Category Archives: preschool

What is Lego based Therapy?

Lego based therapy is a collaborative play based therapy approach in which children with high functioning ASD work together to build LEGO models by working in pairs of 2 or more.

LEGO therapy encourages both nonverbal and verbal communication skills including: collaboration, joint attention, joint accomplishment, division of labor, sharing, turn taking, eye contact, gaze following, learning to be flexible thinkers, problem solving skills, and conflict resolution skills.

The communication and social bonding occurs as a result of the joint focus on a common goal: LEGO building!.

Ages for Lego groups: Groups can start as early as preschool age to adolescent years.

Criterion for Lego group:

  1. The child must be able to sit in a chair at the table and not attempt to escape, etc.
  1. The child should be able to respond to verbal instructions and nonverbal prompts, including pointing and gaze direction,  imitating LEGO-building basic activities as demonstrated, with or without verbal prompting.
  1. Follow simple visual instructions
  1. Have the fine and gross motor skills to combine pieces/build structures.
  1. The child should be able to receptively and expressively communicate with peers effectively, either verbally or nonverbally.
  1. Does not does aggressive/disruptive behaviors

Lego Group size:

There is a minimum of 2 children per group. Group sizes can range up to 6 children, however, we prefer a maximum of 3-4 children per group to ensure highly individualized care.

* Please Note: Children with severe ASD would not be a good fit for these groups. Lego groups seem to work best with children with PDD/Aspergers/high functioning autism that can already demonstrate the skills mentioned above.

Group Mechanics: How does it work?

Group of 2 children: One child is the “engineer” who gives verbal instructions of the pieces needed and directions for assembling them. The “builder” follow his/her directions, and collects and puts pieces together. The roles are then switched.

Groups of 3: Each child has a role. The “engineer” describes instructions, “supplier” finds the correct pieces, and the “builder” puts the pieces and then they switch roles.

SLP’s role:

The Speech Pathologist is focused on highlighting the presence of particular issues or problems as they arise. The Speech Pathologist works to facilitate ho  the children themselves can brainstorm their own solutions and resolve issues. The SLP focuses on positive behaviors rather than negative.

Interested in enrolling or learning if your child is a candidate for Lego Therapy?

Contact Us at 617-969-8255 or megan@teamchatterboxes.com

Summer Speech & Language Sessions!

 

Avoid the Summer Slump and enroll in Chatterboxes Summer Speech & Language Therapy Program!

Our Sessions are designed to encourage pragmatic & social skills, language learning, and basic concepts via visual supports, music, gestures, and other multi-sensory based activities in a peer driven environment.

Schedules are flexible: Your child may attend 1-5 sessions a week based on your preference. Each session is 45 minutes; Contact us below for more schedule details.

Each session focuses on your child’s individual goals, new vocabulary, sounds & words, and language concepts. Our play-based space presents an ideal environment for children to be exposed to opportunities to use their newly acquired and emerging speech & language skills.

All sessions are lead by top-rated ASHA Certified Speech Language Pathologists.

Ready to Learn More? Click Here

Would my Infant or Child Benefit from Feeding Therapy?

Feeding Therapy Insight

As a pediatric speech-language pathologist with special interest in feeding and swallowing disorders, I have encountered a wide range of ages of children who present with difficulties surrounding feeding and mealtimes for a variety of underlying reasons. I have also had the unique opportunity to see these children make incredible gains and progress toward enjoying mealtimes.

For most of us, eating is generally an enjoyable, fairly effortless experience that we look forward to; but unfortunately this is not the case for everyone.

Prevalence

Studies have shown that 25% of the pediatric population exhibits moderate to severe food refusal and that number increases to 80% in children with developmental delays.

Infants or Children Who are Tube-Dependent or Have a Complex Medical History that Negatively Impacts Feeding

Feeding disorders can present themselves in a variety of ways, making it important to know when your child would benefit from seeing a speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.

  • Is your child’s medical history significant for complexities that negatively impact their ability to receive nutrition orally?

  • Is your goal for them to rely less on a feeding tube or to decrease building stress when it is time to eat?

