Kwentong SP

Free course offering of DIR 101 for parents.

Philippine time: May 22-30, Wednesday and Thursday, 8-10am

Check out this FREE DIRFloortime introductory course offering specifically and only for parents!

Register Here: https://fs30.formsite.com/ICDL/2024T2101CR-PARENTS/index

Note: This course is not for professionals. It is an 8-hour introductory course specifically and only for parents. It does not qualify as a DIR 101 for professionals and cannot be used as the prerequisite requirement for DIR 201. If you are both a parent and professionals, you must join a 12-hour DIR 101 offering as a professional!

If you are a professional and would like to take DIR 101, check out upcoming DIR 101 courses here: https://www.icdl.com/courses/101

Some centers may advertise that they target OT, speech, and SpEd goals in one session, but this should alarm you, not attract you. 🙈

There is no such thing as 3-in-1 therapy sessions because unlike coffee ☕️ , children’s neurodivergent minds are complex that it’s impossible to target all of these aspects by just one person.

Don’t let other people take advantage of the fact that there are limited professionals in your area. Remember:
1. Therapists and teachers should be graduates of 4- to 5- year courses and therapists should be PRC licensed. Ask your service providers if they have these.
2. An OT is different from a speech pathologist, which is also different from a SpEd tutor. They target different areas to improve the quality of life of your kids.
3. There is really a long wait list, so once you get a slot, make sure that you take that opportunity and make the most of it.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask your therapist questions about your child. If you have legitimate therapists, you should feel empowered to ask them questions, and feel confident that they will answer you accordingly. ♥️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Qs6kWPCapau6c97z/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Don’t forget the kids who are doing the extra work.

The kids whose days don’t end with the final bell, the kids whose breaks don’t follow a school calendar.

The kids who spend their afternoons being shuttled to speech, or PT, or OT.

The kids whose schedules include services and therapies, on top of everything else.

The kids who need extra help and support.

The kids who are struggling to overcome barriers—whether physical, mental, or emotional.

The kids who don’t follow the typical schedules, hit the expected milestones, take the traditional path.

The kids who might need different strategies and tools to help them learn.

These kids are working so hard, too.

They’re tired, too, even if their successes seem smaller or maybe even completely unnoticeable to most.

There likely won’t be any awards for them at the end of the year, or special recognition for how far they’ve come.

But take it from me—they are working SO dang hard.

Don’t forget to acknowledge their efforts.

Because what might be a small hurdle on the track for most kids, could be a Herculean task for a kid who has to try 10 times harder just to make it to the starting line.

These kids might not excel in traditional ways, but there’s nothing unexceptional about them.

Because they work harder for every win, and they don’t take a single bit of it granted.

A common question parents often ask me is, “When will my child start talking?”

It’s important for families to understand that there are a variety of skills that need to be learned, BEFORE a child is able to successfully communicate. Also keep in mind this may look different for some kids!

Adult-child interaction is key in teaching children the foundation of speech and language development.

This depicts these specific building blocks needed for a child to be able to produce words:

▪️PRE-VERBAL & EARLY INTERACTION
ATTENTION & LISTENING
▪️PLAY SKILLS & SOCIAL INTERACTION
▪️RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE
▪️EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE
▪️SPEECH SOUNDS

Now this does not necessarily mean that a child needs to follow this hierarchy in order to be able to understand language, etc.

Some of these skills may not be mastered in the exact order of this pyramid.

What part of the pyramid is your child at?
Also, please don’t feel discouraged if your child is not yet at the top of the pyramid.

Focus on the progress of what your child is able to do, rather than turning it into a competition!

📌SAVE, TAG, SHARE this visual with other parents who may find this helpful!

💕FOLLOW .slp for more speech strategies, activities, reels, and tips to help your child communicate.

These communication milestones cover hearing, speech, and language development in children.

Each child develops uniquely, even within the same family, and may meet certain milestones earlier or later than others. If your child does not meet many milestones within their age range, visit www.pasp.org.ph/directory to find a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) for an assessment.

Have you seen ASHA's recently updated Developmental Milestones: Birth – 5 Years Communication and Feeding Skills? https://on.asha.org/dev-milestones

These milestones are a key resource for parents and caregivers to help families track their child’s development from birth to 5 and alert them to possible developmental delays or disorders.

