More Than Words | RTS Blog

With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visting your home.  Be accepting.  The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have difficulties with fine motor skills.  The child who takes a while to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning problems.  The child who does not say “trick or treat” or “thank you” may be nonverbal.  The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl of candy might have a food allergy.  The child who is not wearing a costume at all might a sensory processing disorder.  Be nice.  Be patient.  It’s everyone’s Halloween.

  Filed under: Advocacy, Awareness, Raleigh Therapy Services

According to research, babies are ready for their parents to begin signing to them around 4 months of age.  However, babies typically cannot sign back until approximately 7 to 9 months of age.  Signing to babies has proven to be an effective method for increasing language skills.

Some ideas for the first words to sign to baby are:

• All Done-This helps baby to know that something is finished.  It can also help with transitions from one activity to another.
• Help-Teaches baby to be able to request when he/she needs help rather than having a tantrum.
• Eat-Baby is able to let mom or dad that the he/she is hungry.
• Drink-Baby is able to communicate that he/she is thirsty.
• Mommy-Baby is able to identify and/or request mommy.
• Daddy-Baby is able to identify and/or request daddy.
• Play-Baby is able to request to play.

* More-A word of caution about this sign.  While it is a popular sign to teach babies, it is better for babies to learn more specific signs for specific vocabulary.  Many times, once a baby learns this sign, he/she will use it for EVERYTHING so it becomes confusing as to what is being requested.  More juice? More food? More play?

Pictures and videos of how to sign the words can easily be found on the internet as well as in baby sign books.

  Filed under: Awareness, Parent Education, RTS Team, Speech and Language Development

The month of May is dedicated to increasing awareness about communication disorders and the treatment that is available for children and adults who have difficulty hearing, speaking, and/or understanding.  At Raleigh Therapy Services, we have a large team of highly qualified speech-language pathologists who are well-equipped to screen, evaluate, and/or provide necessary treatment to improve the quality of life for those with communication disorders.  Some reasons for a referral to a speech-language pathologist may include:

*Difficulty understanding vocabulary and/or following directions.

*Difficulty being understood by others.

*Decreased expressive vocabulary.

*Stuttering.

*Difficulty producing certain sounds.

*Problems with reading.

*Swallowing/feeding problems.

*Social skills problems.

If you have questions about your child’s speech and language skills or would like a FREE screening, please call our office. 

*Please note that if a speech and language screening is conducted and results warrant further assessment, therapy cannot be started until a full evaluation has been completed.

  Filed under: Awareness, RTS Team, Uncategorized