Therapy Tip: To Sign or Not to Sign

Welcome to Therapy Thursday! This is the day I share a tip based upon my experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and a mother of a child with special needs.

Today's tip is:

To Use Sign Language or Not To Use Sign Language

Sign language is sometimes brought up in my work with toddlers with language delays. Parents seem to have different points of view on the subject.

Some parents are interested in learning sign language to help their toddler who is not yet speaking. They see sign language as a temporary tool that can help their child communicate. These parents seem to understand that sign language allows a child to learn to express a word in sign and use it meaningfully. This is opposed to a child who merely grunts and points at random to mean a variety of things. The message becomes clearer when the child can sign "eat" or "drink" or "cookie" or "milk." They can start to build an expressive vocabulary that is taking a sign form rather than a spoken form.

Then I have other parents who have serious reservations. Some believe that signing may prevent the child from wanting to use words. They worry that successful signing may lead to the child not wanting to speak instead. Other parents see signing as an inefficient use of therapy time. They don't want me "wasting" time in sessions teaching the child signs when I should be teaching spoken language instead. Some families find learning signs overwhelming and confusing. The family may have a very busy life, and learning sign language may be too much for them.

As a speech-language pathologist, I do consider the parent's preference on signing. However, I do share the positives about signing. Plus, there is plenty of research on this subject. There is no need to fear if signing is appropriate. The research is clear. (Signing Time has a list of many research links.) Sign language does NOT hinder the acquisition or use of spoken language. In fact, it sometimes helps a child understand words or concepts. Here's another great article on this subject.

As a speech-language pathologist, I'm pro-signing. However, I don't necessarily teach sign language to EVERY child I see in speech therapy. A child with a language delay doesn't always need to learn sign language. Sometimes, picture communication is another alternative form that is more appropriate. Other times, the toddler has a good spoken base vocabulary of 20-30 words and doesn't necessarily need to learn sign since they have a good foundational vocabulary.

There is one particular type of child in therapy that I am reluctant to teach signing to in sessions. This child is very quiet but uses many gestures and pointing to get their message to others. In this case, I am reluctant to start signing right away because this child likes to gesture and NOT try to speak. I, personally, have seen these children flourish with sign language but make no effort to use their voice in any way. Therefore, I choose not to do sign language with these children or at least in the beginning. My first objective in therapy would be to get the child to start vocalizing in any way in an effort to teach him to use his mouth first.

Still, there are many children with delays that benefit from using sign language. Adding sign language to speech therapy routines requires minimal changes to the session and takes relatively no time if incorporated naturally.

Here's some important things I try to remember when using sign language with toddlers with language delays:
-This should be obvious, but maybe it isn't. Whenever you are signing with your child, you will say the word you are signing. Doing both ensures the child will see the sign and hear the actual word. We always want to sign a word and say it as they are learning signs.

-If a child begins saying a word, then I don't care if the sign is used. Spoken words are the goal, so that is the driving force. Once in a while a parent will insist that the child do the sign for the word they are saying. Nope, nope, nope! If they drop the sign once they say a word, that's what we are hoping for.

-If you have a child with a diagnosis known to have language delays, sign language is a good communication to use in additional to verbal speech. Sometimes, pairing a word with a sign helps a child "see" the word and thus have a new way to comprehend it. Children with Down syndrome, for example, have been known to do well with sign language acquisition before they are able to verbally communicate. This was the case for my daughter.

-I don't care if a child imitates the sign perfectly. Some signs are challenging because they require finger dexterity that a toddler does not yet have. My daughter could not replicate signs exactly because of her Down syndrome as a toddler, but I recognized her sign approximations and didn't correct her attempts. As her fine motor skills improved, her signs naturally got more accurate.


Sign language is one tool that is used in speech therapy as a temporary method of communication for children with language delays. Like any therapeutic method, sign language has its pros and cons, but it may prove to be a positive way for children to begin communicating with their families. If you feel like sign language could help your child, talk to your child's speech-language pathologist.