Printable PDF versions of the milestones are in development.

Speech and Language Therapists use developmental milestones to guide their practice. While children develop at varying rates, these milestones show what 0-5 year old children could usually do.

If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language, don’t hesitate to message us. We would be glad to assist. 💚🧡

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Our award winning phonics game 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 is FREE this weekend. Designed in collaboration with leading academics, this groundbreaking game and its minigames make learning to read fun - covering everything from letters and sounds to full sentences as children create their own monster and take it on an adventure through a magical world.

Download 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 this weekend, yours to keep and play 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 on all devices. Offer ends 27/11/23.

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📌SAVE this post if you need tips on how to teach vour child new words!

(Reminder: Before a child can imitate sounds and words, they need to learn to imitate actions.)

One of the most common strategies I tell families is to MODEL the word/phrase/sentence.

So what does that mean?

Rather than quizzing children (i.e., "What is it?, What color? What are you doing?") or telling them "Say_____”) it’s better to provide the words for your child by narrating their actions throughout the day.

When we "quiz" children or tell them to say a word this:

▪️Might cause some anxiety/pressure
▪️Can make it difficult for the child to learn the word when they're asked to memorize or say what you want them to say
▪️Doesn't make learning fun
▪️Can increase frustration

Example: Child is flying an airplane.
Instead of saying, "What are you doing?" or "What is that?" Try saying, "Airplane is going up!" using an animated voice.

💗SAVE, SHARE, TAG other parents in the comments below if you found this helpful!

✨FOLLOW .slp for more speech tips, activities, reels, and strategies to help your child communicate

Here are some examples of ways that classrooms can be neurodiversity affirming.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list. There are a ton of other, very important things (for another day).

The main thing I hear when I suggest accommodations and flexible expectations in the classroom is ‘but what about all the other students?’ ’we can’t just let this kid be out of their seat’, ‘it would be too distracting’, etc.

My opinion of this is: very few kids show up to kindergarten being naturally inclined to sit perfectly still or silently. I don’t believe that kids naturally need either of those things to work, learn, or focus.

I think that kids are trained to do those things to meet classroom rules and teacher expectations. When a neurodivergent kid then moves around during learning, or hums quietly during spelling- the teacher often highlights this as a problem. And the rest of the kids see that. They know what the rules are, they know that student isn’t following them like they should be. They learn to know that student as ‘naughty’ or bad at school.

I think that is a conditioned response.

Early primary teachers could just as easily explain to their young students that everyone’s brains and bodies need different things. Learning doesn’t look the same for everyone. Focusing doesn’t look the same for everyone. That student who is rocking in their chair is doing what their body needs. That student who has headphones on while writing is listening to their sensory needs- awesome. Teachers can either model acceptance and celebrate difference, or they can respond to our kids with annoyance - teaching the rest of the kids to do the same.

Kids who really need silence to work- let’s get them some headphones for when they want them. I bet the majority of the class get work quite happily in a not-silent room. Let’s get some quiet music playing in the background. Why not? Where in the real world is silent? My house literally never is.

Kids are far more flexible than adults in being able to adjust to stuff like this. Teachers have such an opportunity to make massive change.

Note: I’m not in any way suggesting that screaming, roaring noise should be accepted in the classroom. I’m saying that I don’t think silence is essential.

I have a lot more to say about this but it’s a pretty long caption already.

What other things makes a classroom neurodiversity-affirming?

Em 🌈

This week I’m talking modeling language for analytic language processors and gestalt language processors- there’s a lot of similarities with small tweaks for how it actually looks!

This is for early communication stages ❤️

💗LIKE & SAVE this post if you need tips on how to get your little one to imitate sounds/words.

Children are more likely to imitate words/sounds when we take the pressure off of them AND when we make it FUN! With that said, it’s important to use statements/comments rather than “quizzing” your child.

Imagine you’re a toddler, and you’re constantly asked questions like:
“What is it? What color is it? What does it do? What is it called? Can you tell me? Can you say it? “

That can be extremely OVERWHELMING, even for adults!

With that said, turn your questions into COMMENTS and STATEMENTS.

I’ve included 6 scenarios to show you how you can get your toddler to engage/imitate more.

