'Tis the season to use holiday vocabulary and have some fun with it!  How about a scavenger hunt? This activity was loved by my preschool students and elementary aged students!  It can be used anywhere - at your house, at a mall, driving in the car, etc!  Here are some items to look for:

Santa Claus

Santa's bag

sleigh

elf

chimney

Christmas tree

snowflake

snowman

stocking

star

angel

bell

present

bow

candy cane

gingerbread house

gingerbread man

holly 

reindeer

toy soldiers
toy train
ornament
wreath

Communication is the ability to affect other people with words.

Did you know?

Did you know that delayed speech development is one of the most

common symptoms of developmental delay in children? It occurs in 5-

10% of all children.

Did you know that there are many factors that contribute to or cause

communication disorders or deficits? A hearing loss, illness, injury,

and congenital or psychological conditions are just some examples of

such contributing factors.

Did you know the impairments that a Speech Language Pathologist can

treat include voice, fluency, language and articulation disorders?

Did you know that because the structures used for speaking are the

same structures used for chewing and swallowing, an SLP can also

treat various feeding and swallowing disorders (often referred to as

dysphagia)?

These

Stuttering

Stuttering can be a natural part of developing speech and language; HOWEVER,  if it persists longer than 3-4 weeks, then it may be a concerning behavior.  Whether the stuttering is temporary due to speech and language development or whether it is becoming a true fluency disorder, there are some communication "rules" to follow.

STUTTERING

HOME STRATEGIES

 

1.  Create a comfortable communication environment by:

            Reducing the rate of your own speech

            Slowing down your routines/environment

            Eliminating interruptions

2.  Add new strategies:

            Slow talking using a soft, quiet voice

            Increase your use of pauses when you talk

            Increase your use of think time when she asks questions or talks to you  

            Allow her to have more time to respond to you

            Increase relaxation time (soft music may help, laughing)

            Gentle comments about how you take your time when you talk

           

 

NEVER FINISH WHAT HE/SHE IS SAYING - LET HIM/HER FINISH WHAT HE/SHE IS SAYING

NEVER DRAW ATTENTION TO HIS/HER STUTTERING

           

A few years ago I had the pleasure of writing an article with a 6th grade boy who has Autism.  Our article was published by a professional journal.  Here is the article:

 

 

Autism Through a Sixth-Grader's Eyes

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is becoming a household phrase. The prevalence of autism has risen to one in every 88 American children and almost one in 54 boys.¹
No two cases of ASD are exactly alike. Some individuals are nonverbal, but others are quite verbal. Some benefit from special diets, while others do not. Autism can be very difficult to recognize in young children, pre-teens, teenagers and adults because characteristics vary.

 

Paul, 12, is a sixth-grader with Asperger's syndrome, which is considered a milder form of autism. According to Paul, "This is probably the hardest case to recognize, as it always appears that the child with Asperger's is acting weird. They are also the most picked on due to their lack of social skills."

Characteristics of Asperger's syndrome are a qualitative impairment in social interaction; restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities; and clinically significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning. Individuals with the disorder have no clinically significant delay in general language, cognitive development, self-help skills or adaptive behavior.²
Paul was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 4 years old. "My childhood was good," he recalled. "Nothing bad happened to me. I remember either being really good at things or being pretty bad at them. I was always really good at mazes, math and reading. I had a really hard time with talking, using different tones in my voice, following teacher's directions, and controlling my emotions. I got mad a lot."

 

Elementary school was easy for Paul. He complained to his mom about how all the other children worked slower than he did and that he constantly had to wait for them. "I went to a private school that let kids use their strengths and unique ways of learning," he said. "We were taught to think and challenge. We did not take tests; we learned in groups and from each other."

 

He also attended a Montessori school in France for third grade because his mother, who teaches French literature, took a year to study abroad. The school was a good fit for him. "The teachers were really strict, so I worked hard," Paul said. "I experienced a few cultural issues because it took me a while to adapt to learning in a different language. I understood French well, but I didn't speak it so well. My biggest obstacle was mastering the language. English class, though, was a breeze. That was the hardest school year I've had in my life, but I would go back again if I had the chance."

 

Since then, he has attended three other schools in an attempt to find the best fit for his academic and social needs. Every school year begins the same: I meet with Paul's teachers and parents before the first day of school and explain his communication, behavior and learning needs. There is time to discuss suggestions for meeting his needs and an opportunity to ask questions. By the start of the second semester, however, Paul's teachers have stopped following the plan, and his academic and social progress begins to decline. It is my experience that students with Asperger's syndrome are the most misunderstood children in the classroom.

