ChildWorks Chatter

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In This Issue
Speech vs. Language
Back to School Routine
Play Tip
Life as I know it

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August 2011

Welcome to our first Internet Newsletter!!

We are SO excited to embark on

this new adventure together!

 ChildWorks Chatter is all about what's important to you!

We will work to bring you information that will improve your skills as parents, educators and therapists.

 

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improve the life of a child.

Our vision for ChildWorks Chatter is to bring the community together to do just that.

 

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Here's to an exciting beginning!

 Neala Schuster 

 

  

What exactly is speech and language and why is it important?

Neala Schuster MS CCC-SLP

What exactly is speech and language and why is it so important? It's a question that many parents have but don't quite know the answer to. We often hear that a child is receiving speech therapy. However, when talking about communication skills, "speech" is very different from "language." So, what's the difference between speech and language? 

Click here to find out the difference between "speech" and "language." 

 

 Back to Top

Surviving the Back to School Morning Routine

Dr. Liz Matheis 

Back to school means back to school mornings - ugh! If you're like most parents, the mere thought of getting everyone ready for the day makes you want to pull the covers back over your head and throw the alarm clock out the window. Luckily, there is hope. Keep reading for some tips that you can use to avoid the chaos, disorganization, and those morning meltdowns for you and your child.

 

1. Establish a morning wake time and an evening bed time

Keep it the same each morning and night, even on weekends with some room for flexibility. Begin to get your child into that groove one week before the beginning of the school year by setting bed-time 15 minutes earlier each night (until you hit your target bed time) and wake your child up 15 minutes earlier each morning. This way, your child's body will start to become tired each night at around the same time.

 

2. Establish a before bed routine

You can create a list or a visual list (with words, if you like) with the sequence of things your child needs to get done before going to bed (e.g., put back pack by front door, put shoes by back pack, etc). You and your child can go through the sequence together, to begin, until your child is able to commit it to memory.

 

3. Do as much as you can the night before

That is, avoid the morning time rush by completing many of those 'tasks' the night before. For example, take a shower, make lunch, and select clothes to wear for the next day, including socks, hair ties, jewelry, and other accessories at night instead of in the morning. It is also helpful to set the table with the morning breakfast bowls and silverware!

 

4. Everything in its Place and a Place for Everything

Parents and children alike should have a place to put backpacks, works bags, car keys, lunch boxes, etc. This will help everyone to avoid the "I can't find my XXX" blues in the morning when time is limited.

 

5. The AM routine

For some children, having to hear mom or dad say, "brush your teeth" can trigger a meltdown or argument. Help create a personal sense of responsibility for your child that will actually boost his/her self-esteem. Instead of reminding, create a written list or a visual schedule of the morning routine. That way, you can say, "What's next on your list?" instead of "Did you put on your socks yet?"

 

Dr. Matheis is a

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified School Psychologist, Parent Advocate and Educational Consultant. Sometimes parents need a "personal touch" to get the morning routine right. Dr. Liz Matheis, a fellow Mom and parenting expert in your neighborhood, provides targeted techniques to help you and your family get on track. You can contact Dr. Metheis at: matheis.elizabeth@gmail.com

 

Back to Top

An Interesting Play Tip for Improved Language

Lauren Boden MS CCC-SLP

Most of the time, parents and therapists focus on how a child is playing with other children and how he is interacting.  The focus in this note is "how they are actually moving and maneuvering versus  interacting. The following are some things to look for:

 

1) During puzzle play, are they using one hand or two?  You want them  using both hands to complete a puzzle. One hand should hold the puzzle still and the other wiggles the piece into place.                                                      

  

2) During music time, is the child playing instruments with one hand  or two?  Such as a drum. You want them holding two drumsticks and hitting the drum with alternating hands: left, right, left, etc. 

 

3) Can the child roll a ball on the floor of any size from their left hand to their right and then back to their left?

 

Why are we looking at these things and how are they related to speech?When you play with one hand, it tells the therapist that the child is  only using half their brain.  The activities mentioned and any activity using both hands promotes what we call "interhemispheric transfer". This is the transfer of information from one hemisphere of the brain to the other. This information can be motor, processing, and language based. Three for one benefits!!! Engaging in tasks that use both hands for an extended period of time stresses the system providing optimal results!!

 

Lauren Boden MS CCC-SLP is a speech/language pathologist at ChildWorks Therapy Center.


 

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Life as I know it...

Once Upon a Parent: "Your" Story

Once Upon a Parent is a feature of our newsletter that is written by parents, for parents. Our children bring us much joy, but parenting can often be challenging at times. Parents who have children with needs face a challenge all their own. You may have a child who has difficulty producing sounds...or you may have a child with Autism. Have you just begun your journey or have you been walking this path for some time now? The goal of Once Upon a Parent is to share your story and lend support to another family on a similar journey. You may chose to share anonymously or you can include your name and even a picture or two. The choice is yours. We are a community...we support one another.

 

What's your story?

 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Please click here for more information.

 

 

ChildWorks Therapy Center is located in Morris Plains, NJ. Our goal is to work together with the community to improve the life of a child. We're always happy to speak with you and find out how we can best meet the needs of you and your family. Do you have an idea for our newsletter? Is there a service you would like for us to consider offering at ChildWorks? Whatever it is you want to share, we are here to listen.
Thank you!
Neala
Neala Schuster MS CCC-SLP

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