Here’s what you need know about Speech-Language Pathology services at Connecting Dots!
Speech-Language Pathologists, (aka SLPs, aka Speech Paths, aka Speech Therapists), do a lot of different things. I mean, a LOT. We can work with any age group, from newborns to seniors, and anything in between. We can work in any setting – schools, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, you name it. We can help people with developmental delays, learning disabilities, accents, those who have had strokes, autism and so on. So what do we do at Connecting Dots?
SLP services at Connecting Dots are focused on helping children be the best communicators they can be. We help children with:
- Expressive language – being able to use language effectively to get messages across to others
- Receptive language – being able to understand what people are saying
- Articulation – clearly saying all the speech sounds so that people can understand them
- Stuttering – being able to speak smoothly
- Social skills – talking and playing successfully with other kids their age
- Pre-literacy skills – getting ready for reading and school
- Literacy – being able to read and write as expected for their age
We can help you figure out your childs’ strengths and weaknesses, and then make a treatment plan with you that fits your schedule, your child’s needs and follows what evidence and research tells us works best. And let’s not forget about having some FUN!
Here are a few of my favourite websites to help you learn more about Speech-Language Pathology:
The Talk Box
This was a project developed in Alberta in 2007. The articles and information are still really relevant. There are lots of different ideas for kids, from babies to 12 year olds. I love all the ideas for how to use books, toys and games to work on language skills. It also has great resources for what speech and language skills you should expect at every age.
www.humanservices.alberta.ca/family-community/talk-box.html
Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
This organization is mandated to protect the public of Alberta. Their website is full of information about what to expect when you see an SLP, online resources and other information.
acslpa.ab.ca
Zero to Three
This is an amazing website that looks at everything you need to know about early childhood development. It will help you understand how all aspects of a child’s life, such as sleep and nutrition, are related to communication development. They have great information for parents and professionals.
www.zerotothree.org
The Hanen Centre
The Hanen Centre is all about parents learning about language, literacy and play. They also have great resources for parents and professionals, including tips for parents, activity ideas, parent stories, autism-specific info, tips for technology, research articles and my personal favourite: the Book Nook: http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Book-Nook.aspx
www.hanen.org
These are just some of the highlights of the best speech and language information out there, and these are all websites that, in my humble 14 years of experience, have shown to be reliable and useful. Really the keys to successful Speech Therapy are having the right goals, having parents and caregivers on board, using evidence based practice and using play to get kids motivated. As I like to say, “I have ways of making your child WANT to talk!”
Thanks for being here, contact us anytime if you want to know more about Speech-Language Pathology services at Connecting Dots.