Speech Therapist Charlotte

Melinda Bumgardner, a speech therapist at Child and Family Development, recently attended a professional training course in Charlotte presented by Dynavox. 

The course titled Focus on Linguistic Competence offered tools to determine a child's communication ability level, strategies to build new skills, and materials to track and facilitate progress.

While the emphasis of the presentation was on augmentative communication devices (AAC), the information can be applied to early intervention of a variety of communication disorders.

To emphasize that point, the speaker ended with this quote: "In the midst of all of the complications that come with technology use, it can be helpful to remember that AAC technologies are simply tools that provide the child with access to language.  Most children who use AAC experience language deficits and the purpose of AAC is to provide the child with a means of overcoming these deficits.  Given these facts, the goals, objectives and intervention techniques that SLPs use with children who use AAC, should not, in many cases, be very different from the goals and techniques for children who primarily rely on speech to communicate." (Binger, 2008)

Well said- verbally or otherwise!

My Disclaimer...

This blog is going to be for a step by step guide to my child's developmental milestones  I have a girl, please note that girls typically develop speech milestones faster, whereas boys typically develop physical milestone faster.  It can be used as a guide for other families, but please keep in mind that all children develop at different rates and should you have any concerns about where your child should be, you should speak to your pediatrician or schedule an appointment with a therapist in our office. 

My daughter's 2nd month...

My baby, in month 2, is still advanced as far as I am concerned.  You see I am a pediatric speech therapist in Charlotte, NC who rarely gets to see a typically developing child, so anything she does just looks superior to me. 

In her second month of life my daughter began to lift her head and chest off the tummy time mat.  Tummy time is very important; all of my coworkers at Child and Family Development have mentioned this to me time and time again, so we do it multiple times a day.  The doctor saw her for her check up this month and he said something to the effect of, “I am not going to ask you if you do tummy time because it is very obvious that you do”.  I mean I am not trying to brag or anything, but I did tell you my daughter is advanced in my last blog.  I haven’t yet had the heart to tell the pediatrician that I am a pediatric speech therapist; I just want all of the glory of how well my daughter is doing.

She watches me as I move around the room and had been doing this for a couple of weeks, when the doctor said I should begin to notice it.  Do you think my daughter will be brilliant and have better than average visual perceptual skills?  I do, but like I have said before….I AM biased.

She is cooing, lots of aaaahhhh and oooohhh’s.  Maybe an occasional /m/.  I as a speech therapist and thrilled to see this!!    

She copies facial movements, like sticking out her tongue when she sees here daddy, because she knows he likes it and he will laugh at her.  AND she began to smile…at 5 weeks.  Oh how I love to see her do that.  I thought it was a fluke the first time, but it continues to happen.

She watches everything.  I have even had to start turning off the television.  I remember articles and research that have been done about how too much tv/video games and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are related somehow.  I don’t remember the statistics, but if we can avoid adhd at my house, we are going to, so no tv for the 2 month old!

Speaking of hyperactivity…She moves her arms, legs….oh my goodness I hope she isn’t as active as her daddy, but it is appearing she may be.  She can get on her side.  Sometimes she appears to be spasming, I am sure that it is just a normal phase and she will become more coordinated, please, please.  Man if she gets something in her hand she does not let go, no matter what it is.  Bye-bye earrings, bye-bye hair, bye-bye necklaces, etc…I will miss you.

Hmm she now weighs 10 plus lbs and is now 24 inches long.  She is in the 98 percentile for height, 95 percentile for head circumference, and 40 percentile for weight.  I suddenly have a giant.  She has grown 6 inches since birth…it doesn’t seem fair that they grow so fast. 

March 2012 is an important month for these members of the pediatric therapy team at Child and Family Development:

Michelle Pentz, M.S., CCC-SLP– 4 years  Michelle has been a speech therapist at our South Charlotte office since 2008.  She enjoys little ones, especially when she helps kids learn the power of speech.  Michelle is a new mommy to her daughter, Avery, and is loving parenthood. It’s no surprise to her co-workers that she balances it all with ease. 

Hollie Bowling, M.A., CCC-SLP– 2 years  Hollie loves the excitement and fun of her profession.  In fact, she recently spoke to a Girl Scout troop about what to be when they grow up- a speech therapist!  Hollie gets great satisfaction from building rapport with kids and parents and helping children be successful communicators.  Holly’s top clinical interests include early language development and fluency. 

Both of you are an important part of our mission- to provide comprehensive, quality and integrated services to children and families in Charlotte.

Happy C&FD Anniversary!