 

Today, Paul is in sixth grade at a public middle school. He describes a typical day.

"When I get to school, a mean sixth-grade boy bullies me. He threatens to beat me up at recess, gives me dirty looks, and spreads rumors to make other people hate me," he said. "Then I go to class, where I answer nearly every question right. I know by my peers' looks that they think I am a nerd. During computer class, I go through a peaceful period because I like computers and we're expected to work alone. When it comes to gym class, the teacher always tells us to pick partners. I am always left with the kids with no common sense and poor athletic skills."

 

Paul is still really good at certain things, while some things continue to be hard. He has gotten much better at talking and following directions, having received private speech and language therapy since age 6, Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT), and Fast ForWord® by Scientific Learning Corporation. The combination of all this has significantly increased his speech and language skills.

He sees himself as the household rogue because he is strongly independent and does not like to be a follower. "Table conversations can be hard, as I desperately want to leave," he said. "I have a hard time talking about other people's topics of conversations when no one is interested in mine."

His greatest fear is that he will never fit into a group again. "If you think school is hard, try doing it without friends!" he said.

 

Paul's parents are educated and work as instructors at the university level. Paul hopes that he will be able to achieve or exceed their accomplishments. "I don't know what I want to do yet, but right now I like computers and I'm really good at math," he said. "I am grateful for my mom and dad because all their energy outside of their careers is focused on helping me."

 

He would like everyone to understand that there is a fundamental goodness in all people. "If more people were to realize that, then the world would be a better, safer place-especially for individuals with Asperger's syndrome or autism," he said.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders. Surveillance Summaries, 61 (SS03); 1-19.

2. American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSMIV-TR).

At Home Ideas

With Thanksgiving break right around the corner, parents have to figure out how to keep kids busy when they are off of school for 5 DAYS!!!!  Here are some simple projects the kids will love.  They are very inexpensive to make and it will keep them busy for hours!  Parents may even have more fun that the kids :)


GAK (Flubber, Slime)

• Elmer’s Glue® (8 oz bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All)
• Borax (a powdered soap found in the grocery store)
• Large mixing bowl
• Plastic cup (8 oz size works well)
• Spoon
• Measuring cup
• Food coloring (the spice of life)
• Water
• Paper towel (hey, you’ve got to clean up!)
• Zipper-lock bag (don’t you want to keep it when you’re done?)
• Water

Here’s the easiest way to make a big batch Elmer’s Slime. The measurements do not have to be exact but it’s a good idea to start with the proportions below for the first batch. Just vary the quantities of each ingredient to get a new and interesting batch of goo.

1. This recipe is based on using a brand new 8 ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue. Empty the entire bottle of glue into a mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottle with warm water and shake (okay, put the lid on first and then shake). Pour the glue-water mixture into the mixing bowl and use the spoon to mix well.
2. Go ahead… add a drop or two of food coloring.
3. Measure 1/2 cup of warm water into the plastic cup and add a teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. Stir the solution – don’t worry if all of the powder dissolves. This Borax solution is the secret linking agent that causes the Elmer’s Glue molecules to turn into slime.
4. While stirring the glue in the mixing bowl, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. Immediately you’ll feel the long strands of molecules starting to connect. It’s time to abandon the spoon and use your hands to do the serious mixing. Keep adding the Borax solution to the glue mixture (don’t stop mixing) until you get a perfect batch of Elmer’s slime. You might like your slime more stringy while others like firm slime. Hey, you’re the head slime mixologist – do it your way!
5. When you’re finished playing with your Elmer’s slime, seal it up in a zipper-lock bag for safe keeping.

1-2-3 PLAY DOUGH
One-cup cold water
One-cup salt
Two-teaspoons vegetable oil
Two tablespoons cornstarch
Three cups flour
Tempera paint or food coloring (adjust amount for color desired)
Mix the water, salt, oil and paint together.
Gradually work in the flour and cornstarch until you get the consistency of bread dough.

LIQUID BUT NOT!

Take a cup of cornstarch add to a bowl...
Take a cup of baking soda add it to the bowl...
Take 1/2 cup of water and add it to the bowl...
Mix with your hands-they will get messy a bit and the "Liquid but Not" will harden-- then soften --then drip while you form and play with it.
It comes off with a little soap and water! (Submitted by Anonymous)

NOTE: 'Liquid but Not' (above) and 'Slimish Goop' (below) are very similar. The first is more firm/hard. The second is similar to mucous as it goes through the fingers and hands. It's 'slimier' -- as the title denotes. (See below photo) For either activity, add drops of water as needed--to keep the consistency as desired. You'll find that for any of these 'experiments' adjustments will be needed--which is O.K. It's science!!! Be sure to remind kids that this is what it's all about...experimenting to see 'what' happens!

SLIME-ISH GOOP made with cold water... Be sure to read above 'Note'

·                                 Mix 1 cup of corn starch with 1 cup of water. Use your hands to mix it until it is a smooth texture.

·                                 You can change the texture by adding a 2nd cup of corn starch. (I added the second cup of corn starch; with just one cup-I found it too watery. If making a smaller amount with 1 cup of corn starch--start with 1/2 cup of water. Barb)
Kids love adding food color or paint to make the slime. They have fun making it resemble different icky substances and their imagination is more vivid! (Image by KidActivities)

 

Over the years, I have met many families with children who do not talk.  After the onset of speech therapy and some home suggestions, many of those same families say, "I can't believe how much my child is talking.  Sometimes it's too much."  I always say, "Be careful what you wish for."  Here are some things you can do at home to help increase expressive language.

STRATEGIES FOR EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE GROWTH

 

*Although you may not always understand what the child is saying to you, acknowledge the communication and attempt to respond  This will let the child know that communicative attempts are encouraged.

 

*When the child uses a single word such as “ball” repeat the word and add an additional thought such as “my ball” or “throw the ball.”

 

*Encourage the child to pair gestures with words.  Instead of just waving bye, encourage the child to say “bye-bye.”

 

*When the child produces a short phrase repeat it back to the child.  This acknowledges the communicative attempt and reinforces the correct production of the words.

 

*Attempt to expand utterances.  When the child says “milk” you may add on to it by saying “more milk.”

 

*Make a list of household items the child is not saying.  Try to slowly incorporate those words into daily interactions with the child.  Encourage the child to say those words.

 

*After the child shows growth and is using two word utterances consistently, begin expanding the two word utterances by adding an additional word.  If the child says, “more milk” then add something like “more milk please.”

 

*Put the child into situations where verbal communication has to be used.  Place a desired item out of reach so the child has to use the word to tell you what he/she wants.

 

*Remember that children need more time to process language.  Forcing a response in a short amount of time may significantly decrease the quality and length of the response.

 

*It is very important to communicate to the child using appropriate sentence length and rate.  If your child is using two word phrases, talk to him/her in two word phrases.  If he/she is using three word phrases, talk to him/her in three word phrases.  Using a slower rate and shorter phrases can be difficult for family members because it feels unnatural, however this is an important factor in language development and use.

Dyslexia

Did you know that one of the most misunderstood learning challenges is dyslexia?  There are so many misconceptions!

Myths of Dyslexia Myth 1: Dyslexia is a sort of mental retardation. The facts: Dyslexia is a difficulty in learning to read, write and spell, despite traditional teaching, average intelligence, and an adequate opportunity to learn. It is an impairment in the brain's ability to translate information received from the eyes or ears into understandable language. It does not result from vision or hearing problems. It is not due to mental retardation, brain damage, or a lack of intelligence.

Myth 2: There is no 'cure' for dyslexia.

The facts: Dyslexia is not a disease. Given the appropriate specialist teaching, dyslexics can successfully learn to read (and even to spell).

Myth 3: Dyslexia is rare in Singapore.

The facts: The incidence of dyslexia in Singapore is within the international range of 3% to 10% of the population. There are about 20,000 primary and secondary school students who are dyslexic. An average of 1 to 2 students could be dyslexic in a class of 40. Dyslexia can range from mild to moderate to severe.

Myth 4: My child can’t be dyslexic. No one else in the family has it.

The facts: Beware. In some families, one, or both parents, are obviously dyslexic and all, or most, of their children, have the difficulties. In other families, dyslexia is not apparent in either parent and the other children are unaffected.

Myth 5: Dyslexics are gifted/”stupid”.