When children require significant medical attention, they can develop negative associations surrounding feedings or even any touch close to the face.

Feeding tubes can be required for a variety of reasons, but a speech-language pathologist is knowledgeable on the anatomy and physiology of the systems that work together for eating and drinking and can help you reach goals you have for your child, whether it be related to behaviors, oral motor difficulties, etc.

 

Enteral feeds can feel unnatural and frustrating for both parents and their children and unfortunately removal can feel like an intimidating and sizable goal. For this reason, feeding specialists also use strategies to make this experience positive, while gaining the child’s trust to allow touch to the face or for foods to enter the mouth without heightened fear that someone is going to hurt them.

The future is always in mind, as we work with families to establish positive feeding behaviors that will decrease stress further down the road. Since caregivers are with their children for the majority of these feedings, it is also critical that the feeding specialist work alongside families as members of the team.

With the help of a feeding specialist, issues surrounding negative mealtime behaviors and oral motor abilities will evaluated and treated.  Feeding therapy will target providing your infant positive oral stimulation and equipping families with tools and knowledge necessary to meet their goals for their infant. This process requires patience, as it takes small steps to achieve this large goal.

If you have questions or are concerned about your child’s feeding abilities, contact us at anytime. We would welcome to provide a complimentary phone consultation.

Written by:

By: Abby Ziegler M.A.,CCC-SLP
Pediatric Speech Pathologist
Feeding Specialist

Read More about Abby at: http://www.teamchatterboxes.com/about/abby

Smart But Distracted

Does your child have Learning Challenges?

Do you notice that your child:

  • Has trouble concentrating or focusing at school?
  • Is easily distracted?
  • Has difficulty following instructions and completing work?
  • Tires easily with school work?
  • Has poor impulse control?
  • Is either hyperactive or has low energy?
  • Is not keeping up with the workload at school?
  • Has difficulty learning new material?
  • Makes letter or number reversals after age 7?

If you are interested in Occupational Therapy at Chatterboxes we are enrolling for the Fall and would welcome to answer your OT related questions!

All About Preschool: Enrolling, Adjusting, and Choosing

Is your kiddo entering preschool this school year? Are you on the fence about enrolling your child? Don’t know which preschool to choose? We’ve found some great websites and articles to prep you and answer your preschool questions! 

To preschool or not preschool?

Not sure if you should enroll in preschool? Think about potty training, promoting independence, and getting your kiddos ready for school in the future! Parents.com has a great article by Anne Zachry about why preschool is a great choice for kids! She expresses that it teaches new skills and prepares them for the coming school years. We love that Zachry also talks about how preschool is beneficial for communication and developing social skills!

Growth, growth, growth!  GreatSchools.org is another awesome article that will give you some important reasons why you should enroll your kiddo in preschool! They make some great points regarding the focus of bettering skills and promoting social and emotional development. They also discuss that preschool is an excellent way to give your child more independence by giving them the opportunity to make their own choices!     

How do we adjust to preschool?

Nervous about the transition? KidsHealth.org offers a great perspective on adjusting to preschool. They understand that preschool is a big change, and can be scary or confusing for some kiddos. Get your child used to the idea of going to preschool! Ease them into it so they know what to expect, and turn the unfamiliar into familiar! Your kiddo’s teacher is a big resource that you shouldn’t overlook – they’re used to it, and will be happy to help! This article offers up some tips on how to ease the transition and make their first day count!   

ZerotoThree.org is also all about preparing for preschool, and has awesome tips and tricks to get your little one ready! We love that they suggest using books and play to get toddlers ready for the transition. Using play and other resources to get your little one familiar with the idea of preschool will be a powerful tool in making the transition into preschool fun and natural. This article even offers a super helpful timeline for you to try out!    

How do I choose the right one?

 GreatSchools.org wants to make sure you pick the right fit for you and your child! Want to know what’s important when looking for a great preschool? Look no further than this smart list that provides questions to consider and why they’re important. They talk teachers, making smart choices for your family, meeting the needs of your child, parental involvement, and more!