There are some great tools for isolating areas for sensory integration disorder treatment.  The Sensory Profile, which was developed by Winnie Dunn, Ph.D., is often used as part of the assessment process when sensory integration disorder is suspected.   It is designed to “profile the effect of sensory processing on functional performance in the daily life of a child.” (p. 1, Sensory Profile Manual, 1999).  Pediatric occupational therapists and speech language pathologists gain important insight from the results of this assessment.

The Sensory Profile utilizes a caregiver questionnaire, which the professional reviews with the parent.  Completing the profile is an educational experience in itself.   As a parent, caregiver, or teacher goes through each section, there is a realization that the behaviors they have observed are associated with particular neurologically-based sensory responses.  The Profile is divided into sections that look at auditory processing, visual processing, vestibular processing, touch processing, and multisensory processing to name a few.   As each section is completed, the parent or teacher rates how the child responds to a given situation.  In auditory processing, for instance,  the parent responds to statements like “Can’t work with background noise (for example, fan, refrigerator)” and “Doesn’t respond when a name is called but you know the child’s hearing is okay”.  Each section is further divided by whether a particular statement indicates a high threshold or low threshold for sensory information.

After the entire profile is scored, the results are placed into four quadrants:*

High Neurological Thresholds – It takes more sensory stimuli than is typical

Registration-The degree to which a child misses sensory input.  A child with a Definite Difference Score in this pattern misses sensory input at a higher rate than others.  This means the child is under-responsive to sensory stimuli or input or they are responding in accordance with the threshold.

Seeking-The degree to which a child obtains sensory input.  A child with a Definite Difference score in this pattern seeks sensory input at a higher rate than others.  This means that the child is over-responsive to sensory input or is responding to counteract the threshold.

Low Neurological Thresholds – It takes less sensory stimuli than is typical

Sensitivity– The degree to which a child detects sensory input.  A child with a Definite Difference score in this pattern notices sensory input at a higher rate than others or respond with oversensitivity to stimuli.   This means that their sensory system is over-responsive so even little things will cause them to stop what they are doing to pay attention to the new activity around them.

Avoiding– The degree to which a child is bothered by sensory input.  A child with a Definite Difference score in this pattern moves away from sensory input at a higher rate than others.    This means that the child is over responsive to sensory input or responds by avoiding stimuli.

*Definitions taken from the Sensory Profile Manual

Combined with other assessment results, one sees how helpful it is to have an understanding of a child’s sensory processing.  Not only for designing appropriate treatment activities but in planning the environment in such a way that the child is best able to take in new information.  When planning sensory integration disorder treatment, the Sensory Profile offers valuable insight into a format that is helpful for families and professionals.   Though occupational therapists use this information extensively when designing treatment, speech-language pathologists also benefit from the Sensory Profile when developing goals and effective learning environments for a child with sensory challenges.  For more information about sensory integration disorders, visit www.speechandot.com.

January 22, 2023

 Language stimulation is a set of activities and procedures that a parent, guardian, or educator can perform to promote a child’s language comprehension. When used properly, language stimulation can help a child learn and understand additional words, speak in longer sentences, participate in back-and-forth communication, and learn how to use language for a variety of social situations

Self-Talk

Self-talk is a language stimulation technique in which the parent, guardian, or educator describes their actions before or while performing them. Self-talk is more potent when the child being taught is involved. One example of self-talk would be, “I’m sitting next to you so I can see what you’re trying to put into your mouth.”

Parallel Talk

Parallel talk is similar to self-talk, but it focuses on the child’s actions instead of the actions of the parent, guardian, or educator. It is important to use pauses, eye contact, and body language when employing parallel talk to encourage the child to participate in the communication. One example of parallel talk would be, “It’s your snack time. You’re eating applesauce. When you finish eating your applesauce, you will eat some orange slices next.”

Child-Directed Speech

Child-directed speech is not the same concept as “baby talk.” Child-directed speech involves the parent, guardian, or educator changing the pitch, tone, and tempo of their voice to make the voice easier for the child to understand. Pronounced fluctuations in pitch, slow speaking rates, frequent pauses, and clear, emphasized pronunciations are some factors that can help a child understand an adult’s speech more clearly.

Expansions

The expansions technique prompts the parent, guardian, or educator to take a one-word or two-word phrase from a child and turn it into a complete and relevant sentence. Not only will expansions teach the child how to form complete sentences, expansions indicate that the adult is listening to the child. For example: if the child sees a dog and says, “doggy,” the adult could use expansion and say, “Yes, the dog is running through the park with its owner.”

Extensions

Extensions are similar to expansions, where the parent, guardian, or educator takes the child’s speech and lengthens it to a complete sentence. However, extensions differ in how they’re used; when a child combines two or more words, but does not yet have a complete sentence, the adult creates a complete sentence. This allows the adult to subtly correct the child and teach the child how to use the words properly. If a child were to say, “Car go,” the adult could use extensions to respond, “The car is red. The red car is going towards the stop sign. The red car stops.”

