal asks the next, ‘What do you see?’ and they answer, ‘I see a _______ looking at me’ 👀

The repetitive nature of this book along with simple and familiar ‘first words’ encourages your child to imitate 🗣️

YOU can help your child's speech & language development while reading this book:

👉 Say just part of the phrase and then pause, prompting them to finish it! Say, “Yellow Duck, yellow duck, what do you (pause)?”

👉 Elaborate by talking more about the duck, ask questions like, “What color is it? Yellow!”, “What does a duck say? Quack-quack!”

Do you already have this book at home? What do you love about it? ❤️📚

09/08/2023

❓Question❓My autistic 6-year-old daughter always interrupts when adults are talking. Is this typical? Does she have social delays?

✅ Answer ✅ Don’t worry, it's common at this age! Kids usually interrupt to seek attention or express ideas 🗣️. Try to be patient and teach the concept of ‘waiting’ by using an open hand gesture 🖐️ or picture cue to help their understanding. Consult a speech therapist if you have other social concerns.

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Vancouver, WA

Website

http://www.bravospeechtherapy.com/

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