What Should I Consider When Selecting a Private Speech–Language Pathologist? – Ask Sarah Series
I’d love to tell you that every licensed speech–language pathologist is equally good, and that whichever therapist you pick will be able to play Annie Sullivan to your child’s Hellen Keller and have him or her speaking fluently and using language appropriate to their age within a short period of time. But it’s not true. […]
Parent Tip: “One and Done” Catch Phrase to Stop Repetitive Language from Your Child
A common parent complaint I get is repetitive language from their child(ren), where the child repeats the same thing over and over again until it drives the parent(s) crazy. Often it’s a request for a desired item (“Mom, can I have a cookie? … mom, can I have a cookie? … mom, can I have […]
Why is Private Speech Therapy Important for Children with More Complicated Conditions Such as Autism or Apraxia? – Ask Sarah Series
Dear Sarah, Why is it important to also have a private speech therapist? Isn’t the speech therapy my child is getting at school [the regional center / the early intervention program] enough? Love, Wilma I believe that, when feasible, parents of a child who has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum or with another developmental […]
How Should I Talk to My Child if They Have a Language Delay? – Ask Sarah Series
Last month, I shared my rule of thumb as I continued to try to answer Mary’s question about her son who had recently been diagnosed with autism. I talk to a child using sentence lengths which are one word longer than the lengths of the sentences they are currently using. Mary, you mentioned that your […]
How Much Of What I Say Does My Child Understand? Part 2 of 2 – Ask Sarah Series
This week, I’m continuing to answer Mary’s question from last week about how much her son, who has been recently diagnosed with autism, can understand when she speaks to him, and how she should talk to him. I explained to Mary that her son’s speech and language evaluation will provide information about her son’s receptive language and auditory […]
The “Ask Sarah” Series
For parents, the time following your child first receiving a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder or another developmental disorder is an overwhelming and chaotic time. After the initial shock of the diagnosis has worn off, a very common reaction of family members is to jump right in to start “tackling the problem” and to […]
How Much Of What I Say Does My Child Understand? Part 1 of 2 – Ask Sarah Series
My son was just diagnosed. He only has a couple of words. I try to talk to him like I would his older brother hoping this helps, but he just looks off like I’m talking Martian! Should I not talk to him like a typical kid? Help! -Mary Hi Mary, By now, your son should […]