Don’t feel discouraged if your child doesn’t imitate a word/sound right away. Oftentimes, children need a TON of EXPOSURE! So if you feel like you’re sounding like a broken record, repeating the same words/sounds throughout the day, then you’re doing it right. :)

Keep in mind even if a child may say a word once, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will say it again immediately after. You may still need to model it for them.

💬What are some words or sounds your toddler likes to say? Comment below!

📌SAVE, TAG, SHARE this post others who may find this helpful for their little one!

💗FOLLOW .slp for more speech strategies, activities, and tips to help your child communicate!

_

A new clinic in Las Piñas has just opened!

Message them to reserve slots for OT and ST! :)

Greetings! As of August 2023, there are already...

497 SLPs with approved applications for registration without examination

449 SLPs who took their oath

366 SLPs with Professional Identification Cards

Plus, more applications received for the past weeks and more resolutions still waiting for official publication 👏🎉

The Board would like to clarify that the September 20, 2023 deadline is for submission of application for registration w/o examination. It is NOT a deadline for oath taking and/or issuance of PICs.

Let's keep the numbers rising, SLPs!

Credits to: Philippine Association of Speech-Language Pathologists

WHAT DO I NEED TO START SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY?

1. Developmental / Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician Assessment

A developmental assessment is a comprehensive evaluation performed by a specialist to assess a child's physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. It's crucial for identifying developmental delays, disorders, or disabilities early on, allowing for timely interventions and support tailored to the child's needs. A developmental pediatrician will be the one to recommend speech-language therapy and refer to us if the child needs it.

2. Speech-Language Initial Evaluation

A speech-language initial evaluation is conducted by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to assess an individual's communication skills, including speech, language, and overall communication abilities, as well as feeding and swallowing. The evaluation aims to identify any difficulties or delays in speech production, language comprehension, expression, and communication interactions.

Early identification and intervention are crucial for individuals, especially children, as language and communication skills are fundamental for social interaction, learning, and academic success. The evaluation guides the development of personalized therapy plans and strategies to improve communication skills and enhance overall quality of life.

3. Speech-Language Therapy

Speech-language therapy is a specialized intervention provided by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to individuals who experience difficulties in communication, speech production, language comprehension, expression, and related areas including feeding and swallowing. The therapy sessions are tailored to the individual's needs and focus on improving communication skills, enhancing speech clarity, building vocabulary, understanding grammar, and developing effective communication strategies.

4. Home Program

If face-to-face or online therapy is not possible, an SLP may recommend a Home Program. A speech-language home program is a set of activities, exercises, and strategies designed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for individuals receiving speech-language therapy. These activities are meant to be practiced at home with family members.

5. Progress Report

A speech-language progress report is a document created by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to track and communicate an individual's advancements in speech and language therapy. The report summarizes the individual's goals, the activities and interventions used during therapy sessions, and the progress achieved toward those goals.

Progress reports serve as a means of communication between the SLP, the individual receiving therapy, their family or caregivers, and potentially other healthcare professionals involved in their care. These reports help everyone stay informed about the individual's progress and adjust the therapy plan as needed.

—————————————————————

ANO ANG KAILANGAN PARA MAISIMULA ANG SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY?

1. Assessment ng Developmental / Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician

Ang developmental assessment ay isang buong pagsusuri na ginagawa ng isang espesyalista para tukuyin ang physical, cognitive, emotional, at social na development ng bata. Ito'y mahalaga para maagapan ang mga developmental delays, disorders, o kapansanan nang maaga, at para sa tamang tulong na naaayon sa pangangailangan ng bata. Ang developmental pediatrician ang magrerekomenda ng speech-language therapy kung kinakailangan.

2. Speech-Language Initial Evaluation

Isinasagawa ng speech-language pathologist (SLP) ang speech-language initial evaluation para masukat ang kakayahan ng isang tao sa pakikipag-communicate, kasama na rito ang pagsasalita, pag-unawa, at kabuuang kakayahan sa pakikipag-usap, pati na rin ang pagkain at paglunok. Layunin ng pagsusuri na tukuyin ang anumang pagkukulang o pagkaantala sa pagsasalita, pag-unawa, pagsasalaysay, at mga interactions sa komunikasyon.

