Building Successful Lives

Learning Disorders {Parent Resources}

There are many children and adolescents that have learning disorders. Their challenges may impact their ability with language processing, reading, writing, and math. Learning disabilities is another term that is synonymous with learning disorders. According to the National Center of Learning Disabilities “LD is more than a difference or difficulty with learning-it’s a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive, process, store, and respond to information.”

Many students with receptive (listening comprehension) and expressive (oral) language disorders are also diagnosed with a co-occuring language based learning disability in the school setting. Why? A child’s ability to listen, comprehend, and explain information directly relates to their ability to read and write. Literacy skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all interrelated skills.

In the area of reading, a child may have difficulty decoding or sounding out words, reading fluently, and/or understanding what they read. This contributes to a child reading below grade level in elementary, middle, high school, and beyond. Therefore, it is critical that children with reading disorders are identified quickly and receive intensive intervention from a reading specialist or special education teacher. Dyslexia is a term used frequently by professionals to describe students with reading disorders. However, not all children with reading difficulties have dyslexia.

In the area of math, students who struggle with reading will have difficulty understanding and solving math word problems and other reasoning tasks. A child may also have dyscalculia or difficulty learning math concepts. A child may struggle with recognizing numbers and symbols, learning and remembering math facts, or difficulty coming up with a plan to solve math word problems. The NCLD gives a more in depth description of dyscalculia here: http://ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/understanding-dyscalculia?start=1#FOUR

The National Center for Learning Disability provides a great breakdown of the differences between dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia (written expression difficulties).

Here are some warning signs for dysgraphia courtesy of NCLD:

Just having bad handwriting doesn’t mean a person has dysgraphia. This is a processing disorder that may change throughout a person’s lifetime. Writing is a developmental process. Children learn the motor skills necessary to write while they learn the thinking and expressive language skills to communicate their ideas on paper.

Dygraphia: Warning Signs by Age

Young Children

Trouble With:

Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
Trouble forming letter shapes
Inconsistent spacing between letters or words
Poor understanding of uppercase and lowercase letters
Inability to write or draw in a line or within margins
Tiring quickly while writing

School-Age Children

Trouble With:

Illegible handwriting
Mixture of cursive and print writing
Saying words out loud while writing
Concentrating so hard on writing that comprehension of what’s written is missed
Trouble thinking of words to write
Omitting or not finishing words in sentences

Teenagers and Adults

Trouble With:

Trouble organizing thoughts on paper
Trouble keeping track of thoughts already written down
Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech

Reference: http://www.ncld.org/

Although this blog is geared towards pediatric communication and learning disorders, it is important to know that some adults continue to demonstrate characteristics of learning disorders. However, they can lead successful lives once they learn strategies to overcome their difficulties.

Developmental Disorders {Parent Resources}

Developmental disorders are also commonly known as neurodevelopmental disorders because they are a group of conditions that results from impairments in the brain or central nervous system that often begin at birth and continue as a child grows. These disorders negatively impact cognition, communication, motor, social/emotional, learning, and memory skills. These include a range of conditions from speech-language impairments, intellectual impairments, cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, autism, and challenges with executive functioning (e.g. problem solving/organization).

Some of these disorders are due to genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome while others are due to toxic environmental factors such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is on the rise as this has become a very common neurodevelopmental disorder. Current research is not conclusive as to the reason for the increase in the amount of cases of this disorder. Nevertheless, in March of 2014, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia confirmed that 1 in 68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the occurrence is higher in boys (1 in 42) than girls (1 in 189). The CDC also reports that 1 in 6 children in the U.S. have a developmental disorder.

Those statistics are quite alarming! So, what is a solution? Early intervention and continued intervention from a variety of allied health professionals are necessary to optimize each child’s opportunity to learn and grow. These children and families need a committed team of caring pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nutritionists, etc. that will teach the tools the children need in life.

A child may have more than one disorder such as a communication disorder, learning disorder, and attention deficit disorder (ADD). In the school setting, the child’s special education teacher, speech-language pathologist, psychologist, and parents work together to evaluate and develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to address specific areas of need that are having a negative impact on the child’s academic and social success at school. In doing so, a child with a developmental disorder can gain access to achieve gains where they demonstrate challenges.

