A speech therapist might only see a child for an hour every week. And while a lot can be accomplished in an hour-long speech therapy session, you, as a parent, have many opportunities to positively influence your child’s speech and language progression during the rest of the week. Here are three specific things you can do to help your child become a better communicator.

Ask Questions

Often, as parents, we try to anticipate what our child wants and give it to them. While it’s good to be in tune with your child, you should also give them the opportunity to express what they want or need by asking them specific questions.

For most young children, especially ones with speech and language issues, answering open-ended questions can be difficult. It is better to provide them with choices. If you sense they are hungry and want a snack, instead of asking, “What do you want to eat?” ask, “Would you like a banana or an apple?” That way, they can mimic your words to express what they want rather than having to come up with the vocabulary on their own.

Read to Them

Reading with your child is another great way to teach them new vocabulary and also to bond with your child. Put him or her on your lap and have fun with it! You don’t just have to read straight through a book—ask your child questions as you go along. Model new vocabulary and point out the corresponding picture (“Do you see the boy’s blue shirt?”).

If your child is a preschooler, talk to him or her about what the characters in the story might be feeling. Again, don’t ask open-ended questions that are hard for young children to answer. Give them choices. (“Do you think the boy was happy or sad when he fell down?”)

Get Down on Their Level

When you speak or interact with your children, get down on their level whenever possible. Physically bring your body down, so you are eye level with them. Get down on the floor to play with them. This shows that you are interested and engaged. When children sense that you are engaged, they will be more likely to willingly engage in conversation with you, at whatever level they are able.

Keep playtime fun, but also use it as an opportunity to introduce new vocabulary when you can.

Contact Lil’ Chit-Chat for Speech Therapy in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, or Redondo Beach

If you think your child could use some extra help in the area of speech and communication, give us a call or contact us through our website to set up an evaluation with one of our licensed South Bay speech therapists. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why Do Schools Need Speech Therapists?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require that public schools offer services, at no cost, to students who have been determined to have a speech or language impairment (or any other eligible disability). If a child is eligible for speech therapy services at school, and has speech therapy as a part of their Individualized Education Plan (IEP), their school is legally required to provide this service.

Why Would Schools Use Online Speech Therapy, Rather Than Have a Therapist on Staff?

While most school districts staff licensed Speech Language Pathologists to provide therapy in their local schools, some are out of compliance with the law because they don’t have a qualified speech therapist on hand for children in need of therapy. This may be because they have had difficulty filling the position because of the school’s location (which is sometimes the case in rural or inner city areas), or simply because the position was suddenly vacated, and the school has not yet been able find a qualified replacement.

To ensure that a school district remains in compliance, Lil’ Chit-Chat is now offering online speech therapy with our licensed Speech Language Pathologists. The beauty of online therapy, is that we can work with any school, regardless of where they are located or where our speech therapist is located, as long as the therapist is licensed to work in the state in which the school is located, as well as the state in which he or she is located.

Even schools that are currently in compliance with the law can benefit from contracting with Lil’ Chit-Chat for online therapy because it allows them to provide another option to parents of children with speech and language delays—one that doesn’t involve their children missing class to attend therapy. Contracting with Lil’ Chit-Chat for online speech therapy can also benefit smaller districts that only have a few children in need of speech therapy services, since then they wouldn’t need to staff a full-time therapist.

In addition, online therapy is a great option for students not attending their local public school, such as those attending an online school, or those in charter schools or private schools who would have to leave their campuses during the day to attend therapy sessions somewhere else. For these types of students, teletherapy can be an extremely convenient option. Therapy sessions can be tailored to the students’ schedules and allow them to not miss out on large amounts of class time.

Find Out More About Online Speech Therapy for School Children

If you’re a parent who thinks online speech therapy would be a good fit for your child (maybe you find your student is falling behind because he or she is missing class, or perhaps group speech therapy doesn’t suit your child’s personality), don’t hesitate to contact your local school district and request that they contract with Lil’ Chit-Chat to provide online therapy for your child. If you’re a school or school district that could benefit from working with a quality online speech therapist, contact us at Lil’ Chit-Chat. We’d love to talk with you about the various options available and how we can help your school or school district be in compliance, while still providing quality, individualized speech therapy services.

Recently, we received a glowing testimonial from the parent of one of those clients. This client, who we’ll call “Jackson”, started speech therapy with Lil’ Chit-Chat therapist  Sabrina when he was two years old. Because of his age, Sabrina provided speech and language therapy through play-based methods and traditional articulation therapy. She also used the Hanen technique, which empowers parents to implement the things that were targeted during therapy into a child’s daily routine.

When he started therapy, Jackson had a very limited vocabulary. He used some phrases, but they were not very intelligible. After completing six months of speech therapy with Lil’ Chit-Chat, Jackson had made tremendous progress. He was speaking clearly and with a rich vocabulary in four to five-word sentences, and quickly learning more and more new words.

Here’s what Jackson’s mother had to say about their experience with Lil’ Chit-Chat:

“Our son made tremendous strides while working with Sabrina [at Lil’ Chit-Chat] last year. They worked together for six months while he was two years old, and in that time we saw huge development in our son’s speech. He couldn’t wait for her to arrive at our home each week and to discover which fun games and toys they’d be playing with together. Sabrina’s amazing bag of tricks, her warm and fun rapport, and her very clear and consistent routines helped to create a calm and positive learning environment. We quickly began to see progress in our son’s articulation and expressive language.”

“Sabrina is wonderful and professional, and not only worked with our son, but took the time each session to discuss parenting tips and tools for us to continue to work on reaching our speech goals throughout the week. The clarity of our son’s speech and his confidence to communicate and express himself grew tremendously. We feel so fortunate to have had Sabrina as our speech therapist and hope to stay connected! We would highly recommend her!!”

