You wait months on a waiting list to get your child into the local university or medical clinic for an assessment. You suspect autism but you need an official diagnosis. You feel all kinds of emotions when the long assessment comes to an end and you are told that your child does in fact fall on Continue reading
Autism
10 Tips To Communicate With Your Nonverbal Child With Autism
There is a well-known quote that speaks to the fact that just because a child cannot physically speak, it does not mean that they do not have anything to say. This is SO true. As a pediatric speech language pathologist, specializing in working with children and families living with autism, I have seen many children Continue reading
12 Signs Of Sensory Overload
Does your child have meltdowns? Have you been told to look for the “triggers” so you can tell when a meltdown may be approaching before it actually arrives? If you have no idea how to do this, you are not alone. Professionals tend to give great advice but speak to parents as if they are Continue reading
National Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month!
April is National Autism Awareness month. There are many organizations out there that raise funds and spread the message of awareness, but one of my favorites is the Autism Society, who also promotes autism acceptance, inclusion and more. Since 1965, the Autism Society has made it their mission to “make it a better world” for Continue reading
“Without a voice, people only see my autism and not me”
Dillon’s Path and Dillon’s Voice were both released by Apple in an effort to share their own Autism awareness & acceptance campaign this April. Of course, they are promoting the use of apple products as communication devices, but as a speech-language pathologist, I 100% support this (and no, I do not earn anything by sharing Continue reading
Giving Children a Voice With Assistive Technology – Part 2
A previous blog discussed the general process for who completes an assistive technology (AT) assessment and what to look for during this process. In part two of this AT series, let’s discuss the next steps for incorporating AT into the child’s school day. If a child qualifies for AT services, the school creates an IEP with Continue reading
Autism, Behavior AFTER School & Academic Impact
There’s a new video up!!! Lily and I are SUPER excited that Facebook live is back! We are answering a question on autism and behavior AFTER the school day ends and what this has to do with “academic impact.” Come check it out! Here is the link referenced in the video: https://littlesproutspeech.com/store/success-in-school/ Autism and behavior after Continue reading
Getting Past The Gatekeeper- The FASTEST Way To Get Your Child’s Needs Met In School!
Learning who the gatekeeper is on your child’s school team will go FAR when it comes to getting your child the services they need in school. One of the simplest ways you can do this is pay attention to who is taking the notes during the meeting. Who do the other team members look to? Continue reading
The 3 R’s to a successful hair, doctor or dental appointment
So many of our kiddos struggle with simple tasks that we take for granted. Think about it. Do you have a hard time getting your hair cut or going to the doctor? I know many of us dislike going to the dentist, but we know what to expect and typically have a positive experience. Unfortunately, Continue reading
Shining A Light On Autism
I got an email from Autism Speaks with some “facts” on autism that they encouraged me to share. So I am sharing this information so that you can forward it on to others. It is SO important for us to continue to educate others. If we don’t do it, who will? Be sure to share Continue reading