References:

http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/content.aspx?bookid=556&sectionid=41101757
http://www.apadivisions.org/division-16/publications/newsletters/school-psychologist/2012/04/neurodevelopmental-disorder-implications.aspx

http://aadmd.org/articles/causes-complications-and-consequences-neurodevelopmental-disorders

Developmental Milestones {Parent Resources}

Developmental milestones are the specific skills related to communication, fine motor, gross motor, cognitive (e.g. thinking), and self help (e.g. feeding/dressing) that children acquire as they grow and learn. A child’s genetics and environment will play a role in the rate and extent of a child’s development. Early intervention is critical if a parent or caregiver notices that certain skills are not present by a certain age. However, these milestones are a guideline and does not confirm that your child has a speech-language disorder if a skill is not yet developed. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association provides an excellent overview of typical speech-language development for children from birth-age 5:

What should my child be able to do?

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Birth–3 Months Startles to loud sounds Quiets or smiles when spoken to Seems to recognize your voice and quiets if crying Increases or decreases sucking behavior in response to sound	Birth–3 Months Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing) Cries differently for different needs Smiles when sees you
4–6 Months Moves eyes in direction of sounds Responds to changes in tone of your voice Notices toys that make sounds Pays attention to music	4–6 Months Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b and m Chuckles and laughs Vocalizes excitement and displeasure Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you
7 Months–1 Year Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake Turns and looks in direction of sounds Listens when spoken to Recognizes words for common items like “cup”, “shoe”, “book”, or “juice” Begins to respond to requests (e.g. “Come here” or “Want more?”)	7 Months–1 Year Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as “tata upup bibibibi” Uses speech or noncrying sounds to get and keep attention Uses gestures to communicate (waving, holding arms to be picked up) Imitates different speech sounds Has one or two words (hi, dog, dada, mama) around first birthday, although sounds may not be clear

1 year- 2 years of age

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Points to a few body parts when asked. Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”). Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes. Points to pictures in a book when named.	Says more words every month. Uses some one- or two- word questions (“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” “What’s that?”). Puts two words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”). Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

2 years-3 years of age

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on,” “big-little,” “up-down”). Follows two requests (“Get the book and put it on the table”). Listens to and enjoys hearing stories for longer periods of time	Has a word for almost everything. Uses two- or three- words to talk about and ask for things. Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds. Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time. Often asks for or directs attention to objects by naming them. Asks why? May stutter on words or sounds

3 years – 4 years of age

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Hears you when you call from another room. Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members. Understands words for some colors, like red, blue, and green Understands words for some shapes, like circle and square Understands words for family, like brother, grandmother, and aunt	Talks about activities at school or at friends’ homes. Talks about what happened during the day. Uses about 4 sentences at a time. People outside of the family usually understand child’s speech. Answers simple “who?”, “what?”, and “where?” questions. Asks when and how questions. Says rhyming words, like hat-cat Uses pronouns, like I, you, me, we, and they Uses some plural words, like toys, birds, and buses Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words. Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words.

Hearing and Understanding

Talking

Hears you when you call from another room.
Hears television or radio at the same loudness level as other family members.
Understands words for some colors, like red, blue, and green
Understands words for some shapes, like circle and square
Understands words for family, like brother, grandmother, and aunt

Talks about activities at school or at friends’ homes.
Talks about what happened during the day. Uses about 4 sentences at a time.
People outside of the family usually understand child’s speech.
Answers simple “who?”, “what?”, and “where?” questions.
Asks when and how questions.
Says rhyming words, like hat-cat
Uses pronouns, like I, you, me, we, and they
Uses some plural words, like toys, birds, and buses
Uses a lot of sentences that have 4 or more words.
Usually talks easily without repeating syllables or words.

4 years- 5 years of age

Hearing and Understanding	Talking
Understands words for order, like first, next, and last. Understands words for time, like yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Follows longer directions, like “Put your pajamas on, brush your teeth, and then pick out a book.” Follows classroom directions, like “Draw a circle on your paper around something you eat.” Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school.	Says all speech sounds in words. May make mistakes on sounds that are harder to say, like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th. Responds to “What did you say?” Talks without repeating sounds or words most of the time. Names letters and numbers. Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word, like jump, play, and get. May make some mistakes, like “Zach got 2 video games, but I got one.” Tells a short story. Keeps a conversation going. Takes in different ways depending on the listener and place. May use short sentences with younger children or talk louder outside than inside.