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s speech and language development, please feel free to contact us at the Speech and Occupational Therapy in North Texas to schedule a consultation.

Source Code: https://speechandot.com/language-stimulation-for-children/

January 22, 2023

 So you now have that precious baby or toddler as part of your life. Whether it was a long planned event or a surprise, one thing is typically true. You have a bond and natural love for you child that is unlike anything else you have ever experienced! You enjoy your child’s expressions of wonder, excitement and surprise and rush in to offer comfort when he or she is afraid, tired or feeling ill. You relish all the firsts, like a first smile, first pull up into a sitting position, first step, first word and first use of a spoon! Your life has changed forever with the addition of a new person into your family – with the opportunities, challenges and memories that accompany your expanding family. Your routines and interactions become different as your day now becomes full of play time, book reading, visits to zoos, and other child-focused, and relationship building activities. Your life will also include childcare, play dates, pediatric visits and other important supports for your child. If you are wise you will take time to savor many of these integral parts of family life.

So what can parents do to help their young children? Obviously we need to nurture our children and spend quality time with them.

A great document, Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infants and Toddler Programs * was developed and adopted by the Michigan State Board of Education in 2013. It offers important guidelines for fostering positive early childhood development. Among the recommendations for fostering social and emotional well-being, are the following:

• “provide a stimulating environment’,
• “handle young children in a gentle, confident and respectful way”,
• allow “unhurried time and opportunity to build trusting and caring relationships”,
• build in “one-on-one interactions”,
• provide “predictable, dependable environments”,
• and encourage and support choice-making activities and independent activities (such as dressing and self-feeding).

These parenting/caregiver strategies reinforce the importance of intentional relationship building for positive child development. Intentionality takes time so that these activities and life styles become a focus and not something that you fit in later when you have some spare time.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ECSQ_IT_approved_422341_7.pdf

One thing parents can do is become more aware of the importance of child development. We want our children to enjoy their lives in the present while at the same time we hope to prepare them for meaningful, successful lives as adults. Child development falls across many domains: cognitive, communicative, social/emotional, adaptive, physical, and spiritual. Each of these important domains contribute to how our children will “survive and thrive” in an increasingly fast-paced, complicated culture.

Another reason you need to understand normal development, to some degree, is so you can recognize when your child may seem a little challenged in an area of development. You also need to be open to comments from others, such as teachers, physicians, friends and family members who might express a concern about something they observe. That doesn’t mean that you accept outside input without question, but that it gives you something to research and check out.

Though there are many important developmental domains, this article will focus on speech and language development, offering some understanding of normal development as well as additional strategies caregivers/parents can incorporate into daily routines to foster good communication skills for infants and toddlers. Keep in mind the time and relationship building that has been previously mentioned. Not only is this important for overall development, but foundational for communication. Children are most likely to develop their best speech and language when they see the purpose of interactions – for requesting, commenting, and responding.

To Know More: https://speechandot.com/can-help-infant-toddler-speech-language-development/

December 25, 2022

 Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Toddlers

Autism is a developmental disability that happens within a person’s brain. Nobody knows for certain what causes this difference, but these differences don’t make your child look any different. Since there isn’t anything about how an autistic toddler looks that sets them apart, it’s important to understand the disability’s other signs and symptoms.

Social Skills

One of the most common areas where autistic children struggle is with their social skills. This is something that’s seen in everyday life. In a toddler it may exhibit itself as:

• Not responding to their own name
• Avoiding eye contact
• A strong preference to play by themselves
• Has flat facial expressions
• Avoids or resists physical contact
• Isn’t comforted by their parents during times of distress
• A lack of interest in the world around them
• Failure to copy words and actions
• Not clapping or waving goodbye
• Not wanting to play peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake

Communication

It’s important to understand that each person with autism has different communication skills. While some can speak fine, others can’t speak at all. It’s also quite common for children with autism to have some words by the time they’re 18-months-old then lose them. Other signs your toddler may have autism include:

• Echolalia: the continued repetition of words or phrases
• Not pointing at anything or responding when you point to something
• Having few, if any, gestures: Not waving goodbye
• Not engaging in pretend play like feeding their doll

Unusual Interests and Behaviors

People with autism are known to have unusual interests and behaviors. Your toddler may demonstrate this by:

• Lining up their toys
• Playing with their toys in the exact same way every time
• Preferring to play with a specific part of a toy like its wheel
• Getting upset by minor changes to their routine
• Flapping their hands, rocking their body, or spinning in circles

Developmental Delays

Toddlers who have autism will have delays in the development of some of their skills, but not in others. The skills that are affected varies depending on the child as each one develops differently. You may also notice that they’ll learn a harder skill before learning an easier one.

Of course, it’s important to understand that each child develops at their own pace so you shouldn’t rush into making a diagnosis. However, if you have a toddler in Plano, Texas who’s exhibiting any of these signs or symptoms, you should reach out to Speech & OT for help. We have helped many parents raise successful children with autism and look forward to helping you do the same.

Source Code: https://speechandot.com/signs-and-symptoms-of-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-toddlers/

November 22, 2022