What is Joint Attention?
By ROUZAN DISHOIAN, MS, CF-SLP Joint attention or shared attention is a shared focus of two individuals on an object. It is achieved when two individuals shift attention between an object and each other for the purpose of sharing experiences. Joint attention is a form of early social and communicative behavior. It is the most […]
Sensory Diets
Does your child having a difficult time focusing? Are they always on the go? Climbing furniture, seeking touch, crashing into objects, placing inedible items in their mouth? Maybe they are a picky eater, or they do not like getting their hands messy. Are they excessively bothered by certain textures and do not like wearing socks? […]
Two Languages? I’m Worried it will Confuse my Child…
By Rouzan Dishoian MS, CF SLP One of the most common questions SLPs get from parents is “Does speaking two languages confuse my child?” We largely see this misconception in multilingual families that speaking more than one language is causing language delay in their child. However, there is no evidence to support this idea. Contrastingly, […]
Sound Machines
By Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP There’s been a lot of noise recently regarding whether the use of sounds machines is helpful or harmful to babies. Many families swear by them, while others have sworn off them. We will walk you through the pros and cons of these machines, and provide you with some tips on […]
Messy Play
By Erica Gliga MOT, OTR/L With the weather getting warmer, you may be getting outside more with your little ones. Whether inside or outside, messy play is an important activity for your child’s development. This blog post provides a developmental and sensory processing perspective, specifically related to touch, on why messy play is encouraged. Check […]
What is the Auditory System and Why is it Important?
The auditory system is how we process and understand the sounds within our environment. Auditory processing can be broken into 3 auditory skills: auditory awareness, auditory discrimination, and auditory identification. Auditory awareness is the ability to detect sounds. Auditory discrimination has various subsections, but in this case, it is referring to the ability to detect […]
Speech Sound Development
By Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP Do you ever have a difficult time understanding what your child is saying? Do you find them making mistakes for specific sounds? Maybe those speech errors that you thought were cute when they were younger are getting…. not so cute? Let’s check out what speech sound development looks like in […]
Strategies for Offering New Foods
By Karnie Babikian, Nutrition Educator Offering new foods consistently is critical in expanding a child’s diet to include foods from all important food groups. A diet that consists of foods from all food groups is one that is balanced– it contains all essential nutrients for children to grow and develop properly. Exposing children to different […]
Managing Screen Time
Nicole Tutaj, MA, OTR/L Managing screen time in this digital age is something many of us struggle with. What’s the right amount of screen time my child should have? What should they be watching? Is it so bad? These are just a few of the questions many occupational therapists receive from parents who are in […]
Say What You Want Them to Say!
Rouzan Dishoian MS, CF SLP Does your child repeat long phrases after you but will not use words to communicate? This is called Echolalia. By definition, echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences previously heard with the same exact intonation pattern. Echolalia has two types: immediate echolalia, when the child repeats the word […]