Therapy Thursday is for educational purposes only and not intended as therapeutic advice. 

Things That Happen Between Skillet Concerts

Time gives the wonderful gift of perspective.

Have you ever looked back and asked yourself why you got so worried or upset over a situation? Maybe you looked back and realize things that felt VERY important at the time didn't really matter at all later.

The passage of time allows us to have a different viewpoint and understand things that can't be comprehended in present circumstances.

Since becoming a parent, there are certain thoughts that have ran through my head at various times:
Will it always be this hard?
Will my daughter live through this present health crisis?
Will my daughter be able to ____ one day?
What will my family look like in the future?

These are questions that can't be answered. Only time will allow me see what these answers will be.

Recently, God used the gift of time to show me something about some of my questions.

Let's go back....

In March 2010, my husband and I went on a date. Our son was 7 months old at the time, and our daughter was 4. In the 4 years of being a parent, our daughter had 2 open heart surgeries and 2 other minor surgeries. She had been in the hospital a few times for respiratory illnesses and required daily medications for her lungs. It had been a very rewarding and challenging 4 years.

My husband and I had been immersed in the world of raising a child with a developmental disability with chronic health problems, so taking this night to ourselves was rare. Our special night out included VIP tickets to see Skillet and Toby Mac. These are two Christian musical artists that we absolutely loved. It was the first time Toby Mac had a concert near us, and I was not going to miss out.

Skillet's part of the night was unforgettable. It was the first time my husband and I had seen fire blazing on stage in tune with music. I was smiling, laughing, and in an awe of what my eyes were seeing.

Then my crummy thoughts came.
Will I ever be able to do something like this with my daughter?
Back then, I never saw it happening. I couldn't take her out in public at the time without her running off or making a scene. I didn't even know with her lung and heart problems if she would be able to live to see double digits. This unanswerable question in my head tried to ruin the concert.

My joy momentarily waivered as I tried to put this question out of my head. As Toby Mac sang and danced, I couldn't help but feel happy. My husband and I had a great time!

Now, it's time to fast-forward to 2017....
Earlier this month, my husband, daughter, son, and I sat on a grassy hill inside a theme park listening to guitars and drums on a large stage. Skillet was performing, and the four of us were equally enthusiastic to hear our favorite songs.

My daughter pointed to the smoke that went off during a song and exclaimed, "Dada!!"

"Yes! That's cool isn't it," my husband told her.

As we sang and jumped and clapped and cheered, God reminded me of a thought that I had forgotten about.

God took me back to my last Skillet concert 7 years prior when I wondered if Jaycee would be able to do this very thing she was doing. For a second, I got a little teary eyed watching my kids enjoy the very loud music. The desire of my heart was fulfilled!

As I said, time gives a gift of perspective. I just have to be more patient to see the good things coming!


Here's Jaycee being amazed by Skillet:

Therapy Tip: Fall Sensory Bin

Welcome to Therapy Thursday! This is the day I share a tip based upon my experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and a mother of a child with special needs. Today's tip is:

Fall Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are a fun and popular activity for young children. Sensory bins are simply containers filled with an item meant to provide some sort of texture to the child as they dig and feel around while playing. People often associate these with children with autism or sensory processing disorder, but these are useful and fun for all children.

Generally, the base of the sensory bin contains something like uncooked macaroni noodles, rice, beans, shredded paper, pom-poms, etc. (The picture above does not have a base yet added to it.) Next, additional items are placed in the bin based upon the fine motor skills that are being targeted or vocabulary that is being addressed.

Working in homes of toddlers, I try to make up small sensory bins several times a year. Traveling from home to home to conduct therapy sessions, I use a small container to serve as my sensory bin. A small container is perfect for one small child to play in and is easy for me transport. I generally don't fill the container completely full since some of the toddlers I work with will end up dumping out the contents.

