Smart Start Therapy Services, PLLC

I am proud to say that I finished my certification for gestalt language development!

If you've ever been told that your child is "scripting" or is "echolalic," this is for you.

And now I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

What do you, as parents of neurodiverse kids, want to learn more about? How can the therapy world better support you?

This info will help me update my website and newsletter to support more parents like you.

Thank you thank you thank you!

https://forms.gle/ugn8toamg3wZahRP6

Did you know that deep pressure exercises like this one can really help with sensory regulation/calming? ESPECIALLY on long weekends when the kids are totally off schedule and bouncing off the walls?!

We call this "the steamroller." An adult rolls the yoga ball on the child's back with pressure - have the child tell you how much pressure works for them.

My own sensory seekers beg for this!

Join us in June for the Learn with Less Grow and Play class! For children age 2-5 with additional needs and the grown-ups who love them.

Learn strategies to help support your little one at home. Find a community around other families in the same stage of life.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-grow-play-class-tickets-898247100257?aff=oddtdtcreator

Another modeling video!

What’s important here?
- You are on the child’s level
- The child is engaged (who doesn’t love bubbles?!)
- You are modeling, modeling, modeling

Remember there’s no “wrong” way to communicate! Pointing, gestures, signs, speech, it’s all accepted. What’s most important here is the back and forth connection you’re making with your child.

Ask questions in the comments!

Communication modeling with BUBBLES!

New video! Modeling GO with a LAMP communication board. Pay attention to the power of the pause!

I know these are rough, I am in no way a pro at YouTube 😂

May 18, 2024

Not sure if you're ready to commit to a class but want to see more communication modeling? PM me your email! I'll be making more of these leading up to our Learn with Less class in June!

If you DO want to try a class, see links class registration and more information about Learn with Less in the comments!

Learn with Less HELLO song

Ok but...what's heavy work???

Simply put, heavy work is anything that puts resistance on your joints and muscles. It's helpful for our sensory seekers (our climbers, spinners, runners, etc.) because it calms the body and helps organize the brain.

Not an OT. Just love them and their work.

Coming in June...

I'm proud to be a certified Learn with Less facilitator and can't wait to start this round of classes!

Are you looking for a welcoming environment where you are part of a friendly community and you and your child can be supported?

I'll be incorporating sensory strategies, communication supports (AAC), and will consult with you regarding any accommodations needed for mobility.

Registration link in the comments.

Healthy Kids Day: Family Resource Fair is this Saturday, April 20 from 9:00am-12:00pm at the Monroe County YMCA.

Children will have a chance to have fun while their caregivers connect with local resources. Come and visit some of our MTL staff and all the vendors attending to learn about all the services and resources offered in Monroe County!

Special thanks to Birth to Five Illinois and the Monroe County YMCA - HTC Center for hosting this event!

Describing autism as a spectrum sometimes leads people to conceptualize it as though it is a single axis with “more autistic” and “less autistic” at the two polar ends of it, and each autistic person placed along this axis somewhere.

I’m going to go more in depth about autism classification later this month, but what I’m going to take a small essay to say, this comic says more concisely and much more cutely! https://the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/?fbclid=IwAR1MjkzEfMAiPjChdchqYDLDOdxDAKE-o6-5-yAivgXtrOs8rofsPMwqL9c (with handout versions in English, Spanish, French, German, Indonesian, and Greek!)

The attached image by also does a good job of showing it all in one image, though the comic strip linked above goes a little more in depth since it’s not all compressed into one image.

Basically: conceiving of the autism spectrum of one line from “less” to “more” autistic is not helpful. Rather, it may help to think of it as a circle with different categories. These categories might include things like: socializing/social differences, special interests, language differences, sensory processing style, emotional regulation, executive functioning skills, and other facets and co-occurring conditions as well. One Autistic person might have high needs in one area, but low needs in another area — or high skills in one area, but low skills in another area.

(I'm going to talk more about the Asperger's label later this month as well, or -- as with many of my posts this month -- you can read last year's if you don't want to wait.)

[Image description:
Dark blue background with white text over it that reads,

Autism Spectrum
The Autism spectrum is NOT linear.
(There is a rainbow-colored straight line segmented into different colors: Red, orange, light orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, pink. At left, it’s labeled “less autistic” and at right, it’s labeled “very autistic”.)

The Autism spectrum looks more like:
(There are two wheels, each rainbow-colored with the same colors as above, and with four notches on each wedge of the wheel. The wheel on the left is completely filled in with color. The wheel on the right shows each of the wedges as more or less filled in — for example, the orange wedge is only filled up to the first notch, but the teal and red wedges are filled entirely with color, and the rest are somewhere in-between. The colors are labeled out to the side with a key: Social differences, interests, repetitions, sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation, perception, executive functioning, and other.)
(The overall effect is to show that two different Autistic people on the “autism spectrum” could have very high skills or struggles in one area, but very low skills or struggles in a different area.)

Terms like “high functioning”, “low functioning”, and “Asperger” are harmful and outdated.
Autism Sketches
End description.]

Giving the gift of reading to your toddler is one of the best things you can do for them. You don't even need tons of print to teach your baby TONS of new ideas!

Want to see the second half of the chart?

Do you want ideas for your own little love?

Go to SmartStartTherapy.com, enter your email into the pop up, and watch your inbox for all that goodness.

P.S. You'll also get monthly emails with FREE tips on toddler speech, language, and reading development!

How To Read To Your Baby (tips for babies age 0-99)

Why are repetitive books so great for language?

Because when you read them (again and again and again) your toddler learns to FILL IN the words!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you ____?
Chicka Chicka _____ ______
Five little monkeys jumping on the _____.