Just as some children can be picky eaters, others with sensory challenges may seek out different types of oral sensory input. This can lead to difficulty with social acceptance when children reach older ages or eating or mouthing dangerous objects.

Signs of oral sensory seeking behaviors can include: 
- craving certain foods
- putting objects in their mouth, like hands or pencils
- licking or chewing on non-food objects
- showing strong preferences for certain tastes or smells
- seeking out certain smells or tastes

If behaviors like these, or other sensory behaviors, are impacting your child's life, an occupational therapist may be able to help. Give us a call to find out more about occupational therapy and speech therapy services at Child and Family Development. We'd be happy to provide you with guidance and information on sensory processing and interventions.

Child and Family Development welcomes Amy Gossett, M.A., CCC-SLP to the Midtown office team on February 28.

Amy is a North Carolina licensed and ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist.  She earned her undergraduate and master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from Ohio University in Athens, OH.  Prior to joining C&FD, Amy worked with preschool and elementary aged populations in school settings as well as in natural environmental settings through home based private therapy.  She has a wide variety of experience in pediatric speech and language disorders and delays including: Apraxia, Articulation, Hearing Impairment, Language delays/disorders, and other developmental delays.

She is passionate about her work and loves improving the overall quality of life for the children she works with. 

So, we know she will fit right into the C&FD team.

Developmental Checklist for the 1^st Year of Life: 5-6 months Expected Skills

***(Refer to “Developmental Reflexes in 1^st Year of Life” blogs for reflex descriptions)

Motor Skills:

• Rolls from lying on back to tummy (purposeful)
• Brings foot to mouth
• Props forward on hands while sitting
• Voluntary release of objects Head control established
• Trunk rotation
• First self-care skills- feeding self with bottle
• Quadruped at end of 6 months (propping on all fours like about to crawl)
• Radial palmar grasp & raking reach grasp (swiping to reach)
• Pivoting while lying on tummy
• Protective Extension forward present
• Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

Visual Skills:

• Dissociation of head and eyes (eyes move independently from head)
• Can fixate eyes on object while another object is moving
• 20/20 vision by 6 months
• Able to release focus and relocate a target
• Increased eye-hand coordination
• Drawn to mirrors
• Tracking and localization in visual fields

Cognitive Skills:

• Object permanence beginning (ability to know that a toy is still there once removed from its visual field)
• Stereognosis (ability to determine objects by shape, size, weight)
• Seek stimulation on their own
• Explore by touching, shaking, and tasting objects
• Understand speech by tone of voice
• Imitate facial expressions
• Knows own name
• Recognizes face and own reflection

My Disclaimer...

This blog is going to be for a step by step guide to my child's developmental milestones  I have a girl, please note that girls typically develop speech milestones faster, whereas boys typically develop physical milestone faster.  It can be used as a guide for other families, but please keep in mind that all children develop at different rates and should you have any concerns about where your child should be, you should speak to your pediatrician or schedule an appointment with a therapist in our office. 

Her first month...

I want to make sure that as a first time mom I do not wear blinders and miss something in my child's development that might not be normal.  I mean I think my daughter is the cutest, most advanced child on the earth, but does that mean she really is?  Probably not...I know, but it doesn't prevent me from thinking it.

As a speech therapist in Charlotte, NC, I of course want to insure that my child is on target for meeting all of her developmental milestones, and I don't just mean her speech milestones.  Therefor, In her first month of life I brought my daughter to lunch with my friends and collegues to show her off, of course, but also to have them check her and to get confirmation of her gifted abilities.  :-)  I know I am going to be that mom, but I just can't help it.

A little of my reasoning on why I did this...My daughter was born breech and at birth the doctor recommended an ultrasound as a precaution to ensure that the ball and socket joint in her hip had grown appropriately.  Evidently it is common for the socket to not grow around the ball joint when a child is breech, don't know why, just know that is what they told me.  After finding this out, as a psychotic  parent to her her first child, I had Erin Harkins, DPT, one of our Physical Therapist at Child and Family Development, check her hips to see what she thought.  Erin very gently checked my daughter's hips and reflexes, (although she did eventually make her cry) and reassured me that she too thought everything looked great.  We had the ultrasound in December and low and behold nothing is wrong with her hips.

I had Marion Wilm, OTR/L, an occupational therpist at Child and Family Developemt check out her neck control.  I think she is crazy advanced in this department, as when I burp her she picks her head up, turns it and then burps.  It was really crazy to watch her at weeks old do this.  Marion also confirms she has great head control.

So in her first month of life she cried when she was hungry, this really was the only time she cried.  She slept in everyone's arms, which of course makes everyone love her even more.  She slept 3-4 hours a night.  She breast fed like it was her job.  She had very active bowels.  She lifted her own head to burp.  And she began to notice things and people in a room, or is she just staring off into space pretending I am not staring at her?  