For my fall sensory bin, I use a typical base item which is generally rice or noodles. Then, I use small fake pumpkins, turkeys, fake fall flowers, and fake leaves. You could use real leaves, but I try to avoid this due to my own child's allergies. The little turkeys I use were originally on top of cupcakes sold at a grocery store. So, I did purchase the cupcakes just to have the turkeys to keep for therapy. The pumpkins and fall leaves were purchased on the clearance rack at the Dollar General Store. I try not to spend too much money on these bins since toddlers are sort of destructive.

Using the items from my sensory bin, I can easily target many language skills in young language learners. These include:

-Adjectives: Red, orange, brown, little

-Actions: Hide (hide the turkey in the leaves), Jump (make the turkey jump in the leaves), Eat (make the turkey eat the pumpkin)

-2 word phrases: Red leaf, small pumpkin, eat pumpkin, two pumpkins, jump turkey

-Vocabulary: Turkey, leaf, pumpkin

-Counting: Since, I have multiple turkeys and pumpkins, I can count them as we find them. 

To work on these skills, I just play along side of the toddler as we dig through the bin and model words. It's that simple!

The most important thing about any sensory bin is to find something that will meaningfully engage the child you are working with. I hope this gives you an idea for creating your own. Don't forget to check out your local dollar store (and tops of cupcakes) for some seasonal items that are inexpensive for your bin!

Therapy Thursday is for educational purposes only and not intended as therapeutic advice.

Child Number 2, Syndrome Number 2

"Elijah," the young nurse called from an open door.

I took my son's hand and walked with my husband towards the voice. I watched my son step on the scale and have his vital signs recorded. I have seen this scene about a hundred times before with his big sister who has Down syndrome. It was a familiar experience with the wrong child, and it felt weird.

We walked down the white, pristine hallway making our way in a small examination room. I helped my 7 year old son change into a hospital gown. I put a smile on my face and assured my son nothing scary would happen.

It was a true statement. There would be no bloodwork or tests today. There would just be a genetics doctor with the power to diagnose and predict a future. I looked forward to this day, and I dreaded it all at the same time. For over a year, we waited to meet with a doctor who could confirm or negate what was suspected. It had been an excruciating wait at times. Plenty of time to google. Plenty of time to think, notice new concerns, and ponder the future.

A knock at the door brought me back to reality. The first doctor appeared and said, "I've read Elijah's file, but I want to hear it from you. What brings you here today?"

I began with, "We met with a podiatrist over a year ago. I took him there because I was worried about his flat feet and the strange ways his toes bend at times. I was wondering if he needed foot orthotics. After a brief examination though, the podiatrist told me that the joints in toes and feet were loose, which was why I saw his toes bend in ways they shouldn't. But, he also told me that he was loose in all of his joints all over his body. He was worried that he had Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We saw a dermatologist after that who agreed that his joints were loose and his skin seemed consistent with the diagnosis, but we needed a genetics doctor to confirm Ehlers-Danlos."

A common sight at my house. Elijah is doing something to his shoulder joint that I certainly can't do.

The doctor made notes as I answered her questions. We went back to the beginning, to the unremarkable pregnancy and delivery. I detailed the first time I noticed a "minor" problem. I explained how Elijah received physical therapy for a few weeks at age 2 for in-toeing and tripping while he tried to run. I mentioned that from toddlerhood, Elijah has always sat in a w-pattern on the floor, and he often slept on his belly with his knees tucked under him. I recalled the time when he was three and diagnosed with a developmental delay by our school district, showing large delays in fine and gross motor. That's when the label hypotonia was given as well. Elijah began occupational and physical therapy through the school at age 3 and continues PT five years later. I described his difficulty sitting down for long periods of time due to what he describes as being "uncomfortable." Because it's uncomfortable to sit, he stands which causes his legs to overwork and get sore.

The doctor did a brief examination before leaving the room to talk to her attending doctor. The next knock on the door brought both doctors inside. We answered and asked more questions.

