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"Wait & See" or Early Intervention: Is my child a late talker?

2/15/2019

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As a parent and a speech pathologist, I've heard many thoughts regarding if a child is ahead or behind when it comes to development. This input can come from a variety of sources, each with its own weight (your pediatrician versus the "one upper" mom at playgroup). Not all input is consistent either, which can be confusing as a parent. While there are many differences and ranges in child development, there are milestones to aide families in answering the question of whether to "wait and see" or ask for help. 
The simple answer is if you are concerned or have questions about your child’s language, contact a speech pathologist. We are experts in this area and are more than happy to help answer questions and resource you.
This article by The Hanen Centre gives good information defining what the term “late talker” refers to, as well as additional risk factors to be aware of. 
At Holland, we are also able to do a language screening to determine if your child is on track or may need a full speech and language evaluation to provide further diagnostic information.  ​
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Parent WOW moment

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photo by Marci Brooks Photography
At first, I ignored it, then I excused it for his age, and later I thought it had to be because he had an overly verbal older sister that carried the conversation. Finally, I reasoned that he would grow out of it and that it would eventually all work itself out.  When that did not happen, I went to Holland Speech and Consulting.

Our son Tripp was evaluated by Holland and we learned that he had a speech disorder.  At that moment, I  did not fully understand what speech therapy entailed and was still hoping it might be a quick fix and that in 6 weeks he would be healed!  Holland’s team made sure to carefully guide us through the process that we were about to undertake to provide Tripp with speech therapy in order to work through his speech disorder. 

Now as I look back over the past 2 and half years, with the help of a Holland speech therapist, Tripp has taken considerable steps in overcoming his speech disorder.  Each new season brings about a different type of what we like to call “language explosions.”  Difficult words are pronounced, sentences are strung together and Tripp’s confidence continues to soar. 

To think that if I had not paused during my hectic life, listened and sought out Holland’s help, I would have missed out on so much that my sweet boy is now able to tell me, like what he learned in Church that day, who he played with at school and what makes him happy.

Tripp is now a regular contributor at our dinner table conversations every night and it is with extreme appreciation and gratitude that we thank Holland Speech and Consulting for the work they have done and continue to do in shaping the life of our child.

motivating materials + strategic vocabulary targets  =  simple activities to build language

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Here is an example of motivating materials and targeted vocabulary that coordinate. 
-Sample two-word phrases: car go, uh-oh crash, car crash
​-Sample three-word phrases: uh-oh car crash, car go on, car ride off

The best way to facilitate and model language for your child is during PLAY. While playing with your child's favorite toys that motivate them: 

​1. USE LANGUAGE RIGHT ABOVE YOUR THE LEVEL OF YOUR CHILD: For example, if your child uses single words on average, use a variety of two-word phrases. 
2. REPETITION IS GOOD: Children learn from routine and repetition. 
3. USE A VARIETY OF TYPES OF WORDS: This is where quality is better than quantity. Children develop verbs, specifically action verbs for example right alongside nouns. Verbs and early location terms are more productive than a bank of nouns when it comes to being an effective communicator. It is much more functional for a child to be able to request to "go up" in his highchair to eat, than to only be able to label animals or colors in a book. 
4. EXPAND ON YOUR CHILD''S LANGUAGE: This can happen for any level. If your child produces a sound while looking at an object, say the name of the object (eye gaze to single word). If they say "car" when they want you to roll the car to them, say "roll car" (single word to two-word phrase). 
5. HAVE FUN: Children learn through play and any level of back and forth communication with your child is connection--celebrate it!

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WHO is Holland?

2/11/2019

1 Comment

 
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Our team was asked 5 quick questions to let us know a little more about them: 

1. TELL us about your family. 
2. What would your SUPERPOWER be? 
3. If you could be ANYWHERE right this minute, where would you be?
4. What are you HAPPIEST doing when you aren't at work?
5. What are you most PASSIONATE about professionally?

