We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website!

New Website Coming Soon!

Pepi Bath is another cute Pepi Play app I use often when working on early language goals. This game comes in two versions - with a boy and a girl character. After selecting the preferred option, the child chooses among the following scenarios: doing laundry, washing face, going to the bathroom, or taking a bath. What a fu way to teach kids about hygiene! How to use the Pepi Bath App to work on RECEPTIVE and EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE Nouns Where do we start? Does your child already know some basic body parts such as “eyes”, “mouth”, “nose”, “ears”, and “hair”? Think of one…

Thinkfun’s Rush Hour is a fun game in which children navigate through a number of parked vehicles to help the ice cream exit the parking lot. Although the rules seem quite simple, finding a way out is not that easy and requires strong logic and problem-solving skills. The game comes in a range of difficulties (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert). There is also an app version of Rush Hour. While this product is geared toward younger kids, I have also used it with older students and adults with TBI when working on executive functions. How to use Rush Hour to work on…

If I were to choose the game every speech-language pathologist loves, I would go with “Cariboo”. It is a treasure hunt game in which finding all balls is awarded with seeing a treasure chest opens.Unfortunately, this game is no longer manufactured, but it can be purchased on sites like eBay and Amazon. I did my happy dance (twice!) after finding mine in a neighbourhood second store toy store. There is a newer version of this game - "Cranium Cariboo Island"- which is almost as fun as the original one. Who is it for: Preschool-aged children (ages 3-6), but I have to…

Technology’s changing our lives and has given us the means to do what was thought to be impossible - to give voice to others. In this video, Stephen Hawking, discusses his new communication system with a BBC journalist. Stephen Hawking is an AAC user. So, what is AAC? ASHA’s definition: "Augmentative and Alternative Communication is Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication (other than oral speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. We all use AAC when we make facial expressions or gestures, use symbols or pictures, or write." Smiling when talking to a friend, inserting an emoticon…

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is the brainchild of psychologist Dr. Andy Bondy and speech-language pathologist Lori Frost. The system, developed back in 1985, brings the best of both worlds, and is among the first augmentative communication systems for individuals with severe communication disorders. It’s amazing how much the field of AAC has developed since then. PECS is a highly-structured behavioural program, based on the principles of Skinner, in which very attempt for communication is rewarded by receiving a motivating item or activity. PECS is a low-tech augmentative communication system. Who is it for? The system is appropriate for non-verbal or minimally verbal…

Hearing your child struggle when trying to get the words out is a painful experience for each parent. But is it a true stuttering?  Developmental Stuttering Young kids often go through a period of "developmental stuttering" as they learn to use new words and sentence structures. These disfluencies are associated with this period of rapid language growth. Guitar states that 75% of these children recover without intervention. When does your child need to be seen by a speech-language pathologist?  There are many different opinions, but the general consensus is that a child needs help when:  1) the disfluencies have been present for the past 6 months  2) there is…

What is speech? What is language? These are questions I hear often when working with families, educators, and medical professionals so I thought it might be helpful to explain the difference. SPEECH Speech refers to the individual’s ability to communicate verbally. Speech includes articulation, fluency, and voice. Articulation and Phonology Articulation refers to the actual process of production of speech sounds. A child with a speech impediment has difficulties with the production of a certain sound (e.g., “R”, “L”, or “S”). Articulation errors are substitutions, distortions, omissions, and less commonly additions. An 8-year-old child who says: “The thun is shining in the thky” is using…

Indirect language stimulation techniques are powerful, child-centered strategies to use with your kids to help them learn language.

The Topanifarm Cubes, manufactured by the French company Djeco, are cute blocks for infants and toddlers that I use on a regular basis in my speech therapy sessions.