It’s Okay!

It’s Okay!  This week the message is short, but it comes with an assignment and that’s Okay.  

The book “It’s Okay to be Different” by Todd Parr is a favorite in some homes (the author of this blog to be exact).  The message is simple and speaks to everyone, young and old.

This week, go to your local library and take out a copy of “It’s Okay to be Different” and read it out loud every day.  It’s guaranteed to make you and your loved ones smile.

Some families (again the author of this blog) adopted a specific line as a reminder that it’s OK; especially when a loved ones difference cause frustration or hurt feelings.  “It’s Okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub.” was enough to calm those hurt feelings or frustration.

Go ahead, get the book. It’s Okay!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Practice Makes Permanent!

It’s the final countdown until the big day (cue Europe’s 1986 hit song). The lists have been checked twice, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and all that’s left is the wait……the long wait until we can rip open those gifts!

And when those gifts are torn into, we wait with baited breath willing and hoping our loved ones not only enjoy the gifts, but remember to say “Thank you” or at the very least acknowledge the others in the room.  Nothing says holiday fun like demanding your child say ‘Thank you’ to Auntie dear for the lovely footie pajamas and your child erupts into a stream of whining crying excuses while he/she will never wear them and how hot those PJs make their feet.

Give yourself an early gift this year, take a few moments and share with your loved ones your expected behaviors during the holidays.  Sometimes it just needs to be laid out there for everyone to realize it IS expected and no one, big or small, is exempt.

Greetings – for the most part, this one is pretty easy, HOWEVER, given the excitement of the day, simple reminders are good.  Practice walking into a room or through the front door and saying ‘Hi’ with your loved ones. If eye contact isn’t the best, coach your loved one to look at the person’s chin or hair.   If your loved one is non-verbal, practice waving or the sign for ‘Hi’ or a simple smile may be just as effective. Hiding behind you is NOT an expected behavior. Running in the door and hiding under the table is NOT an expected behavior. Spell out these unexpected behaviors very clearly.

Hugs, handshakes and the like – for some this is nothing short of a fingernails down a chalkboard moment. Give your loved one alternatives to hugging if that’s NOT the preferred choice of interaction.  Fist bumps, high fives, and waving are all expected behaviors everyone can live with. If there are  relatives that would be offended if they didn’t get a hug, take a few seconds before the holiday and explain to them why this is difficult.  Tell THEM what to expect and WHY you need their support.

Disappointment when opening gifts – this is something not foreign to most of us.  Practice expected reactions by opening ‘gifts’ of spoons or rocks or paper towels.  Smile and say ‘Thank you’. Smile and say ‘Thank you’. Make a game plan for when a gift is opened that your loved one already owns.  Make-up a simple gesture (channel your inner baseball coach) that tells your loved one, “I know you already have that. We will exchange this one and you can get something else. Smile and say Thank you.” . Once you have the gesture established, practice.  Wrap up current belongings and practice

In all of these cases, practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent….something that is more applicable for everyone.

And please, through it all, expected or unexpected find the joy. Find something to laugh about. Find those moments that fill your heart.

Happiest of Holidays!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Gift Guides for Loved Ones with Special Needs

As I sit and watch  the movie ‘Buddy the Elf’ I can’t help but think that I really should be making a list, checking it twice and comparing prices.  Lists and lists of gift ideas are everywhere this time of year. People fall into two categories – easy to buy for and difficult to buy for. Our loved ones that experience communication difficulties may fall into the later category.

Below are links to articles and lists  that are available online that may assist in making and suggesting purchases for our loved ones.

Gift Giving Guide – TheraPlay

How to shop for Special Needs Children

500+ Gift Ideas for Child/Teen with Special Needs

2018 Holiday Gifts / Autism and Special Needs Christmas Gift Ideas

2018 Mom Approved Gift Ideas For Special Kids

The best toys for kids with special needs under $50

Holiday Gifts for Kids with Neurobehavioral Disorders

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR SENSORY PROCESSING GIFT IDEAS

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC. does not endorse any specific toy company or vendor, this is merely our attempt at saving you time in researching ideas so you can get back to the important parts of this time of year, being with loved ones.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Adventures and Memories

In the midst of sorting through your Black Friday deals and your Cyber Monday steals, you may be interested in some Winter Holiday activities in the greater Cleveland area.  This list is just the start of all the area has to offer; please share via Facebook or email if you find others that provide you and your family some fun adventures and treasured memories.

Remember most city centers (especially downtown Cleveland at Public Square – https://www.clevelandpublicsquare.com/what-s-happening ) have lovely light displays as well as many neighborhoods.  

 Share adventures and build memories!

