All my life I've heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child". Now that I'm expecting a child of my own, I'm really finding that to be true as I tour day care centers, interview pediatricians, consider which products are safest, and seek advice from other new mothers as well as the "grandparents." I am certainly not going to be the only influence in my child's life. If you have a child with a developmental disability, the saying rings even truer, as special educators, respite care providers, medical specialists, and a variety of therapists are thrown into the mix. If you find your head spinning as you try to educate yourself on what's best while accommodating all of your child's needs, consider visiting us. Any speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, psychologist, or educational specialist will be happy to speak with you and help you make a plan for your child. We have suggestions for community programs and provide a number of services under one roof. One recent case really reminds me of why I love being a speech therapist at a multi-disciplinary pediatric practice in Charlotte. Here's my story (all names have been changed)....
Justin Rogers is a 9-year-old boy with a complex diagnosis who has been receiving speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy weekly at Child and Family Development for several years. English is his second or third language. Over the past several months, we rehabilitation therapists became concerned as we observed him developing negative behaviors which impeded his therapy progress and posed a safety concern to Justin and those around him. We approached our clinical supervisor about the best way to handle his behavior, and I even called his school to see how they handled his behavior. The school expressed the same concerns, however they offered no solutions. Along with one of my Spanish-speaking co-workers, my clinical supervisor met with Justin's mother, Mrs. Rogers who speaks Spanish, to express our concern and offer additional support for managing his behavior. Mrs. Rogers was offered the opportunity to meet with one of our pyschologists and the translator to determine triggers for Justin's difficult behavior and make a plan for therapy and home. Mrs. Rogers was so greatful that she was approached and offered help for Justin, which included referral to a pyschologist outside of our practice who speaks her first language. During her meeting it came to light that one of the other Rogers' children has some behavioral difficulties that may be negatively impacting Justin. What's the outcome? Mrs. Rogers has an appointment with a Spanish-speaking pyschologist, Justin is performing better already with a behavioral plan in place, Justin's brother is scheduled for several sessions with one of our psychologists to receive counseling for his negative behavior, and the speech therapist (me!), occupational therapist, and physical therapist are able to do our jobs to the best of our abilities thanks to all of the support we receive. Are you confused about all the number of people involved? That's because at Child and Family Development we utilize all of our resources within our practice as well as outside contacts to ensure your child achieves his or her potential just like Justin. "It takes a village...!"
When I was an older child/pre-adolescent I remember commercials from the NBC campaign, "The More You Know...", really sparking my interest. The commercials aired as I watched my Saturday morning shows and featured celebrities promoting anti-drug, pro-reading, and other positive messages for children and families. The premise of the slogan is if you educate yourself, you make better choices. This sentiment certainly applies to my life now as a speech-language pathologist in Charlotte, NC. Though I still refer back to text books and research articles from my graduate school days, my exposure to new information and ideas did not stop with my diploma. At Child and Family Development each physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, pyschologist, and educational specialist is provided with the opportunity to attend a wide variety of continuing education courses. We attend courses in Charlotte or travel to hear specialists present the most current research and treatment information. Following courses we often have the opportunity to share what we have learned with our colleagues. I may learn about NDT from a physical therapist, sensory processing from an occupational therapist, or behavioral management from a Child and Family Development psychologist. Recently I had the opportunity to attend two courses in Charlotte with several other speech-language pathologists from Child and Family Development. In October I attended a course about cleft palate and resonance disorders, and just last week I attened a pediatric neurology seminar. By attending continuing education courses and collaborating across disciplines, the clinical staff at Child and Family Development maintains very current practices of evaluation and treatment. This helps us feel more confortable treating children with a wide range of disabilities and differences, some of which may not be specific to just one particular discipline.
Back to "The More You Know...": In conclusion here is a link about disability awareness to help you talk to your child about how to interact with children with disabilities and differences.
http://www.themoreyouknow.com/disability-awareness/
Of course, I love seeing my clients for speech therapy sessions in my office at Child and Family Development! However, a special perk of my job is the opportunity for community involvement in the Charlotte area. Yesterday five of my colleaques and I participated in the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte's (DSAC) annual Buddy Walk. On location at Freedom Park we had 2 occupational therapists, a physical therapist, a speech therapist (me!), our clinical director, and a dedicated member of our front office staff. We enjoyed sharing information about Child and Family Development, bumping in to past and present clients and their families, and making connections with other organizations in the Charlotte community that support the DSAC. It's so rewarding to watch our little clients using newly acquired language and physical skills as they interact with their families and friends outside of therapy!