"Why is a diagnosis important to you?" one of the doctors asked with a gentle tone.

"If he has this syndrome, then we want to know how to prepare for the future and help him now. As a couple, we have different views on some issues of Elijah's. My husband and I have disagreements on what is hard for him to do because of his muscle/joint issue and what is him just not putting in enough effort. We're hoping to stop some marital disputes over this," I jokingly said.

They assured us that the disagreements probably wouldn't all be resolved today.

Then, the examination began. Every inch of my son was examined. Some body parts received a quick visual inspection (like his ears). Others were given several moments of attention. His skin was felt and described as "soft and velvety." The joints were all manipulated and assessed. From my previous readings, I recognized part of their examination was the Beighton Score. The Beighton Score is one aspect of judging hypermobility (or looseness). Elijah scored 7/9; he was loose for sure. He could easily do things like bend his thumb to reach his forearm.

There were moments when I gasped while my son's legs were stretched and moved; I couldn't believe how loose his joints really were. After this very long examination, the doctors sat down to say what I expected.

"He does have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, type hypermobility with hypotonia."

At that point, the doctors were on the hot seat, and we were allowed to ask the questions:

"What do we need to avoid to ensure his joint safety?"

"What can we do to help him?"

"When can we expect his pain and other common difficulties to get worse?"

"How is pain frequently managed?"

After all of our questions were answered, we shook hands and parted ways. 

That night at bedtime, I asked my son, "Did you understand what happened today? Do you have any questions?"

"I just know I'm really bendy."

"Yes," I replied, "and now we have a name for it. It's called Ehlers-Danlos which means you have really loose joints. You are fine now, but if you start to have pain or your body starts to feel different, then you need to let me know."

After prodding he bravely asked, "Am I going to have to go in the hospital or have a heart surgery like Jaycee?" 

I answered his questions before collapsing into my own bed. My mind was focused on one connection. I had two children diagnosed with two different syndromes. What are the chances of that?

With this child though, I am smarter. I know to take this diagnosis one step at a time instead of trying to digest possible outcomes and plan for future what-ifs right now. I know that Ehlers-Danlos is not the focus. It is a little boy who likes to ride dirt bikes, build with Legos, play guitar, and tour state capital buildings. For now, he is happy, and his world seems right. Why should I turn my world upside down? 

Therapy Tip: Should I Invest in Talk Tools?

It's Therapy Thursday!! This is the day that I share a tip based upon my experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP) and a mom of a child with special needs. Today's tip is for both parents and professionals, which is:

Should I Invest in Talk Tools?

Have you ever heard of Talk Tools? If you are a speech-language pathologist (SLP), then you have surely heard something about them. If you are a parent of a child with Down syndrome, you may have heard of them at conferences, through parent articles, or word of mouth.

Talk Tools is a company that their website says provides "the best Oral-Placement Therapy (OPT) techniques, training, and tools to clients, therapists and parents." They state that their therapy techniques add a tactile component to feeding and speech therapy, enabling clients to “feel” the movements necessary for the development of speech clarity. To see everything they offer, visit their website. 

Talk Tools is a unique company offering trainings, parent education, tools, books, and step-by-step protocols on how to achieve certain goals like improving jaw strength, for example.

As an SLP, I heard about Talk Tools through professional literature. I considered taking some courses, but the live courses were seldom held in a town near me. The costs was also expensive, but any professional training usually is.

After my daughter with Down syndrome was born in 2006, I decided I NEEDED to learn more about the philosophy from Talk Tools. Jaycee's low muscle tone made sucking hard and tiring for her. When baby food was initiated, she had a reverse swallow and a significant gag response. As I moved her through more textures, vomiting started accompanying the gagging. This happened EVERY meal I attempted with any sort of texture. Straw drinking was absent for a long time. She had major issues her in mouth that was making feedings simply miserable for the both of us.