It is amazing how little a baby at this age can do, but how much a new parent will stare at them and completely loose a whole day doing so.  I know I did and I was okay with doing it because everyone keeps telling me how fast she is going to grow up so I should be savoring every second, right.  At her 1 month appointment she has aready grown several inches, although some of this is due to her having been breech and she has stretched out her legs some.  She has put on over a pound, making her a little over 8 lbs.

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Weddington, North Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is just about 10 miles from there and easily accessible from the 485 loop.

Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs. Our core services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Psychology and Education. In addition, we offer many specialty services, like aquatic therapy, feeding groups and social skills groups.

The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest.

Bounce on down the road to see us!
 

This month, 2 more Child and Family Development pediatric therapists have completed the SOS training. 

SOS stands for Sequential Oral Sensory and is a transdisciplinary approach for assessing and treating children with feeding and weight or growth difficulties. It was developed Dr. Kay Toomey, in conjunction with experts across many disciplines including pediatricians, occupational therapists, dietitians, and speech therapists.

• Courtney Stanley, M.S., OTR/L, Occupational Therapist
• Jayne Walton, M.A., CCC-SLP, Speech Therapist

Courtney and Jayne will collaborate with the other SOS-trained therapists at both Charlotte offices to use this knowledge in the evaluation and treatment of children with feeding difficulties. 

Recently, a handful of the Child and Family Development pediatric therapy team members attended a local education course titled Mealtime Success for Kids on the autism spectrum: Holistic Nutrition for Picky Eaters. 

SOUTH CHARLOTTE OFFICE
Kati Berlin, Occupational Therapist               
Hollie Bowling, Speech Therapist
Beth White, Occupational Therapist 

MIDTOWN OFFICE
Melissa Bradley, Occupational Therapist
Abbey Sipp, Occupational Therapist

This training is useful for both Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy services since we regularly evaluate and treat children with feeding difficulties.

 

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Waxhaw, North Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is under 20 miles from there and easily accessible from the 485 loop.

Our multi-disciplinary practice has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs. Our core services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Psychology and Education. In addition, we offer specialty services, including aquatic therapy, feeding groups and social skills groups.

The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest. 

We are just a hop, skip and jump away!

According to the Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) Association, the NDT Approach is used for management and treatment of individuals with central nervous system (CNS) pathphysiology. The individual's strengths and impairments are identified and addressed in relation to functional abilities and limitations. The NDT Approach continues to evolve with the emergence of new theories, models, research, and information in the movement sciences. NDT is a hands-on, problem solving approach. Intervention involves direct handling and guidance to optimize function. The approach is guided by the client's reactions throughout every treatment session.

An NDT Trained or NDT Certified™ therapist's education in neurology, physiology, and current research is translated into daily practice. They work collaboratively with patients, families, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals to develop individualized comprehensive treatment programs based on NDT theory and philosophy.

4 members of the C&FD team are NDT Certified:

1. Gail Fennimore, Physical Therapist
2. Ann Guild, Speech-Language Pathologist
3. Amy Sturkey, Physical Therapist
4. Marion Wilm, Occupational Therapist

Many others on our team have completed some training with this approach.  

For more information about Neuro-Developmental Treatment, visit their website, www.ndta.org

Here’s what a parent had to say about Child and Family Development this week:

"Barb Hartshorn, pediatric Speech Therapist, was great! My son really enjoyed working with her. She is very knowledgeable and patient."

A Mother emailed Erin Harkins, pediatric Physical Therapist, to say: " I can't thank you enough for taking interest in my situation last Wednesday. I realize you went above and beyond to help us and I really appreciate the help. You are a busy person but you always take each and every client to heart. Your kindness and good heart is truly a blessing to my family."

A parent said of Gail Fennimore, pediatric Physical Therapist, "This is the best evaluation report ever written about my son!"

During a parent conference, a Dad said that he's seen more progress in his son over the last year and a half at Child and Family Development, than any other time and is appreciative of the communications and planning by the three therapists: Jessica Sapel,  pediatric Physical Therapist, Jessica Hoffarth, pediatric Occupational Therapist and Jayne Walton, pediatric Speech Therapist.

Thanks for parents for this wonderful feedback!