Hearing and Understanding

Talking

Understands words for order, like first, next, and last.
Understands words for time, like yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Follows longer directions, like “Put your pajamas on, brush your teeth, and then pick out a book.”
Follows classroom directions, like “Draw a circle on your paper around something you eat.”
Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school.

Says all speech sounds in words. May make mistakes on sounds that are harder to say, like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th.
Responds to “What did you say?”
Talks without repeating sounds or words most of the time.
Names letters and numbers.
Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word, like jump, play, and get. May make some mistakes, like “Zach got 2 video games, but I got one.”
Tells a short story.
Keeps a conversation going.
Takes in different ways depending on the listener and place. May use short sentences with younger children or talk louder outside than inside.

For more information about children’s typical speech-language development during elementary school age, check out this link:

http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/communicationdevelopment/

For more information about children’s typical motor, social-emotional, sensory, and cognitive thinking skills see information provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics :

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/default.aspx

Driven by Innovation

On Sunday, I went to one of my favorite places in Atlanta, The High Museum. In fact, I love it so much I have an annual membership that I purchased for a steal back in September! The museum’s latest major exhibition is Dream Cars that features unique and imaginative cars that were designed in the 1930s through the present by Ferrari, Buggatti, General Motors, and Porsche. These automakers designed cars that changed the industry by challenging what was possible both technologically and stylistically.

Here are a few photos from my visit.

This made me think about the field of speech-language pathology and education. What are these industries doing to challenge the notion of what is possible for students’ communication and academic successes? What are speech-language pathologists and educators doing to modify how they assess students and implement therapy sessions and instruction? In recent years, I think SLPs and educators have done and continue to do a TREMENDOUS amount of preparation to select evidence based materials, evaluate what children already know, teach, and evaluate again to see what children learned.

Common Core Standards and differentiated instruction are terms that I hear frequently while working as a school based speech-language pathologist. There are many people on both the pros and cons side of the Common Core Standards discussion and I’ll spare you the debate here. However, I like the accountability piece that the common core standards creates for school districts that use these standards to guide instruction.

In the same manner, I believe that differentiated instruction, in which a teacher modifies how they teach, what they teach, and how they assess children is an essential shift in the style from traditional teaching. I also think that it should be best practice for all educators to implement curriculum design based on Grant Wiggins’ notion of creating a solid assessment before instructing students so that you know clearly what and how you expect them to demonstrate mastery of specific learning standards.

As far as technology goes, there has been a significant increase in the amount of technology that SLPs and educators use to select lessons that drive children’s learning while implementing new techniques that assist in delivering results. The use of interactive SMART boards, IPads, Mimio Boards, and computer based therapeutic/educational program are engaging for children and contribute to learning when implemented effectively. Additionally, teachers and SLPs are able to collaborate with other professionals not only at their school, but also nationwide and globally through the use of online blogs, discussion boards, Twitter, Pinterest, and other forms of social media. Children and adolescents in today’s society are very technologically savvy and I have observed that they love creative and innovative lessons rather than the same old therapy and education styles from even 5 to 10 years ago.

What are ways that you implement creativity and innovation in your speech language therapy sessions or classroom? I’d love to hear!

Tamara Anderson, Ed.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Education Specialist
Writer

Build Successful Lives- The Gift of Hearing

Yesterday, I heard about a toddler from Dallas, Texas who recently had a cochlear implant
surgically placed. Izzy Baker was born with a severe hearing loss that led
to her challenges with communication. She currently communicates with sign
language. A friend of mine shared this
video story with me after it was shown on NBC in my hometown of Miami, FL. It was
a short segment, but it was definitely one of those feel good stories. You know the ones that just pull at your heart strings.

It was
amazing to see this precious little girl receive the gift of hearing as the
audiologist (hearing specialist) activated the sound processor behind her ear
for the first time. The little girl’s face lit up in amazement and she also smiled
and pointed to her ear as the audiologist turned on the beeps to test her
ability to hear. This sound processor looks like an external hearing aid and transmits
a signal to the cochlear implant that stimulates the
auditory nerve in the inner ear and allows Izzy to hear.

Now that she
has received this gift of hearing, she will receive follow up care from a team
of professionals to ensure that she receives the greatest benefit from her
cochlear implant. The audiologist will make sure the device is programmed and
fitted effectively, the speech-language pathologist will teach her to
communicate orally and/or with sign language, and her parents will carry out
instructions given by the team of hearing professionals.