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

Holiday Prep – Part II

In a few days we will gather with family and friends to be thankful for all we have our lives. The days leading up to Thanksgiving (or any holiday) can be exciting, yet filled with anxiety, which could result in unexpected behaviors and reactions for some of our loved ones.

We talked about making changes in the actual celebration to better support your loved ones.  We need to focus on preparing them for what they might experience – the different smells, sounds and expectations – during the Thanksgiving celebration.

Social Stories:  These tools help by creating a simple straightforward explanation of what will happen during or leading up to an event, as well as behavior expectations.  Ideally social stories should be reviewed multiple times prior to an event and directly before. Bring the social story to the event and reread it in a quiet place. This may help to decrease the stress and refocus behaviors.  Please feel free to print and use these social stories or you may find some free by searching the web.

Visual Schedule:  Enjoying a relaxed unscheduled day may sound perfect, however your loved one may need to ‘see’ his/her day to decrease anxiety and unexpected behaviors.  A visual schedule may prove to be the needed tool. Visual schedules are helpful for all family members. You can use actual photos, simple stick-figure drawings or icons to depict your daily events.  You may choose to split the day by listing the AM schedule first and then changing it to the PM schedule at a natural break. You may choose to list the entire day and have your loved one remove the icon/picture as each part of the day is completed. Please feel free to print and use these icons to create a visual schedule of your loved one’s day.

First-Then cards: First-Then cards may be a new tool in your toolbox.  These cards use the same icons or pictures as a visual schedule, however are presented two at a time.  This tools gives your loved one a focused message of the immediate expected event or behavior and what will directly follow.  You may consider following a non-preferred activity with a ‘break’ or ‘leisure choice’ to increase his/her attention to the non-preferred activity.  For example, First: eating dinner – Then: going outside to swing. Please feel free to print and used these materials to create a First-Then card for your loved one.

Remember to take a moment to step back and truly see all the beauty that surrounds you.  Cherish your time with family and friends. We at Lakeshore Speech Therapy are thankful for our Lakeshore families.  We wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving day filled with laughter and happiness.

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC

Holiday Prep – Part I

The weather reminds us the season of Holidays is at hand. Cooler days and nights, leaves and snowflakes falling.

While your are prepping your house for the Holidays, don’t forget to prep your friends and family as well. Earlier this year, we suggested ideas for making your loved one’s time celebrating the 4th of July more enjoyable. Now is the perfect time to begin preparing for you and your family to create an environment during these Holidays that supports your loved one as much as possible.

Location of celebration. While your family may have always celebrated the Holidays at Aunt Millie’s house, is it really the best place? Does Aunt Millie’s house have enough room so your loved one can comfortably participate in the festivities? Does Aunt Millie’s house have a place where your loved one might be able to ‘escape’ the whirl of activity? You may need to suggest a different venue for the Holiday celebration, a venue that better supports your loved one. If a venue change is not possible, you may need to suggest or abridge the time you spend at Aunt Millie’s to a time frame that better supports your loved one.

Time of celebrate. Is there a law stating all Holidays must be celebrated at dinner time? This year you may need to suggest a different time of day to celebrate the Holidays, a time of day when your loved one is at her/his best. Holiday brunch? Holiday lunch? Holiday snack time? You know your loved better than anyone. When she/he is at their best, YOU are able to relax and enjoy the festivities as well.

Timing of events. Is the best part of the celebration held for later in the day or evening? Can the highlight of the day be the first thing that happens? Relieving the anticipation of the highlight will decrease unexpected behaviors, which better supports your loved one.

This is not a finite list of considerations.  These are examples to get you thinking of the best plan for you and your family. These are examples to begin your prepping for the Holidays to best support your loved one so ultimately everyone can enjoy being together for the Holidays.

 

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC.

Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treat!  The three most important words in October! When a child experiences a language deficit, creating an environment where there is no pressure of saying ‘Trick or Treat’ is by far the most important part of Halloween!

While practicing saying those magical words is one way to prepare for the big night, there are other options that might be considered.  

Make the words “Trick or Treat” part of the child’s costume. If your child is:

  • a superhero: make a ‘speech bubble’ with the words “Trick or Treat” (like in the cartoons) and attached it to the child’s costume.
  • a cowgirl or cowboy: attach a sign that says “Trick or Treat” on the hat or lasso
  • a robot: make “Trick or Treat” part of the ‘read-out tape’ or monitor (on the child’s tummy) of the robot

Print the words on the palm of white gloves and not only are your child’s hands toasty but they can effectively communicate.

These examples are just the start of the imaginative ways you can design to help a child with a language deficit focus less on the stress of ‘talking on the spot’ and more on effectively communicating.  

Yours in Speech,

Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC