The 5 Most Common Things I Hear As A Pediatric SLP

It's been 4 years (can't believe I'm saying that) since I began working as a pediatric speech language pathologist serving the preschool babes.  I absolutely love everything about it (besides IEP's & IEP meetings).

Y'all, I learn something new e v e r y single day & I want to share a little with you! 
 

I don't know it all, & I truly believe that when you feel like you DO know it all, you limit yourself & those you serve!  Not just professionally, but personally, too!  

Enjoy this embarrassing wisdom teeth picture circa 2008 that my mom took of me... so sweet, huh?
Yet, accurate picture of how I feel after work somedays...

 
The 5 Most Common Things I Hear As A Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist:
(making this as short & sweet, as well as parent friendly, as I can!)

1.  My kid needs speech for their lisp.

My answer:  I have found that lisps are very common for children up to the age of 4-5.  In any case, I am sure you could pay for private therapy to target this as you wish if the school system can't qualify a child on the basis of a lisp alone before this age.  If your kiddo has reduced intelligibility with many other sounds, definitely inquire about an assessment with the school!  However, I wouldn't recommend worrying about it until after this age.  I am probably going against everything in my profession making this statement, but I LOVE my two year old's lisp. 

 Source
 

2.  We can't understand anything my kid says, do they need speech therapy?

My answer:  My first question would be how old is your child?  Typically, an early intervention SLP (serving ages 0-3) doesn't focus on speech just yet.  They are more interested in language!  Do they name things/people/familiar places?  Do they imitate sounds or words?  Make good eye contact and attend to play scenarios with you or other children?

 If not, I would suggest sharing your concerns with your pediatrician so they can refer your sweet one to an early intervention team!

If it's just speech your worried about, give them a little time, most kiddos will naturally correct their errors on their own as their speech helpers (oral cavity) mature.  If not, definitely keep speech in mind for the future;)
 

3.  I think my kid needs their tongue clipped, they have tongue tie!
(totally southern slang, too!)

My answer: Okay-I cringe with this topic.  In my experience & research, there is nothing found that indicates that this inhibits a child's speech.  It most definitely create an infant from feeding, but as far as speech goes... this is not recognized in most literature in our day & time as an issue. Tongue placement may be an issue, but not the anatomy related to this.  I'm pretty sure this is a controversial topic... so I'm just reporting what the evidence based literature I have read states! 
And that's what I base my recommendations on.
Source
4.  My kid can't say their r's OR "they make their r's funny."
My answer: R's are such a tricky sound!  There are truly children who eventually get dismissed from therapy because they never get a "perfect" /r/ sound.  And that's ok!   That just makes them unique in my opinion.  A developmental chart I refer to, reports /r/ is a sound that typically can be expected to become intelligible around 6 years old.  If you have a little buddy whose /r/ you are worried about, hold off worrying too much about it until then! 

5.  How can I help my kid at home?
My answer: Aside from checking in with the pediatrician...Read books!  Play!  Sing!  Take any opportunity to follow your kiddo's lead during play.  Label things.  Give them choices and encourage them to voice their choice.  Don't worry if they don't talk immediately, when you are modeling and exposing them to so many fun things in their world... great things are bound to happen:). If it's speech you are worried about, occasionally call the child's attention to the way they produce the word/sound vs. the correct way to produce it.  Make sure they are hearing the errors & help them to practice saying it the correct way! 

My background?  I've focused on the 3-5 year old population over the last three years.  I am beginning a position this school year in a preschool setting that specializes in developmental delay, so I'm excited at the opportunity to continue expanding my knowledge base In this area. 
Exciting & a bit nerve wracking!
The preschool population has become my passion, & these seem to be popular topics every year!  Do you have any questions?  Comments from any fellow SLP's? 
 I'll try to help & I'd love to hear your take on these things:)

Happy Hump Day!

 

 

 



friday favorites || GOD over google

I literally woke up this morning with a feeling of complete failure.
I EVEN a b o u t found myself googling "how to not let outside stress make you a bad mom."

This week I have had a headache every single day.
The boys have been on another level of crazy & I feel like all I am doing is telling them to stop, quit, or threaten them with a last request.
SEE BELOW.

I have had a lot to accomplish in preparation for starting work next month (orientation, staff meetings, drug/background checks, switching state license), Cam beginning KINDERGARTEN & life is a bit wild at the moment.  Blessed, blessed, blessed... but wild! 
 
 I absolutely despise when it feels like we haven't had good quality time together as a family throughout the week- like the only interaction we've had is discipline or the overwhelming moments that rob us of the people God created us to be!
Ever have those times?