Here’s the
video clip: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/Dallas-Toddler-Hears-for-the-First-Time-266041791.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_MIBrand

I hope this
story made you smile! Have a great day. Remember to do what you can to build
successful lives through service to others! This little girl now has access to hear and communicate in
new ways that would not have been possible without her cochlear implant,
family, and team of hearing professionals!

Tamara Anderson, Ed.S., CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Education Specialist

Writer

It Takes A Village!

When I woke up this morning, I was so excited thinking about all that I wanted to share with you all today. There were so many things that flooded my mind. Do you know what stuck out the most? I kept saying it over and over. Do you know what it is? I am sure you guessed it by now. It Takes A Village!

It really does especially when working with children, adolescents, and often adults with special needs. This is why I work primarily as a school based speech language pathologist so that I may have the pleasure of making an influence in the lives of children with communication and learning challenges. Developing effective communication skills is the foundation of a child’s learning and social interactions with his or her family, friends, teachers, and people in the community. Many children naturally learn to communicate, but children with developmental delays and neurological impairments need direct intervention services from a speech language pathologist to gain these skills.

The village is a community that builds successful lives. For a child with special needs, it includes the child, parents, speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pediatrician, psychologist, teacher, administrator, friends, family, and other community workers that interact with each other for a shared purpose of positively influencing the life of a child.

I am glad that you are taking the time to read this blog today and I challenge you to join this community. Stay connected with this blog and you will receive valuable information about assisting children with communication disorders, learning disabilities, and students without learning challenges. Even if you don’t work directly with children, you most likely will read something that will be beneficial in caring for your own children or that you can share with a family member or friend. Remember, It Takes a Village!

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about educational/therapy resources for children and take part in something BIG! It Takes a Village to positively influence the life of a child starting with the day he or she is born and continuing as he or she begins elementary school, graduates from high school, decides on a college/career path, and enters the work force.

Thanks for visiting today. See you next time. Stay connected! Just click on the social media circular buttons at the top of the blog or the links below.

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Have a wonderful day!

Tamara Anderson, Ed.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Education Specialist
Writer

Learning Styles Myth or Fact: Right Brain vs. Left Brain

While chatting with a friend recently, she asked me if I had recommendations for learning strategies to help her god daughter in school because she is a “right brain learner.” She explained that she tends to do well when she uses visual aids and wanted to know if I had any video resources that I could send them. I told her that I would be happy to share some information with them.

It is true that specific parts of the brain have specific functions such as Wernicke’s Area in the Left hemisphere controls language comprehension (receptive language) and Broca’s Area controls expressive language. However, research in fact confirms that both hemispheres work together to process and learn new information. See Jensen (2000) and Leaf (2007) for references at the bottom of this entry. The interactive processing or comprehension of information is more related to the various styles of learning or multiple intelligences that can assist a student to comprehend academic content and not just understanding if they are a left brain vs. right brain learner.

This is supported by the theory of multiple intelligences that explains that
people have different cognitive strengths and contrasting cognitive styles. This theory proposed that there are seven types of intelligences that are of equal importance and include: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

As a speech-language pathologist, I have experienced working
with students who perform best when they are allowed to practice specific
skills through oral language practice (interpersonal/intrapersonal
intelligence), using visual cues/organizers (spatial intelligence), and with hands on activities (kinesthetic intelligence). Because the students I work with have
language based learning disabilities, their linguistic intelligence (e.g. reading/writing) is often their weakest skills. Therefore, these students have to use their other
strengths or intelligences to learn new skills.Many students who identify with being “right-brain learners” may benefit from the use of pictures, integrating singing academic lyrics, playing background music, or participating in kinesthetic/hands on activities to learn a particular skill.

The bottom line is that students often learn best when they are exposed to more than one learning style to encode the information into their brain. When this is done, they effectively transfer the information into short term memory and then long term memory. Although people may have their own preferences for learning, both sides of the brain work together to effectively process and learn new information.

I will provide additional resources on this blog about
learning styles, brain-based learning, and specific resources that can help all students learn.

Tamara Anderson, Ed.S., CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

References:

Jensen, E. (2000).
Brain-based learning. The new science of teaching & training. San Diego,
CA: The Brain Store Publishing.

Leaf, C. (2009). The
switch on your brain 5 step learning process. Dallas, TX: Switch On Your Brain USA.

