Sabrina Bellows, SLP

FYI : here’s an opportunity to hear and learn from the incredible Temple Grandin

Do masks impede child development? As life during a pandemic continues, families are trying to adjust to new routines at home, work, school, childcare and community environments to maximize health and safety. A common question I hear is about whether masks on children or masks on caregivers have a negative impact on speech, language or social development. Although masks are not ideal for speech therapy or communication in general, children have highly adaptable brains and... there are many ways that children and caregivers can compensate. Here is an interesting article that discusses some of the science that has explored how children process information and respond in a masked environment as well as some tips for caregivers when wearing masks. Stay safe everyone. https://www.nytimes.com//fami/Masks-child-development.html

September 8 is International Literacy Day. This day was created with the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies in mind. Language and literacy skills are fundamental features of child development as literacy enables us to communicate with others and learn about the world. Check out SAC's resource page on Language and Literacy Skills in Children to learn more about the important role of S-LPs in helping children with language and literacy skills. https://speechandhearing.ca/language-and-literacy-skills-i/

Have you applied for your funding yet? Deadline is approaching. The Ontario Government is offering $200 per child and $250 for children with special needs. Parents can apply for this one time funding to help cover school supply costs during the pandemic. This subsidy was offered in the spring and the deadline to apply is August 31, 2020. [https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-support-families](https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-support-families)... Please refer to the above link for further information, and to apply for the funding. Please pass along to anyone you know with children 0-18.

Happy Wednesday everyone! I wanted to share a fabulous resource and learning opportunity for kids. Check out Hanging with Mrs.Hayward on Facebook live , Mon-Fri at 11am. Mrs.Hayward is an engaging teacher who captivates children, including my own, with fun literacy and numeracy activities live every morning at 11am! Please like and share . https://www.facebook.com/hangingwithmrs.hayward/videos/272587360672856/

Let’s stand together! My eyes, ears and heart are open . I am listening, I am learning and I stand with you. Racism, hate and injustice can be difficult topics to discuss with children. This Saturday, June 6, 2020, Sesame Street and CNN are partnering for a special program to help children (and adults) talk about racism. For more info, click on the link below.... https://www.cnn.com//cnn-sesame-street-standin/index.html Stay safe everyone.

To all those who celebrate...

I want to give a shout out to all the parents, educators and therapists gearing up for another week of stimulating young minds! We are in this together!

Happy Easter and Passover to all those celebrating! It is also the season of one of my favorite therapy toys...fillable Easter eggs! They are so fun to fill with surprises but there are also endless possibilities of how to use and reuse these beauties for language and literacy fun! Check out these ideas... https://www.weareteachers.com/easter-egg-activities/

Want a powerful teaching tool? Talk to your kids! Children learn through playing and talking with you. Talking to your child helps to develop knowledge and inspire a curiosity about the world all of which will actually help with learning to read and then reading to learn! ... Evidence shows that oral language skills and vocabulary development are highly related to the development of literacy skills. Oral language consist of six areas: phonology, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, discourse, and pragmatics. The more you talk and read with your child, the more you are building oral language and literacy skills. Here is an excellent strategy to build vocabulary courtesy of the Hanen Centre : Shoot for the SSTaRS. http://hanen.org/Shoot-for-the-SSTaRS When you take time to enjoy talking together in a fun-filled, relaxed environment your child can practice using new words and express ideas freely. Furthermore, talking with your child helps your child to become more socially confident, have improved emotional expression and ability to build friendships. Below are some examples of simple conversational topics, games and playtime activities that integrate conversations and language learning with fun: - talk about your likes and dislikes - create a shopping list or restaurant menu of favorite foods or maybe the most disgusting that you can imagine - look at photos and talk about past events - review a calendar and talk about upcoming events and how you feel about them - pretend to pack for a trip, talk about what you might need - before finishing a book or television program, stop and talk about what you think might happen next - talk about feelings, all of them - describe how things sound, look, feel, smell - talk about what you dreamt about last night - Sit by a window and describe what you see - Play I spy - pretend and use your imagination frequently - make up your own stories or songs - before bed, discuss the day’s thorns and roses - talk about what happened in a story and why things happen - be silly and tell jokes - pick a word of the day and have a Pee Wee Herman style dance party whenever someone uses it in a sentence - write a letter to someone together - phone a friend or do FaceTime - use walkie-talkies to discuss secret plans, codes, passwords - Talk about what makes you happy, scared or frustrated - talk about five things that you love about the other person or yourself - talk about how you are going to have fun tomorrow I hope you have found this SLP tip to be helpful. Please like and share as you please. Stay safe and have fun! Love photo created by freepik.com

As we head into March break and a few weeks of potentially extra special family time, I thought we could start a thread of favorite things to do with kids that are free or cheap to do at home or close to home. My family just came home from a lovely , long walk to several of our favorite playgrounds, whicb I like to call park hopping. Feels great to feel that sunshine and fresh air! Spring is coming! Comment below your favorite ideas to keep active, learn and have fun as a f...amily. For more ideas, here is a link to 100 ideas for free or almost free activities. Although a few of these options may be unavailable over the next couple of weeks, we can just replace them with wash your hands. That’s a family activity, right? https://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-/

Any individual who is unable to rely on verbal communication alone should have Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Children should have consistent access to their own personal individualized AAC system and a SLP can help you develop this. Check out this Resource to share from PRC! Have you seen Communication Playground Signs and wished you could have one? You can! PRC has created files you can take to your local sign shop and have your very own playground si...gn built. These signs can promote inclusion for children who use AAC in your area and an opportunity for some to get a conversation started. https://www.prentrom.com//playground-core-communication-bo

New year, new chapter! My business is growing! Sending a huge THANK YOU hug to all my family, friends, colleagues and clients who have shown me so much love and support, particularly in the last few weeks, as I transition from a part-time private practice to a full time private practice. I will be forever grateful for your support. Thank you to those that have already liked and shared my page! You are awesome! Please share