I can't speak for every SLP out there, but I can say that my coursework and fellowship did not prepare me for these problems. I knew basic information but I didn't feel confident about treating complex pediatric oral-sensory and muscle tone related feeding issues. I needed more education not just for Jaycee but for other children I had started seeing in my job in the birth-three program.

Enter Talk Tools. I took a course. Then another one. Then another on DVD. If I went to a Down syndrome conference, I'd sit in those courses as well. In case you are wondering some of the courses I have taken are: 3-Part Treatment for OPT, What You See in the Body is What you Get in the Mouth! Bridging the Gap Between NDT, Feeding, & Speech, Organizing the Mouth for Feeding and Speech, Pre-Feeding: Preparing the Oral Musculature, and finally Developing Oral-Motor and Feeding Skills in the Down syndrome Population.

As you may have guessed, I have found strategies and methods taught through Talk Tools to be a valuable part of my daughter's early progress and other children in my private speech practice. There are many websites and companies that sell tools to help with various sensory, feeding, drinking, or tone issues. With Talk Tools, you can buy the tool such as the red chewy tube, know the reasoning behind it, know how to best use the tool, and know the guidelines for when it's mastered. The information has given me professional confidence and has helped treat many children more successfully.

In my field of speech pathology, I have heard complaints about Talk Tools. The chief complaint has been that the company is making money off of courses which are promoting the purchasing of tools they also sell. Some also doubt the effectiveness of the tools. I disagree with these opinions. When you take a training course, especially the 3 Part Treatment course given live, then you can clearly understand the rationale and passion behind the company. You will also see that they aren't just trying to sell tools. They stress in their live workshops that the tools aren't as important as knowing why, how, and when to use them.

That being said, let's get back to the original question. Should YOU invest in Talk Tools? My advice is...YES!

For professionals, I personally feel the 3-Part Treatment course is essential for professionals to get a good foundation in feeding and oral-placement therapy. From there, you might find other courses helpful depending on what your caseload entails. There are many tools that I have used again and again in my private practice. Some of these include the Honey Bear straw drinking trainer, lip blocks, the toothette vibrator, and jaw grading bite blocks. If you have children on your caseload who are orally defensive, have difficulty moving through textures, or have low tone, then Talk Tools can help you in your practice.

For parents, I think you have to be choosey with Talk Tools. The costs of these products can add up, and you really need to know what you are doing to make it successful. Therefore, I would highly recommend finding a therapist who has taken Talk Tools trainings. Even better, locate a certified Talk Tools therapist on their website and schedule an evaluation. You may have to drive a distance to find one, but an evaluation should give you a detailed treatment program with step-by-step directions on how to proceed at home. If this isn't possible, there are many articles and parent geared videos or parent friendly conference opportunities such as at national Down syndrome ones that will help you get started. I just wouldn't start buying products at random off the website without knowing how to get your desired outcomes. You can always email the company too with any questions. I have emailed a few questions over the years as I have been working with my daughter and have been given a thoughtful and helpful response back.

In short, Talk Tools has been helpful in my personal and professional life, and I know other people have found them helpful as well. Should you invest in them? I did! So, yes I believe they may help many other families like mine.


Note: Talk Tools does certify professionals through a level training program. While I have taken coursework, I am not a "certified" Talk Tools therapist. These opinions are my own and am offering them for those who are considering Talk Tools.

Guest Posts Wanted for DS Awareness Month

It's almost here!!! Hooray!!

What is almost here?

Down syndrome Awareness Month-coming in October!

The National Down syndrome Society (NDSS) calls for October to be a month of celebration of abilities and accomplishments of those with Down syndrome.

During the month of October, I participate in the 31 for 21 challenge--blogging 31 days in October for Trisomy 21 awareness. Keeping the NDSS's position in mind, last year I had several guest posts for a series I called "I Can." The posts featured a story about someone with Down syndrome that was meaningful to the family or highlighted the person's abilities. I had a few parents share about their child, one child with Down syndrome share something, and even a sibling. These posts were quite popular last year!

