Speech Therapy and Mental Health
May 10, 2023
It's All Connected

Speech and Articulation
- Not being understood can negatively impact overall communicative effectiveness
- For your kiddo this can be: sharing exciting news, difficult emotions, questions
- For some no be able to communicate clearly can impact feelings of self/perception of others
- In speech therapy, skills such as sounds and sequences are often practiced
- However, improving self-confidence, independence, and compensatory strategies are just as important
Language and Pragmatics
There are 3 areas of language that speech therapist focus on: Expressive, Receptive, and Pragmatic
Expressive/Reception
- In speech, therapist encourage articulating needs, wants, and gratitude
- The power to say “no” is more powerful than asking for “more” and is one of the first communicative acts often learned
- Whether that is through words, signs, or assistive technology - SLPs work hard to be sure that they give kiddos the best chance of communicating their wants/needs as effectively as possible.
Pragmatic
- This is social language! Conversation skills, inferencing/perspective shifting skills, and overall understanding of how others think/feel
- SLPs work with a lot with kiddos who may have difficulty connecting with peers/others due to pragmatic challenge
- We work on much more than conversation skills or reciprocal play. SLPs take on the roles of being friend/teacher/mentor/play-mate while building up confidence to continue trying these learned skills.
Tip* We have social groups for kiddos of varying ages with pragmatic deficits to learn/practice their skills and make new friends at PMC.
Fluency
- Fluency is more known to the general world as “stuttering
- SLPs are transitioning to a much healthier way of approaching fluency disorders in the past few years
- SLPs provide fluency strategies, seeing which ones are the most effective (and liked), and practicing those strategies in a way that they feel comfortable with
- Allowing kiddos to be self-paced in their journey decreases the negative stigma associated with fluency disorders from stutterers, professionals, and the community as a whole.

This summer, have fun in the sun and stay safe in the water! Here are a few tips for caregivers and parents to keep kids safe this summer. Quick Facts: Drowning is the number one cause of injury death in children ages 1-4. Nearly 70% of drownings among children under four occur during non-swim times. Bathtubs are the most common location of drownings inside the home, and more than half of bathtub deaths involve children less than one year old. Drowning is almost always silent, and it only takes seconds.

Getting a selective eater to try new foods is a process. Keep in mind that the goal is to provide your child with the opportunity to be exposed to new foods. Continue to introduce them to unfamiliar foods, have them see that you eat and enjoy them, all the while making sure they have safe foods that they know they can count on. Giving your child permission helps to reduce anxiety around new foods. Inviting your child to be around and try new foods is a very different experience than forcing them to try new foods.

With summer here, your kiddos are likely on a constant hunt for snacks. To help them develop healthy eating habits, try spacing meals and snacks about two hours apart. This gives their little tummies time to feel hungry, enjoy a snack, and recognize when they’re full. When kids “graze” throughout the day—eating small amounts here and there—their bodies have a harder time learning to recognize hunger and fullness cues. Grazing can also lead to more frequent choices of less nutritious, grab-and-go snacks. Let's Support Healthier Habits To support healthier habits, pre-plan snack options and post a visual snack “menu” on the fridge. This gives kids structure, helps them feel independent, and encourages better choices. And why not make snack time fun and educational? Try simple food crafts together—it’s a great way to bond with your child(ren), have fun in the kitchen, and explore possible new foods at the same time! UNDER THE SEA: Shark Snack Cups from Mommy's Fabulous Finds Festive treat made with yogurt, jello, cool whip, graham crackers and optional gummy shark Shark Week Bait from Alex Daynes A lighter treat that includes popcorn, white chocolate chips, f ood coloring/sprinkles, Sixlet Candies, gummy sharks, and pretzel goldfish Candy Sushi from Happy Family Recipes Themed snack made with Rice Krispie Treats (butter, marshmallows, vanilla, Rice Krispie Cereal) Fruit Roll-Ups, large Swedish fish, mini Swedish Fish BEACH + ANIMAL THEMES: Beach Bear Dirt Cups from Made To Be A Momma Celebrate summer with pool inspired lounging! Ingredients include: Teddy Grahams, white chocolate pudding, milk, cool whip, graham crackers, gummy life savers Curious George Snack from Mess for Less (tip, Read a Curious George book to go along with this one!) Enjoy a book and a snack with this Curious George inspired snack! Ingredients include: Nutella, s liced bananas, b lueberries, r ice cakes Animal Tracks Snacks from Loreen Leedy Great snack for the outdoorsy kid who enjoys animals! You can use a variety of ingredients including: cheese, crackers, pretzels, cream cheese, almonds and pepperoni FOR THE NATURE LOVER: Nature Snacks : Edible Crafts for Kids - Parties With A Cause A large variety of snacks for nature lover of all kinds including all sorts of flora and fauna options! POPSICLES: Fresh Fruit Popsicles from One Little Project How to Make Fruit Popsicles with Real, Fresh Fruit Strawberry Breakfast Popsicles from Fraiche Living We can imagine all sorts of variations of this recipe! Start with the following simple ingredients: yogurt, fresh strawberries, milk (or your choice) lemon juice and granola Frozen Yogurt Banana Pops from Kalejunkie Such a simple, yet festive recipe that uses ingredients commonly found in the kitchen such as bananas, yogurt and sprinkes! FOOD IMPOSTERS: Pancake Donuts from Balanced with Babies Made with just two ingredients: pancake mix and milk! You will need a fun donut shaped mold for this recipe Breakfast Banana Split - Art From My Table Ingredients include: banana, yogurt, blackberries, raspberries, granola, mini chocolate chips Fruit Cracker Pizzas from Sunshine & Hurricanes Crackers + cream cheese + fruit! Watermelon Rice Krispy Treats from My Heavenly Recipes Festive treat to be shared! Made with butter, marshmallows, R ice Krispies, food coloring and chocolate chips

Think your child is "just" clumsy? They may have Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD, an infrequently known, but very treatable condition that affects 5%-6% of school aged children! Medical specialists, such as pediatric physical therapists, pediatric occupational therapists, and neurologists can help address the underlying nervous system and muscular issues contributing to DCD.