The facts: Repeated studies have shown that there is very little relationship between dyslexia and intelligence in young children. Dyslexia occurs across a whole spectrum of intelligence and is as likely to be found in the gifted and talented population as it is to be present in the low-ability, and most of them fall in the middle. However, if dyslexics don't learn to read, their IQs tend to fall behind as they get older.

Myth 6: Reversing letters is a good indication of dyslexia. The facts: In fact, backwards writing and reversals of letters and words are common among young children learning to write whether or not they are dyslexic. Only about 10% of dyslexics reverse letters. In general, letter-reversals become an area of concern if it persists beyond 8 years old.

Myth 7: Dyslexia can't read.

The facts: People with mild to moderate dyslexia have usually learnt to read well enough to 'get by' and to avoid being noticed. Despite this, their reading usually remains slower than normal and a spelling skills check will often reveal their true difficulties.

Myth 8: He can’t have dyslexia because he can read.

The facts: All children with dyslexia can read—up to a point. But the problem they have with processing speech sounds, prevent them from hearing all the individual sounds in a word. So they generally don’t read by sounding out. With poor ability to detect and manipulate speech sounds, dyslexics tend to have inadequate knowledge and application of how sounds are linked with their written form. This weak letter-sounds link affects their ability to read to some extent. Instead, they often use alternative strategies such as memorising familiar stories, recognizing words by their shapes or guessing based on the first letter or two. But their memories can hold only a limited number of words. So these strategies will fail them by third or fourth grade. Without the right type of help, they cannot progress any further—no matter how smart they are and how hard they try.

Myth 9: He can read okay. He just can’t spell. That’s not dyslexia, is it?

The facts: A child with severe dyslexia will struggle with reading from the very first day. But intelligent children with mild-to-moderate dyslexia can get away during the first few years in school. They can read. You just don’t know HOW they are reading. But their unusual reading strategies will force them into a brick wall by primary three or four. Their difficulties with spelling, however, are obvious very early. If they spend hours each night working on a spelling list, they may be able to pass the test. But they tend to have difficulties spelling the same words when they’re writing sentences or compositions. Poor spelling is highly related to poor reading, and poor spelling shows up first. But it may take until primary three or four for the reading struggles to become equally obvious. Reading and spelling are closely related skills.

Myth 10: Reading difficulties disappear with age.

The facts: Not if it's dyslexia. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition. Dyslexic children become dyslexic adults. If they are identified and given the right kind of help early, dyslexics can learn to compensate for their learning difficulty and read accurately. Even so, they may continue to read slowly and not automatically.

Myth 11: Repeating a school grade can remove dyslexia.

The facts: Dyslexics learn in a different way. Specialist teaching is necessary to learn to overcome dyslexia and cope in mainstream school.

Myth 12: The way to help a dyslexic child to read is to force him or her to read at least 20 mins a day.

The facts:It is necessary to make reading easy and fun so the dyslexic child learns. Multi-sensory techniques help the child read and write better.

Myth 13: Dyslexia only affects children who speak English.

The facts: In fact, dyslexia has been shown to affect native Dutch, Israeli and Portuguese speakers as well as speakers of other languages. Dyslexia primarily affects the processing of speech sounds, otherwise known as phonological awareness. Dyslexia is also known to affect languages that are orthographically-based like Chinese.

Myth 14: Dyslexia cannot be identified until a child is 8 to 11 years old.

The facts: Research suggests children at risk of developing reading, spelling and writing difficulties can be identified at 5 to 6 years of age. In fact, there are validated instruments which allow us to do so. It is also important to identify them early so that appropriate help can be given before they start failing in school.

Myth 15: There is no way to truly diagnose dyslexia.

The facts: There are highly sophisticated and well-recognized techniques to diagnose dyslexia. A qualified educational psychologist will be able to diagnose dyslexia through a series of assessments with the child.

Myth 16: Dyslexics will not succeed in life.

The facts: A great majority of dyslexics have succeeded in life in their own respect. Some famous and accomplished dyslexics include Albert Einstein, MM Lee Kuan Yew, Richard Branson and Tom Cruise to name a few.

information taken from:  http://www.das.org.sg/dyslexia-myths.html

Incorporate Humor

It's Friday!!!  Research shows that positive energy is highest on FRIDAYS!!!  What comes with good moods and positive energy?  HUMOR!  I'd like to share an article of mine that was printed in a professional magazine for Speech Language Pathologists!

Humor is important for social relationships, academic success and health, studies have shown. Children who have a good sense of humor are more likely to make strong friendships and be well liked by their peers, according to developmental researchers. When they become adults, humor makes it easier to get along with colleagues and manage frustration.

Humor can be divided into three linguistic categories: phonological, morphological and syntactical. Examples of phonological humor include minimal pairs and lexical items. Minimal pairs are based on the difference of one phoneme. Lexical items are based on the ambiguity of a word, as in "The soup factory canned all its workers."  Examples of morphological humor include morphological analysis and pseudomorphology. Morphological analysis is when a morpheme is extracted from a word and treated as an independent word, such as "Where do frogs sit? On a toadstool." Pseudomorphology is when an independent word is confused with a phonological sequence from a different, larger word. For example, "What is the key to a great dinner? A turkey."   Syntactical items may involve phrase structure, when a sequence of words has more than one meaning. For example, "The college student got his first credit card, and he got a real charge out of it."

Incorporating humor into speech and language therapy is important. Sometimes it has to be taught, and sometimes it just has to be developed. Therapy goals can easily be incorporated into certain activities, such as reading funny stories, singing songs with a twist, creating funny routines, doing unconventional artwork, and sharing funny stories.

 Dr. Seuss books are a great source of funny stories. The play on words, rhyming and pictures are all silly. Older children can create a Dr. Seuss-like book.  To sing songs with a twist, you can sing in different voices, at different speeds, and with different words. Children often find it funny when you put their name in a song.  Using rhyme to label activities helps to create funny routines. For example, you can use sidewalk chalk and call the routine "Chalk Talk." Games help to make drill and practice more interesting. For example, you can hide pictures or flashcards and play "hot/cold" to find them. When the child is "cold," pair the word "cold" with "freezing" or "put on your mittens and hat." You can pair the word "hot" with "you're on fire" or "call the fire department."

Use common art supplies in different ways to create unconventional artwork. Use cotton swabs for painting, or dip markers in water to make them look like water colors.  Finally, you can share funny stories by telling children about silly things you saw or heard and encouraging them to do the same.

Chilly Weekend

Now that the chilly weather has arrived, there will be more coughing, sneezing and colds.  With that comes ear infections for many children.  Did you know that ear infections interfere with the development of speech and language skills?

Ear Infections and Speech and Language Development

Ear infections can cause fluid in the middle ear (otitis media). Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses in children between birth and three years of age. Fluid in the middle ear prevents the ear from conducting sound properly. It can interfere with normal hearing. Even a mild, temporary hearing loss can delay the development of speech and language skills. Therefore, early recognition and treatment of otitis media is important. 

The symptoms of serious ear infections and otitis media usually appear during or after a cold or respiratory infection, often during the winter months. Since fluid can collect in the middle ear without causing pain, children with otitis media may not complain about it. Parents may notice symptoms before the child does! If your child has recently had an ear infection, be alert for one or more of the above symptoms!

When a child gets ear infections several times during a year, it is called recurrent otitis media. A preschool child with recurrent otitis media frequently experiences a temporary loss of hearing. The loss may continue for up to six weeks after the ear infection has healed. Such a hearing loss is described as "mild and fluctuating". This is a major cause of speech and language delay including auditory processing disorders.

Communication development is at its peak from twelve months through four years of age. Fluctuating hearing loss during that time interferes with learning speech and language. Children who can not hear clearly may "tune out" everyday sounds - even your voice! If your child has fluid in the middle ear, similar words may sound the same. It is not surprising that final consonants, past tense, and plural word endings are often left off by children with recurrent otitis media. Since they don't hear these sounds when others talk, they don't learn how to say them properly.

Children with recurrent otitis media over several months or years may develop:

Permanent hearing loss if left untreated

Speech, language, and/or auditory processing disorder(s)

Problems focussing their attention

Problems with school work

Poor self esteem or Social problems

September 28, 2012

I can't believe another week of school has gone by! This weekend is homecoming in my hometown of Oconomowoc so my night will be filled with a parade and a football game.  I hope your weekend will be filled with something you are looking forward to!

Many people have heard of Dyslexia, but most people have never heard of Hyperlexia.

 

 

What is Hyperlexia?

 
Most experts agree that hyperlexia describes a reading decoding level that is unexpected (advanced) when compared to intellectual functioning and/or age.  Children with hyperlexia have better reading decoding abilities than reading comprehension abilities.  They decode both phonetically and by sight reading.  Often these children also experience difficulty with auditory/language processing, they think very literally, and they are a pattern learner.  Schema building (a process in which new information is integrated into a network of prior knowledge, or a schema, so that students recognize connections to previously learned material and see how they can apply prior knowledge to new situations.) is very important for these children because they struggle with the ability to attach words to their experiences and may not understand multiple meaning words.  One pitfall for these kids is that his/her high level decoding skills mask his/her comprehension deficits so often it is just assumed that his/her comprehension is as strong as his/her decoding.  The major issue for students with hyperlexia as they get older is higher level language tasks and reading comprehension.  The most important thing to remember for ALL students is to use his/her strengths to develop deficit areas.
 

Hyperlexia Symptoms
• A precocious ability to read words far above what would be expected at a child’s age
• Child may appear gifted in some areas and extremely deficient in others
• Significant difficulty in understanding verbal language
• Difficulty in socializing and interacting appropriately with people
• Abnormal and awkward social skills
• Specific or unusual fears
• Fixation with letters or numbers
• Echolalia (Repetition or echoing of a word or phrase just spoken by another person)
• Memorization of sentence structures without understanding the meaning
• An intense need to keep routines, difficulty with transitions, ritualistic behavior

Additional Symptoms:
• Normal development until 18-24 months, then regression
• Listens selectively / appears to be deaf
• Strong auditory and visual memory
• Self-stimulatory behavior (hand flapping, rocking, jumping up and down)
• Think in concrete and literal terms, difficulty with abstract concepts
• Auditory, olfactory and / or tactile sensitivity
• Difficulty answering "Wh–" questions, such as "what," "where," "who," and "why"

Friday, September 21, 2012

I am very excited to announce that I FINALLY got a school issued iPad and will be utilizing it to its full potential in speech and language!  The kids will teach me a lot, I'm sure!  The down side?  I have to attend an all day training on Saturday...but that is TOTALLY worth it!

Many people ask when speech sounds develop and by what age a particular speech sound should be mastered.  Typically, development is as follows:

P, M, H, N, W, B: start to emerge first and are usually mastered by about age 3.

K, G, D, T, NG: begin to emerge around age 2 and are usually mastered by about age 4.

F, Y:  begin to emerge at about 2 1/2 years and are usually mastered by about age 4.

R, L, S:  begin to emerge at about 3 years and are usually mastered by about age 7 1/2.

CH, SH, Z:  begin to emerge at about 3 1/2 years and are usually mastered by about age 7.

J, V:  begin to emerge at about 4 years and are usually mastered by about age 8.

TH (like 'thumb') and TH (like 'that'): begin to emerge at about 4 1/2 years and are usually mastered by about age 7 1/2.

ZH (like 'measure'):  begin to emerge at about 5 1/2 years and are usually mastered by about age 8.

Happy (almost) weekend.  It sounds like this weekend will be perfect to be outside!  I know I plan to be outside...my twin sons have a football game on Saturday!  I'm a big football fan...especially the Badgers and the Packers!

I want to use my blog to educate others on many different topics related to speech, language, hearing, reading, writing, learning, syndromes, and anything else you would like to learn more about...

What is speech and language therapy?

Speech and language therapy is the treatment of deficiencies in a child's ability to communicate. Speech and language skills are different. Language is the use of words and sentences to communicate ideas which includes speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Speech is the use of the sounds that make up the words and sentences.  The need for therapy is determined by a Speech Pathologist by carefully observing, measuring and evaluating the individual’s current development level.

A Speech Language Pathologist is a state and nationally licensed clinician with a minimum educational requirement of a Masters degree in Speech and Hearing Science and one year of post graduate fellowship.

Hello Jefferson Elementary School!  I am the new Speech Therapist at Jefferson and I am so happy to be here!  My room is on the second floor - room #215. 

Some background information about me:  I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin.  My family  raised cows, pigs, and chickens.  We also had pets including a dog, cats, a rabbit, and a horse.  After I graduated from Oconomowoc High School, I went to the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  I graduated from there with a B.S. in Education and Communicative Disorders.  After that, I went to the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater to earn my M.S. in Communicative Disorders.  Before coming to Jefferson, I worked at Waunakee School District (that's near Madison) and I was a private therapist in Madison too.  I have 4 children: Logan, Tanner, Samantha, and Jake, a big chocolate lab named Lexi, and a WONDERFUL  husband, Tom.

Please feel free to stop by room 215 and say hello.