JAMIE

-I am married to my best friend who I've known since we were 9 years old. We are the lucky parents of two tenacious kids, Jude and Sloan, who keep us laughing and on our toes. 
-If I wasn't afraid of heights, I would choose flying. Since I am, teleportation it is!
-My absolute favorite place to be is in  the mountains of Colorado in the summer. The weather is magical and scenery is majestic. You can't beat the uniform of long sleeves and shorts!
-When I'm not working or brainstorming, I can balance between being a comfy homebody reading with coffee and spending intentional time with friends. 
-I'm passionate about serving families who may be in a season that seems chaotic. My specialty is serving children with autism and social communication deficits.. To me, this means serving the family as a whole when needed. I love to bring understanding to children who may otherwise feel misunderstood. I have the joy of being able to see the anxiety level of parents reduce when both their children become more effective communicators and they become more equipped in understanding their child. 

HANNAH

​-My family means everything to me! I have the most supportive and loving husband and most precious dog in the entire world. I am also the youngest of 4 children who are my best friends and the 2 best parents a girl could ask for. 
-If I had a super power I would choose teleportation. With my family living all over the country I would love nothing more than to be able to get to them in seconds-- and avoid the cost (and time) of air travel. :) 
-I would love to be in the mountains in Colorado right this minute! We could be snow skiing, hiking, biking, or simply looking out at the mountains-- Winter or Summer there is no place I prefer to travel more!
-Outside of work, I love spending time with my husband and my dog. We spend a lot of time outdoors doing various activities, but we also love a good movie night! 
-Professionally I am most passionate about watching my clients succeed. There is no greater feeling than watching my kids progress towards their goals and watch their family work alongside them to achieve those goals. I love working with children with various needs including those with hearing loss, or speech, language, and social goals. Every day I leave work with a smile on my face and I could not be more grateful! 

BERKLEY

-My husband is a fellow Red Raider and sports enthusiast who is also brilliant with numbers!  We have a daughter who keeps us on our toes and we love watching her grow!
-Flying.  Definitely flying.
-The beach.  Actually the pool beside the beach!  I like to hear the beach without messing with the sand part!
-I love being crafty, enjoying time with my family and reading.
​-I am most passionate about helping families figure out how to navigate diagnoses and treatment.  It can be a little scary and intimidating at first but I hope families feel supported and cared for when they are with us.  When you see a child say his first words or hear a child make a sound he hasn't been able to make, it's the best feeling to know that you had a role to play in that.  It's the why!

MOLLY

-I have been married for 10 years to my husband, Andrew. We have a 4 year old son, James who will start kindergarten in the fall. James LOVES legos and Andrew LOVES doing them with him. We live in Allen and have the sweetest 3-legged dog named Zoe.
​-I would want to be able to teleport! This would save me A LOT of time which as a mother of a young child is the best gift of all!
-I would want to either be in Venice in a gondola on the Grand Canal or on a beach in Hawaii!
-I am happiest when I am with my family! We enjoy going to the park, the arboretum, the zoo, or anywhere outside!
-​The area of speech pathology I am most passionate about is stuttering. I have had multiple clients who have been bullied and felt shameful about their speech. Being able to be a part of their journey of unlocking their voices is truly a gift. I have learned so much about the importance of patience and empathy from my clients who stutter. My favorite part of working with people who stutter is when they decide to no longer allow their stuttering to hold them back!

SALLY

-I married my high school sweetheart, Bob, and I have 2 middle school boys and 1 high school girl. No pets, but maybe one day. My husband is allergic to just about everything, but I still believe in miracles :)
-If I could choose a superpower it would be to heal people.
-If I could be anywhere I would be laying on the beach, listening to the ocean. A beach vacation always brings me back home feeling refreshed and energized.
-I am happiest when I am with loved ones and friends, eating good food, that I didn't prepare.
-I am passionate about kids learning while having fun. Learning is fun and no matter how old you are we are all constantly learning so why not make it fun!? But let's be honest, some topics are definitely more interesting than others.​

ELAINE

-I married my college sweetheart 39 years ago. We have two grown children who are married and we have 4 grandchildren that keep us busy.
-If I could only have one superpower it would be teleportation.
-I'd be in the mountains anytime of the year.
-I'm happiest having people at my house for dinner....family and/or friends.
-​I like it when all my accounts are balanced. ;)
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    Author

    Jamie Cato is the founder of Holland Speech & Consulting and the mommy of two incredible kids, Sloan (5) and Jude (2), who unknowingly become the subject of many stories when it comes to the development of language, play, and emotional regulation. 

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  • Home
  • Services
    • Individual Speech Therapy
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  • About
    • Our Team
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