Would you know, as soon as the desire to "Google answers" kicked in...
The living God in my heart reminded me of just who I can have in control.
With tears I thought- Nope.  I'm going to give ALL of this to God.
Instead of turning to the world wide web, trying to fix everything on my own, with a feeling of helplessness (how crazy am I?), I 'm going to turn to God's LIVING word & the power of prayer.
In the little things (like this), & the big things (sickness, loss)...
I have such peace & joy knowing I have this forever in my heart.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Tomorrow (or maybe after I get the hang of my new job & our new life that comes with it) I know this season of worry & stress will leave, but until then, I may just be "living on a prayer :)"

On to my "little happy's" of the last TWO weeks:
(I'm behind!)

One.
Finding Waldo + Sharkweek = Downtown Fun
One thing I love about our new city is all there is to do for FREE with your family.  We have had such a blast this summer & I'm looking forward to all fall & the holiday's have to offer.








Two.  Marking off the Summer Hope To's
Our list is slowly, but surely, filling up with little check marked boxes.
We have had one of the sweetest summers ever, so far... from celebrating a trip with great Grandma Muriel + BB's birthday at the lake, to visiting the sunsphere (or "farkly ball" to us;), & making new memories with a brand new neighborhood supper club-it is definitely one we will never forget. 




We've been lazy this week-the only request from the boys has been the mall playground.
4/5 days for the record.

We still have to plant pumpkins & keep our eyes peeled for that sneaky ice cream truck.


Three.  Polar Bear Frozen Hot Chocolates
Remember when I said I wanted to do this?  Well, we did it! 
And if the frozen HC's at Serendipity in NYC take anything like this did...
I'm adding that to my bucket list for my next trip. 
To remind you, this recipe is from Southern Living!

Four.  Baby Fever
Just kidding.  Did you read above?  Okay, lying again.  No, nothing will ever deter my love for babies.  THAT SMELL.  Totally NOT who I was before becoming a mama, but I had no idea what I was missing out on!  Baby Lyra is p r e c i o u s! 
 And seeing one of your best friends since the third grade, priceless.
Endless laughter:)


Five.  Packing for the beach
This is one of those trips we weren't so sure we were even going to get to take with the move & all the uncertainties that brings, but I'm excited to say that we are headed for the sunshine state soon!  The boys are all kinds of excited & so am I. 
 I just wish the Mr. could come, too...

Sorry if I bored you!  This was a long one.
Have a great weekend, sweet friends!

 

Finding Rest

"Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God..."

 

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.  Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

 

 2 Chronicles 16:7 & 9

Let go & let God.
Words I've heard my entire life. 
So simple, so true.
Yet so hard to do for me.


You see, I'm a "fixer."  I have to fix everything.
I want everybody to be happy, I want everything to always go perfectly.
I want everything IIIIIIIIII want & I want it now. 
So many things swirling around in my life, especially when I became a married "adult" &
E S P E C I A L L Y when I became a mama.  I always just imagined that as a Christian, I would naturally let my Father handle worry, concern, or any question I would ever face.
There's no other place in this world I would want to leave it, than in His hands...
But what do I always end up doing?  I snatch it back from him.

God finally stopped me in my tracks when this was the scripture I read the other morning during my quiet time.
Asa, was King of Judah, & was known for most of his reign to have been a righteous King. 

"And all Judah rejoiced at the oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them REST round about. 
2 Chron. 15:15 

In what I seen as an upside down people, with God's help, Asa stepped in & cleaned up a mess.  He tore down all the strange gods & images while commanding Judah to turn from their sin & to seek the Lord.
But somewhere along the line, as we all do, his flesh apparently got the best of him. 
Asa started taking matters into His own hands. 
He needed something done - but he decided to put legs on it & do it himself with out asking God to help him.  He temporarily might have thought he had fixed everything, but he had just turned things upside down.  He had witnessed God's mighty power in his life & knew that God could provide, but he walked right by God thinking he'd just do things his way.  And that's precisely what WE do, too!

Like Asa, after witnessing God's miracles & provision all my life, when I have a new burden or new need & I pray like I'm going to give it to him...a couple seconds later I'm googling how to solve the problem or looking to someone besides God (no mama can't fix everything) that can't do anything about it to give me answers or direction!

Sure, it may not be an immediate answer & most of the time things will seem "clear as mud," but I think that is the way God likes it.  Because it is then, that our faith kicks in. 

 Oh how it has became my prayer after reading this scripture, that I will quit putting legs on my prayers & trying to do God's work by myself- & instead lay it at his nail scarred feet.  I am but a speck in this universe & to think that I could do something about anything in my life, is comical! 

Lord Jesus,
May we all give you this day, all of our cares & all of our worries, never to pick them back up again, while we enter into the rest only you can give!
Amen.

I hope this uplifts you the way it did me this Monday morning☺️