February 2012 is an important month for this member of the pediatric therapy team at Child and Family Development:

Melinda Bumgardner, Speech-Language Pathologist – 1 year  Melinda joined the team in 2011, but it seems like she’s been part of the team for much longer. While she’s practiced in the Charlotte community for about 13 years, C&FD gives her the ability to collaborate directly with other professionals and be holistic in her approach. She was accustomed to treating along with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, this has been her first opportunity to work closely with Psychology and Education practitioners. She enjoys using our blog to share information and suggestions with the public. She completed Hanen training a few months ago and is hoping to offer parents groups this year. Melinda stays busy outside of the office too and is teaching a Junior Roller Derby class starting this month.

You are an important part of our mission- to provide comprehensive, quality and integrated services to children and families.

Happy C&FD Anniversary!

I am a speech-language pathologist and recently I had orthodontic braces put on for the second time in my life. I vaguely remember my experience as a child, they were uncomfortable, made my teeth hurt and eating could be difficult at times. Getting braces as an adult has given me the opportunity to look at the experience from a whole different perspective!

At first, I was extremely aware that there was something different in my mouth! The brackets slightly change the position of my lips and make talking a little more interesting. I have noticed that I have to speak a little slower and exaggerate my mouth movements a little to get the same clarity of speech I had without braces.

What I find interesting about these observations is that I can relate them to the children I see for therapy. I have been talking for a long time and know the placements for all of the speech sounds; however, this is not the case for kids. It has reminded me how just the smallest differences in the positioning on the jaw, lips, and tongue can have a big impact on how a sound is produced. I am able to compensate easily, but children who have difficulty making certain sounds, will find this much more challenging. When I do talk faster, I am getting more "whats?" which results in me slowing down and repeating what I said again. Children with speak production issues often have to say the same things multiple times and still may not be understood.  It definitely can be frustrating!

When I decided to get braces for my teeth again, I had no idea that it would give me this little insight. Just something to remind me that speaking is not always easy, especially for children that have oral motor difficulties and/or problems with their sound production. It makes me happy that I am a speech therapist and am able to help make communication easier for children!

Welcome Michelle Ferguson, M.A., CCC-SLP

Michelle has been a Charlotte community colleague for a number of years and joins the Child and Family Development team today. She brings more than twelve years of clinical experience that spans work in public school, hopsital and clinic settings.  Her special areas of experise include autism spectrum disorders, pre-linguistic communication, early language development and cognition. Her training was completed at Appalachian State University (Master's degree) and the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (Baccalaureate degree).   

Michelle is based at the Midtown office.   


 
  
 

Looking for pediatric therapy services near Union County, South Carolina?

Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is from the 485 loop.



Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. Services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Psychology and Educational Support.  The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs.



We participate in many insurance plans. Also, some of our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy providers accept South Carolina Medicaid. 



The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest.

For a long time, therapists at Child and Family Development have helped children and adolescents with feeding difficulties or swallowing problems. Now, we are starting a new service: Feeding Groups using the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach.

This approach, developed by Kay Toomey, Ph.D., targets feeding, oral motor and sensory skills. This program teaches differences and similarities between foods, helps kids learn to appreciate a variety of tastes and textures through exploration and play.

Two tenured therapists have advanced training and expertise:

Barb Hartshorn, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech Therapist, has over 20 years of experience
Marion Wilm, OTR/L, C/NDT, Occupational Therapist, has over 25 years of experience

This play-based approach is for those picky eaters who have a limited diet, are upset by the sight of certain foods or who dislike getting their hands and face messy during meals. Before entering a group, a comprehensive evaluation is completed and individualized intervention goals are established. Then, the fun begins!

At each session, the clinicians provide the parents with specific feeding techniques for home mealtimes. These targeted skills must be reinforced daily for improvement to occur. This group will practice positive, practical and social aspects of eating. The feeding groups will occur on Fridays at the South Charlotte clinic for 12 consecutive weeks. Times will be based on participant availability. A family may pay privately or use insurance.

Ready to get started?

Call
Barb: 704-541-9080 ext. 212
Marion: 704-541-9080 ext. 206

Email
Barb: bhartshorn@childandfamilydevelopment.com
Marion:  mwilm@childandfamilydevelopment.com

Visit
www.childandfamilydevelopment.com

Schedule
Call our front office team at 704-541-9080 to schedule a free Intake appointment

Picky eating is a common concern reported by parents. Picky eating can also be a serious issue when a child's diet is highly limited due to oral sensitivity.

Some signs of oral sensitivities can include:
- gagging easily when food or utensils are in or near the mouth
- avoiding food smells or tastes that are a typical part of other children's diets
- eating foods of one or few tastes/ temperatures/ textures 
- being considered a "picky eater"

If you are concerned about your child's diet, nutrition and eating, consider a formal evaluation with an occupational therapist, a speech therapist and/or a dietitian at Child and Family Development.  Members of our pediatric therapy team have special training and expertise.