Reading is Fundamental

Reading is paramount in your child’s development.  It serves to enhance your child’s language development, creativity and ability to think. It also builds strong social emotional ties and encourages cognitive development.   Additionally, it is a perfect venue to spend quality time with your child.  Even if your baby does not yet understand words, by reading to them, they will begin to recognize and enjoy the sound of your voice.  Reading to your child will assist in creating parent/child bonds that will build your child’s sense of self and safety.  These connections are necessary precursors to spoken language.  Children who form secure relationships early in life with their parents and caretakers are likely to be able to develop healthy social emotional connections with peers and others later in their lives.  Furthermore, as you read to your toddler and begin to identify objects in books and ask wh questions, you are building their vocabulary, their ability to form sentences and narratives as well as enabling them to respond, question and reason.  Children who grow up reading are more likely to pick up words quickly, choose books rather than television, and develop a healthy respect for books.  All of which will lead to a strong foundation for a successful life and academics.

Here are some recommendations for just a few books that you and your children will love...
On Top Of Spaghetti
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly
Caps For Sale
A Very Special House
Madeline (series)
One Fish - Two Fish - Red Fish - Blue Fish

Choosing a Qualified Speech Language Pathologist

A Speech Language Pathologist is a well trained professional who is skilled in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with communication disorders. While licensing of an Speech Language Pathologist is the responsibility of each state, the association charged with the certification process is called American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). While all Speech Language Pathologists must be licensed, they do not have to be certified. A more stringent set of professional criteria must be met to achieve an ASHA certification. ASHA maintains an online registry of SLPs with ASHA certifications. A Pathologist with credentials of CCC-SLP indicate that they achieved their Certified Clinical Competency from ASHA.

Your doctor or your child's pediatrician should be able to provide a recommendation for a competent pathologist. In fact I recommend that a physician be consulted if you are concerned about any aspect of your child's development or your own functional communication. Your child's school can also guide you through the process of seeking services through the educational system.

During your first meeting, you should expect a thorough evaluation, both a formal assessment (standardized tests) and an informal assessment (observation in several communicative context), before a conclusion can be formed. A thorough evaluation may take a bit of time to cover all functional aspects of speech and language -- and a good one will.
During the following meetings with your therapist you can expect to learn and implement strategies that will support functional communication in and outside of therapy.

Your speech therapy should be covered by insurance if medically necessary and recommended by your physician or pediatrician. Because each insurance plan is different, you should contact your carrier. Your child may also receive services through governmental programs if he or she have met certain criteria after being evaluated. Each state administers their own programs and criteria and therapeutic services differ from state to state.

Also please consider language and cultural factors when seeking a professional. There are clinicians who are certified in bilingual professional practice. If you are bilingual you cannot overlook this factor in treatment. A second language will always have an impact in language development in children and in rehabilitation for adults.