This year, I would like to feature more stories of people with Down syndrome during October celebrating their lives, interests, achievements, abilities, and personalities. Want to join me? Write a post about your loved one, email it to me, and then it may appear here during October. I will also share it on my social media accounts.

Here's what I'd like:

Theme: The post should share accomplishments, abilities, interests, or personalities of someone with DS. You can send me something outside of this if you have a different idea, but I may choose not to run with it.

Content: New or old content is welcomed. If you are a blogger and have a post you have published on your own site, you may send it my way for a reposting.

Word Count: No set number for this. Most of the posts were pretty short last year, but length is up to you.

Deadline to join in: I need all writings by September 25th. Only one post will be shared each day, so there are only 31 spots for posts available. I will let you know the date your post will be featured by September 30th at the latest.

Ready, write, and send:
-Please send your written post via email to evanasandy@gmail.com. You can type your post in the body of the email or send it as a Word attachment.
-Please, please, please send a picture with it that can be attached to your post.
-If you are a blogger, feel free to link back to your blog and/or write up a bio of you/your family.
-I may edit your piece for length or clarity. Curse words will be omitted.

Here are some examples from last year:

Meet Nate: I Can...

Meet Benjamin: I Can...

Meet My Brother

Meet Sophie: I Can...


Click HERE for the NDSS statement on Down syndrome Awareness month.

I can't wait to see the guest posts!!!

Mom Prob: I Need a BFF

This is embarrassing to write.

I am a grown up woman who is going to whine about how I don't have a best friend.

It's a true statement though no matter how embarrassing. There is a hole in my life where a best friend should be. I feel it most whenever I am going through some struggles in life or a health crisis with my daughter.

Sure, I have a husband. But, we are usually stressed at the same time when there is a child health issue. He is a great listener, but there is a limit to the whines and concerns he can hear from me without losing his mind. Sometimes, I pick up the phone to call someone who has a female brain, but there's no one I can think of that has the time to listen to me.

That's when a thought pops in my head, "I have no friends."

Me with all my close friends : )

But, that's not accurate. I have numerous FaceBook friends who read about my adventures with my daughter and give likes or crying faces when appropriate or write a comment. This makes me feel connected to many people, but it's not enough.

I have a great mom and a few close family members who call or message me during hard times. I need these people in my life offering prayers, encouragement, and assistance in various forms.

I do have a handful of female friends who check on my family, come to my kids' birthday parties, and possibly have dinner with my family a time or two a year. I consider these girls in my inner circle. They understand my life more than most and love my children. We talk about getting together for some girl time, but we never do. Every mom is busy and has a family to take care of first. But not spending time together without kids present really makes it hard to develop a closer friend relationship.

I even have two female friends I have met with 1-2 times a year in person by ourselves for some well deserved female time without children. Amanda will answer a text from me at 5 am. How great is she? Tricia will respond to my very long messages and doesn't judge me when I say I'm struggling. She gets me, and I need her. These two girls are the people who I can count on in a pinch for prayers or encouragement. I hope I do the same for them too. But I doubt Amanda or Tricia would consider me their best friend. I've never been Tricia's house. I don't even know Amanda's favorite color. That's got to be a BFF requirement, right?

See, I DO have friends. But I don't have a female Best Friend.

Part of this is my fault. I have always been the person who just kept 1 or 2 friends in my inner circle. I was never the girl who spent her weekends with a large group of people. I always felt good about just having a friend or two until that friend was sick or missed school. Then I was alone.

After Jaycee was born, I made more mistakes in acquiring and keeping friends. I isolated myself for the first few years of her life. I missed weddings, baby showers, parties, and special events. Sometimes, I was guarding Jaycee from germs. Sometimes, I was avoiding all the social contact. Try socializing with people and making small talk while your child went through two open heart surgeries and needed intensive care at home. Small talk and complaints about mundane things is exhausting and meaningless when your child has been fighting for their life. Even now, this is still true at times for me.