Start with the words they know, then pause 2-3 seconds longer than you are comfortable. Wait for your toddler to fill in the words.

Do this more and more until they are “reading” the whole book!

How To Read To Your Baby (tips for babies age 0-99)

What about books that don't have a plot?
I'm looking at YOU, books with all pictures and no words.

This is still a GREAT way to expand your child's world! Take the power of expansion to add to whatever your child says.

Read, read, read, every day!

How To Read To Your Baby (tips for babies age 0-99)

It might seem counterintuitive, but DON'T dive in and start reading the words in the book right away!

Instead, LOOK AT each page in the book. TALK about the pictures that you see. GUESS what will happen. Take your finger and TRACK THE WORDS to show your baby/toddler the difference between words and pictures.

But most of all, keep it fun. This is important bonding time!

Photo books don't have to be expensive (check Walgreens, Snapfish, etc.) and they are a GREAT way to use the pictures on your phone to work on language development!

Want more tips on language development for babies and toddlers? Join the waitlist for Toddler and Me or Baby and Me classes using the Learn with Less curriculum!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeASJ9rY5wRotQjA_ZqKRz08SNrPgh3VPPXrm44NpVW_bqGVQ/viewform

Play and interaction with your baby or toddler don't require lots of toys or even time! What's most important is how you connect with your child every day. This can be with toys, or with everyday objects. It's up to you!

Want to learn more? Join the waitlist for Learn with Less Baby/Toddler and Me classes at smartstarttherapy.com

Some important last-minute information to take with you as you head to your holiday plans.

You don't owe anybody the right to run over your boundaries just because it's a particular time of year. You ESPECIALLY don't owe anybody the right to run over your child's boundaries just because it's a particular time of year.

[Image description: Text reading, "I don't know who needs to hear this, but, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PASS YOUR BABY AROUND, SKIP OR STRETCH FEEDS, LET FAMILY GIVE A BOTTLE, LEAVE THE ROOM TO NURSE, OR DO ANYTHING ELSE YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE HOLIDAYS." The post is by .]

One Thing Wednesday

Your baby knows your voice because it brings her comfort! Keep talking, keep singing, keep playing...it all counts.

Want more information on Baby and Me or Toddler and Me classes? Reach out here! https://www.smartstarttherapy.com/

One Thing Wednesday...the power of the pause.

Take a song or phrase that you use a lot.

Before you say the LAST word, PAUSE 2-3 seconds longer than what is comfortable for you.

“Twinkle twinkle little …”

“Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you …”

“Ready, set….”

Your toddler will learn to fill in the word!

If you're finding One Thing Wednesday toddler language tips helpful and want to learn more, I'd love to see you THIS SATURDAY at Power Haus!

Follow the link for registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-toddler-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-735032200097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Need more ideas to engage your toddler on their level? Want to see the beauty in their play instead of just toddler destruction?

Join us at Power Haus on Saturday for our Toddler and Me class!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-toddler-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-735032200097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Helping a toddler learn to talk means we need to talk... a lot!
However, not all talking is created equally.

Be sure to use all THREE of these talking types:
Talk TO them
Talk WITH them
Just GIVE them the words

Starting today, Missouri children can sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Through this program, Dolly has donated over 220 million books globally. Children can receive an age-appropriate book every month until they are 5 years old.

Sign up now: https://imaginationlibrary.com/

Website update!
Check! It! Out!

Speech Therapy & Parent Coaching | Smart Start Therapy Services | Waterloo, IL Smart Start Therapy Services offers speech therapy for kids and parent coaching classes in Waterloo, IL, Columbia, IL, South St. Louis County, and Jefferson County. Molly Paul-Munie is an experienced speech therapist who provides speech therapy in your home or at your child's school or daycare.

Transitions can be really tough on toddlers! Using music can help your toddler better understand what will happen next.

Repetition of the same song can help them to better understand routines.

If your toddler doesn't know the words, she might better connect with the melody. Making up silly songs together can be a great way to connect, PLUS you'll find yourself humming them all the time!

Look in the comments for some great ideas for silly transition songs.

One Thing Wednesday...

If you're feeling stuck....

If your kids are testing boundaries or just having a tough day...

Go outside

Change the environment

Talk about what you see, hear, feel, and smell

Activate all the senses

Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to change the day

Want to change the scenery with your little one?

Toddler and Me classes start Saturday! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-toddler-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-735032200097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Or if your little is too little, try a Baby and Me class! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-baby-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-734935400567?aff=oddtdtcreator

Had a GREAT time with these cuties at our Baby and Me Group this morning at the Morrison Talbott Library!

Want to try a class?

Register HERE for Baby and Me Classes at Power Haus: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-baby-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-734935400567?aff=oddtdtcreator

Register HERE for Toddler and Me Classes at Power Haus:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-with-less-toddler-and-me-group-at-power-haus-tickets-735032200097?aff=oddtdtcreator

One Thing Wednesday...

The kids are all roast on toast from Halloween, so let's make this fun...

Comment below with your child's favorite thing to play with (it doesn't have to be a toy!) and enter to win a FREE Toddler and Me Class!

Located at Power Haus Cheer in Columbia, IL, for toddlers age 1-3 years and the grown-ups who love them. Comment to win!

Better to...
- Find other parents to share highs and lows
- Learn about baby/toddler development
- Spend time bonding with your baby/toddler

Join us for a 4-class series at Power Haus to learn to support your baby or toddler's learning from a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP)!

Baby and Me Group (ages 0-12 months)
https://www.eventbrite.com/.../learn-with-less-baby-and...

Toddler and Me Group (ages 1-3 years)
https://www.eventbrite.com/.../learn-with-less-toddler...