On Wednesday, October 7, I have the opportunity to attend a breakfast for professionals in the Charlotte area held at Dore Academy. Dore Academy is a school for children with learning disabilities and/or attention disorders. Every Thursday morning I go to the school to provide speech therapy to several students on the school campus in Charlotte. On Wednesday, I will be attending the breakfast with several psychologists and an educational specialist from Child and Family Development. Once again I will have the occasion to interact with my colleaques as well as other community professionals as we discuss how our services can benefit students at Dore Academy and how Dore Academy might be a perfect academic fit from some of our clients.
We are so proud to be able to offer a multidisciplinary approach to treatment at Child and Family Development, and it is our pleasure to provide multidisciplinary representation when we are invited to community events.
Thank you to the DSAC and Dore Academy for teaming with Child and Family Development!
My job as a speech-language pathologist in Charlotte, NC is fulfilling on many levels. Of course when I see a child achieve something new in one of my speech therapy sessions, I am greatly rewarded and inspired to stay dedicated. However, I am equally inspired by the talents and dedication of those around me, especially the numerous parents I come into contact with each week.
One of those dedicated and inspiring parents shared the story below with me today. Not only will this story inspire parents, therapists, and teachers to keep trying new techniques and to build on even the smallest accomplishments, but I hope it also inspires the neurologists, researchers, and academics in the autism community. Children and adults and with autism who are able to explain their thoughts and feelings (like Carly in the story below) provide much hope for putting together the pieces of the autism puzzle: What causes autism? What is the best way to teach these children? Is there a possible cure?
Enjoy the wonderful story in the link below and stay inspired!
In just a few short weeks, the kiddos will be pouring back into their classrooms. Many Charlotte families have chosen to continue participation in private speech therapy services over the summer months. With the start of school, IEP services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and exceptional education will resume. School services from an IEP and private therapy services, such as those provided at Child and Family Development, do not have to exist in separate worlds. As a speech-language pathologist in a private setting, I prefer to have as much information as possible about the services my clients are receiving outside of my therapy room---be it down the hall in physical therapy, occupational therapy, or ed therapy, or down the road at the elementary school. "More is more" when it comes to using all the information available to help your child learn and grow. So if your child is receiving services through an IEP and/or in a private therapy setting, I recommend considering the following suggestions as you prepare for a successful school year:
- locate your copy of the IEP, review the goals, and think about how close your child is to meeting these goals
- share a copy of the IEP with your therapists in private practice, so they can potentially shape their treatment to support what's going on at school
- compare IEP goals to the treatment plan from Child and Family Development
- share a copy of your treatment plan from C&FD with your child's teacher as well as their school therapists
- if you would like your child's teacher and private therapist to communicate, sign a Release of Information form at C&FD
- ask your child's private therapists for goal suggestions in preparation for IEP meetings
- ask your child's teacher what you can be doing outside of the classroom to help your child, then share these suggestions with your private therapist
You still have time to get organized and get everyone on board to ensure that your child has a happy school year that's full of new accomplishments!
Summer is here, and it's my favorite time of the year!!! Is it yours?? Some parents dread the behavior problems that can ensue from the lack of structure, boredom, and too much extra free time of these long, hot weeks. However, summer activities, especially vacations, provide an enriching and natural environment for your child to learn and grow. With just a little extra prodding you may really see an increase in your child's vocabulary or overall language skills in just a short time. I recommend planning with your child's speech therapist, occupational therapist, or physical therapist to get treatment strategies to take on vacation.
Here are a few speech therapy ideas:
- Write down new vocabulary words related to the vacation. Repeat and practice them with your child: wave, splash, sand castle, tide, hot, wet, etc, etc....
- Make a list of questions before the vacation that the child has to answer while away. This can provide a framework for telling friends and grandparents about the vacation when you return. Where did we go? Where did we stay? How long were we there? Who went with us? How is it different from home? What are 3 things we did?
- For older children, keep a daily journal of their vacation.
- During "quiet time" (what is that?!) have your child draw pictures of what they've been doing. Also, children love it when you draw pictures for them.
- Think of as many words as possible that describe the sand castle you built or pool at your hotel.
- When you get home, have your child formulate sentences about the photographs from your vacation.
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