Still, I have made mistakes. I have closed myself away from people. I have hesitated to reach out to people when I have needed to talk to someone. I haven't talked about the things on my heart because I didn't want to burden anyone. Some of my problems with Jaycee are just too much for some people to handle or at least I think they are. Some of my thoughts are just so unrelated to most people; I keep them inside wishing there was someone to release them to.

Perhaps, one day I'll have a female best friend. We'll have lunch. We'll cry. We'll laugh and have inside jokes. We'll buy each other birthday presents. We'll go Christmas shopping together. We'll have babysitters that can keep our kids. Our plans will never be broken because of a sick child. We'll see each other's homes. We'll know each other's favorite colors. It will be awesome!

Until then, I'll be thankful for my caring and patient husband. I'll treasure my mom, my aunt, and the other family members that are close by my side. I'll be thankful for the friends I do have, even if I wish we had more time to develop closer friendships. I'll be thankful for my kids who give me plenty of reasons to smile, and a God that hears my deepest cries when there's no one to talk to.

Therapy Tip: Making the Most of School Speech Therapy

Therapy Thursday is back!! This is the day that I share a tip based upon my experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and the mother of a child with special needs. Today's tip is important for parents who have children in speech therapy in the school:

Making the Most of Speech Therapy Sessions During the School Year

It's that time of year when school is starting back. If you have a child with an IEP who will be receiving speech therapy this school year, then you need to know how to maximize your child's therapy. Speech therapy from the school is an important part of a child's education, since the child must be exhibiting some sort of delay or problem to receive it.

Although parents are part of the IEP team and planning process, parents are often left out of the day-to-day business that actually happens to work on the fulfillment of the IEP goals. Hopefully, your child's speech-language pathologist (SLP) keeps you informed of your child's progress, current targets, and allows times for conversations. If not, here's how you can make the most of it:

1. First, update the SLP. If something significant happened this summer to your child that could impact therapy, please let your child's SLP know. If your child had teeth pulled, ear infections, ear tubes placed, a tonsillectomy, hearing evaluations, or anything else dealing with the mouth/nose/ears, then please share this information with your child's SLP. This is information the SLP would want to know.

2. Find out what your child is working on in therapy. This information should be in your child's IEP. If you have lost it, you can ask for another copy. You need to know what your child is working on, so that you can help your child at home.

3. Find out when your child will receive therapy. SLPs have different ways of scheduling sessions, but I am guessing most SLPs have a set time that your child is penciled in for every week. You can ask your child's SLP if they are receiving speech therapy on a certain day/time. If you know when your child receives therapy, then you can try to avoid scheduling appointments during days that would result in missing school/therapy. The SLP may have a very full caseload and may not be able to make up the session if your child misses school that particular day.

4. Ask for updates. I hope your child's SLP is sending 'homework' practice or other notes home periodically (at least once a quarter) to let you know what your child is currently working on in sessions. If not, you can ask the SLP for updates. If you do request updates, please keep one thing in mind. The SLP is very busy and most likely has a large number of children on her caseload. The SLP is probably unable to check in with you every week or every session. When I say, feel free to ask for updates, please be reasonable. You can ask for an update every few weeks, every month, or every quarter so that you can stay in the loop. You may offer to do this in emails, texts, or a notebook that can be passed between the two of you.

5. Reinforce speech goals during homework. There are many ways to work on a target skill in reading, spelling, or other subjects. This is especially true if your child is working on fluency for stuttering treatment or a specific speech sound (i.e. /r/). If you are unsure of how to support your child's progress at home, then ask your SLP. Reinforcement at home is key to getting your child to progress faster. If you aren't involved in your child's treatment in some small way at home, then there is a missing element that needs to be addressed.


I hope your child's speech therapy will be beneficial this year, and that you and the SLP can work together to achieve those goals. Have a great school year!

Therapy Thursday is for educational purposes only and not intended as therapeutic advice.