Categorization Bundle Activity # 5: Speech-Language and Language Arts Category Book

Here is a preview of the last activity in my English/Language Arts Comprehensive Categorization packet. This resource is perfect for use by speech-language pathologists or teachers to instruct students on English/Language Arts Common Core Standards vocabulary words. The category book is designed for use with students in grades 3-5. However, this is also a good review for 6th grade students in middle school.

I suggest laminating a copy of the book to use during whole group instruction and attaching velcro to affix words in the correct categories. The SLP or teacher should first complete a mini lesson by explaining the meanings of the category names and providing examples. Then the teacher should show students how to classify the terms into the different categories in the book. After the students understand the instructions, the SLP or teacher may distribute the individual book seen below for them to complete individually or with assistance. Depending on the students’ language processing skills, this activity may need to be addressed over more than one speech language therapy session.

This book includes 11 vocabulary categories such as parts of speech, types of literature, parts of sentences, types of sentences, synonyms, antonyms, multiple meaning words, story vocabulary, figurative language, text features, and types of writing. Students need to cut out the 14 groups of vocabulary words provided and sort them in the correct groups. Three groups will need to be sorted into a previously used category. Next the SLP or teacher should check students work for accuracy and then have them glue the words in their book.
So you may think, what is the significance of teaching this skill? Students need to learn ways to effectively organize and input academic content into their brains so they can easily retrieve the information. Direct instruction in categorization will enable students with and without language disorders as well as language based learning disabilities to improve their receptive vocabulary knowledge. Additionally, this resource may contribute to improving their short term, working memory, and long term memory skills.

You may purchase this resource from my TPT store in the comprehensive bundle by clicking here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ELA-Comprehensive-Categorization-Bundle-1111028

or individually:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Speech-Language-and-Language-Arts-Category-Book-1110677

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Tamara Anderson, E.d.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist

Categorization Bundle Activity # 4- English/Language Arts Vocabulary Memory Activity

Hey there. I hope everyone had a great weekend and remembered to spring forward due to the time change. As I think about the beginning of another work week tomorrow, I can’t help but reflect on my lovely students with speech language disorders. Many of them also have co-occurring specific learning disability in the area of language. Additionally, several of them struggle with remembering academic content either because they did not understand it when it was taught or their brain struggles to effectively encode the information.

I created a English/Language Arts Vocabulary Memory Activity that will give students practice with increasing their short term, working memory, long term memory, as well as their receptive academic vocabulary knowledge of common core standards related terms. Vocabulary and memory skills are essential for listening and reading comprehension as well as mastery of academic content. This is a great activity for use during speech-language therapy, Language Arts centers, or as a differentiated instruction activity. Speech-language pathologists or teachers may make multiple sets as needed for students to use during small group or independent practice. Here is a preview:

To play the memory game, students will take turns identifying matches of the English/Language Arts vocabulary according to the category and associated vocabulary listed. If playing in a group, the student gets an extra turn if he or she selects a matching pair. There are 21 matches and the player with the most matches is the winner of the game. I recommend dividing the word cards into 2 sets initially so that the students are striving to identify 10 or 11 matches.

This activity is available for purchase in my TPT store as part of my ELA Comprehensive Categorization Bundle or individually. Check out the links below to view items:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ELA-Comprehensive-Categorization-Bundle-1111028

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EnglishLanguage-Arts-Vocabulary-Memory-Concentration-Activity-693006

I appreciate your support. Have a great week!

Tamara Anderson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Categorization Bundle Activity # 3- English/Language Arts Vocabulary Categorization Cards

The third activity in my English/Language Arts Vocabulary Categorization bundle are task cards. There are two levels of tasks cards that cover Tier I (everyday vocabulary words) and Tier III (E/LA words). Students have to complete sentences with the correct Tier I or Tier III term. The first level targets questions for students in grades K-2 and the second level targets questions for students primarily in grades 3-5. However, I also suggest using Tier I words with upper grades students as a warm up activity prior to them learning to name vocabulary words in the Tier III English/Language Arts categories.

Over the years, I have observed first hand that students with language disorders have difficulties processing verbal/written information, organizing information, remembering content, and expressing information. When speech-language pathologists or teachers provide them direct instruction in the area of categorization, it addresses all these skills in one activity.

These categorization task cards are an ideal way to address vocabulary as well as the skills mentioned above. Here is a preview of the two levels of tasks cards provided.