Mahalaga ang maagang pagkilala at intervention, lalo na sa mga bata, dahil ang mga kasanayan sa komunikasyon ay mahalaga para sa pakikisalamuha, pag-aaral, at tagumpay sa paaralan. Ang evaluation ay nagtuturo ng mga plano at estratehiya para mapabuti ang mga kasanayan sa komunikasyon at mas mapabuti ang kalidad ng buhay.

3. Speech-Language Therapy

Ang speech-language therapy ay isang espesyalisadong tulong mula sa speech-language pathologist (SLP) para sa mga taong may problema sa pagsasalita, pag-unawa sa wika, pagsasalaysay, at iba pang kaugnay na aspeto tulad ng pagkain at paglunok. Ang therapy ay ginagawa base sa pangangailangan ng tao, at nakatuon sa pagpapabuti ng mga kasanayan sa komunikasyon, pagpapalinaw ng pagsasalita, pagbuo ng vocabulary, pag-unawa sa grammar, at pagbuo ng mga epektibong estratehiya sa komunikasyon.

4. Home Program

Kung hindi maaring magkaroon ng personal na therapy, maaring irekomenda ng SLP ang Home Program. Ang home program ay isang set ng mga gawain, exercises, at strategies na gawa ng SLP para sa mga taong kailangan ng therapy. Ang mga gawain na ito ay ginagawa sa bahay sa tulong ng mga magulang at mga kasama sa bahay.

5. Ulat ng Progreso

Ang speech-language progress report ay isang dokumentong ginagawa ng SLP para ma-track at maiparating ang pag-unlad ng isang tao sa therapy. Naglalaman ito ng mga goals, mga activities at interventions na ginamit sa therapy, at ang narating na progreso.

Ito ay para sa komunikasyon ng SLP, ng taong may therapy, kanilang pamilya o taga-alaga, at iba pang propesyonal. Ito'y kinakailangan para lahat ay updated sa progress at ma-update ang therapy plan kung kinakailangan.

When an autistic child doesn’t comply with a request or directive, we should NOT assume that they are being willfully disobedient.

Swipe through the slides for reasons 𝒘𝒉𝒚 an autistic child (or any child for that matter) might not be compliant.


Credits to: Cari Erbert

Happy 10k Members!

As part of our desire to give back to the community, we will do a live Q&A session on August 22, Tuesday, at 1 pm.

Hindi po ito substitute para sa Speech Therapy screening o assessment, pero nais po namin magbigay ng LIBRENG consultation at sagutin ang ilang mga tanong na maaaring mayroon po kayo tungkol sa Speech Therapy.

More details to follow! Join our group to see more updates! 💗

https://www.facebook.com/groups/speechtherapyphilippines

A great reminder on ✨Stimming ✨
from Mrs Speechie P ➡️

“Stimming is self-stimulating actions that are repeated in order to stimulate the senses.

✅ Stimming helps neurodivergent people stay regulated and should NOT be stopped, blocked, or discouraged

✅ Stimming is commonly talked about in ND individuals because it is more frequent, different, or intense.

✅ In truth, everyone stims at times, including neurotypical people, in some way: pencil tapping, hair twirling, chewing on pens, etc.

✅ Stimming can look so many different ways that I could never make a full list of all of them, but here are some common stims.
Remember, we are NOT stopping kids from Stimming
*Edited to add: unless they are handful to the individual or others. Find a way to meet the need and minimize the harm. Seek out an Occupational Therapist for an evaluation and creative problem solving strategies.*
Even if we think it looks unusual or worry, “but what will other people think when they see this?” Instead, educate!

✅✅✅
“This is what he does to be able to focus”, “this is how they show they are excited”, “this helps her to regulate her emotions” - there’s NO shame in Stimming, but when we act like it’s bad, kids feel that -and then they feel bad for doing things that make them feel good. And we would NEVER want that for anyone!”

I will talk more about this during our online workshop next Saturday as I share Language Stimulation Techniques that you can use during play and everyday activities to develop your child’s Language and Communication skills. 💕 This workshop is perfect for expecting parents and parents of young children.

Register here: https://forms.gle/jAPhz4iw6rkQZoyA8

Today, we made history. Congratulations, RSLPs! Para sa Bayan! 🇵🇭💕