Bored? Here Ya Go

During my blogging pause, I didn't stop writing completely.

Here are some links to pieces I wrote elsewhere. So if you're bored, here's something to click on and read. 



Wait! Summer Break Don't Go I haven't had enough time for fun this summer. Or have I?


God, Hospitals Make Me Angry I have a hard time being a Christian in the hospital. True story.


Me and My Terrible, Ungrateful Thoughts Sometimes I want a vacation from ALL of it.


Reading Your Bible Again? Thoughts on how we can show children we are committed to God.

Who Was I This Summer Break?

Welcome back!

The summer blog pause is over, and I'm back to writing.

Summer break this year was (pause.....think of an adjective) unique.

Many things happened in the two months I have been away from the blog. Some of these intense events were planned, which is why I took a break. I'm not a writer who typically writes about current events in my life that are serious. I need time to process and emotionally work through them. 

There were times this summer when I sat back and asked, "Who am I?"

Seriously. Who was I?

Well, I seemed to be:

A sweet kiss in the hospital

-A Nurse: Being Jaycee's nurse is not a new role for me. I dose out medications and run her medical equipment daily. However, Jaycee had a fairly big surgery at the end of June to make space in her airway to treat her severe sleep apnea. We were told her recovery could be 3-10 days. It took 25 days for Jaycee to make a full recovery! Twenty-five days is long, by the way, when you are trying to give pain medications several times a day to a child who does not want to take extra medications and counting every ounce the child drinks. Not to mention, Jaycee had 2 different post-surgery bleeds that resulted in 2 additional hospital stays during this 25 day recovery. I'll write more on this subject another day, but my mommy nursing skills were challenged this summer!

-A Travelor: My family took two mini-vacations. We fulfilled my son's dream to visit our state capital (Springfield, IL) and enjoyed a three day history lesson. Well, my son and I enjoyed it. My daughter and husband maybe not as much. Our second little trip was to visit my family in Indiana. Family visits may seem boring, but my extended family is super fun. We had lots of laughs. My son got to see another state capital too, so he was in Heaven! We didn't travel far or have a large budget, but I did get to travel somewhere. I was thankful to be anywhere besides a hospital!

Jaycee at Lincoln's tomb with some assistance with Daddy

-A Mom of a Princess: My sweet little girl participated in a pageant for people with intellectual disabilities for the second time in her life. We loved watching Jaycee perform on stage and getting all dolled up. She absolutely loves it too! (You can read about last year's pageant here.) I like being the mom of a princess, and it's a memory we will treasure! 

Post Pageant picture with the family

-A Mom of another Child with a Diagnosis...AGAIN!: Most of my writings have been regarding my daughter's health issues and diagnoses. My other child, Elijah, has had (what I have always considered) minor issues with his motor skills and muscles. In June, it was confirmed that his issues won't be something that he will outgrow as he was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. I'll write more on this subject another time, but I had some emotional issues to work through when I discovered that both of my children had life long diagnoses.

-Someone who Struggled: There were some happy times this summer. But, the hard times were hard. During Jaycee's time in the hospital, I struggled with anger. No really, I wanted to slap a few staff who I didn't feel were treating my daughter properly or professionally. How do you walk into a room and not know what surgery a kid just had? And how does that happen more than once? There were very frustrating moments during Jaycee's longer than expected recovery. It was stressful on my husband and I, and we didn't get a break for three weeks. In a crisis, I have this tendency to want to throw a pity party when things aren't going well. Those parties spiral me down into despair farther, which isn't helpful at all. Anyway, I struggled some this summer. But, now that some time has passed, I am feeling more optimistic and almost back to my normal self.


Well, that was me in a nutshell during my blogging pause. It feels good to be blogging again and back to my normal regular self. I'm ready to share some experiences and thoughts with you every week again.



See you on Thursdays for Therapy Thursday, my weekly tip on a therapy related subject. Tuesdays is my general blogging day on parenting and my life. As always, thanks for reading!