Part of what makes Jackson’s story such a successful one is that his mother was fully dedicated to the speech therapy process. She never missed a therapy session, and she worked diligently with Jackson in between sessions to reinforce what he was learning. She also made sure to get speech therapy for Jackson as soon as she noticed a delay in his speech. So many parents choose to wait, hoping that things will get better on their own, and some are even encouraged by their pediatricians to wait to begin speech therapy. At Lil’ Chit-Chat, we are huge proponents of early intervention when it comes to speech and language therapy. If you think your child may need some extra help with their speech and language, contact us for a consultation with one of our licensed Speech Language Pathologists.

Featured Interview in VoyageLA,

Recently, Lil’ Chit-Chat owner Sabrina Conway was contacted by VoyageLA, an online publication dedicated to sharing the stories of the people and businesses that make Los Angeles unique. They wanted to interview Sabrina to find out more about her as a small business owner, and also to learn more about Lil’ Chit-Chat and how it’s making an impact in the South Bay.

The interview, which you can read here, allowed Sabrina to talk about her approach to speech therapy and how she has turned her experience and passion into a thriving business. She also talked about how Lil’ Chit-Chat caters to the specific needs of its clients, and also offers some unique programs, like online speech therapy and a Parent Enrichment Program.

We want to thank VoyageLA for taking the time to get to know Sabrina and Lil’ Chit-Chat, and for shining a light on small businesses that are doing great work throughout the Los Angeles area.

Lil’ Chit-Chat Given Menifee Award for Small Business Excellence

Lil’ Chit-Chat was also recently recognized for the work we are doing in the Menifee area with our speech therapy clients. The Menifee Small Business Excellence Award Program chose Lil’ Chit-Chat to receive the 2017 award for speech therapists in Menifee!

According to the official press release issued by the Award Program, “Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. These are small businesses that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Menifee area a vibrant and vital place to live.”

We work hard at making sure our business is an asset to the communities in which we are located, and we are grateful to the Menifee Small Business Excellence Award Program for recognizing Lil’ Chit-Chat as a business that is making the city of Menifee a better place to live and work!

Speech Therapy for Children in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Menifee

If you are looking for a pediatric speech therapist in the South Bay, or in south Riverside County, we would love to talk with you. Our speech therapists have experience working with children with all types of speech and language challenges and can develop a personalized plan for your child that addresses his or her specific needs. Contact us today to have your questions answered or to set up an appointment for an evaluation.

Often times, our speech therapy clinic receives new clients shortly after the new school year begins. Frequently, a child’s new teacher will notice that a student isn’t where he or she should be with regard to speech and language development, and suggest to parents that they should consider speech therapy for their child. Teachers are a great resource for identifying potential speech and language issues. Unlike pediatricians, teachers see children for extended time periods and have extensive interaction with them, and unlike most parents, teachers see children alongside other children of the same age, and they can clearly identify a child who may need some extra help.

For school-age children in need of speech therapy, the first stop is often the school district’s speech therapist.

There are some excellent speech therapists in the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach areas working in the public schools. Some of the pediatric speech therapists at Lil’ Chit-Chat used to work in those very schools. But even with the best speech therapists, there are some disadvantages to having your child only receive speech therapy at school. One of the main drawbacks to public school speech therapy is the missed classroom time. Another is that public school speech therapy is typically group therapy, as opposed to one-on-one speech therapy, so your child isn’t receiving individualized attention.

If your child’s delays are minor, and if your child’s personality is conducive to learning well in a small group environment, then the speech therapy provided by the school may be adequate. However, if you think your child could benefit from one-on-one attention, or if you’d just like some additional speech therapy sessions to help your child progress more quickly, you may want to consider supplemental speech therapy from a private speech therapist in Manhattan Beach.

The speech therapists at Lil’ Chit-Chat can work with your child’s schedule and provide in-home speech therapy that is personalized for your child’s specific needs. Even just one day per week of private speech therapy to supplement the group speech therapy your child is receiving in school can make a world of difference!

In addition to the personalized, one-one-one attention your child will receive from the speech therapists at Lil’ Chit-Chat, he or she will also have the advantage of learning in a familiar environment, with family members present. We do our best to make our speech therapy sessions fun for the child, and involve parents and caregivers so they can learn how to support the child’s speech and language goals in between therapy sessions.

If you would like to learn more about the speech therapy we provide in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, contact us at Lil’ Chit-Chat. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have or set up a speech therapy consultation for your child. We look forward to hearing from you!

March of Dimes

March of Dimes is an amazing organization that has been around for many years (since 1938 to be exact). It was originally founded to combat polio, but has since redirected its focus to globally help prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Many of the children we work with were born prematurely, a factor that can have significant effects on a child’s overall development, including their speech and language development.

In the early days of Lil’ Chit-Chat, we had a young client whose family was very involved with the March of Dimes organization. This client was an amazing little girl who had been born prematurely at 28 weeks. Our therapists helped her with feeding, as she was on a g-tube, as well as with communication. It is in her honor that Lil’ Chit-Chat supports the March of Dimes and all of the great work they do.

Mitchell Thorp Foundation

Another great organization our speech therapy clinic supports is the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. This foundation was founded to support families with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses, diseases, and disorders. They are a financial and emotional resource for many families in California, providing individualized medical aid and help in purchasing wheelchair accessible vehicles.

We first learned about the Mitchell Thorp Foundation from another one of our speech therapy clients—a young boy with a seizure disorder and global developmental delays. Despite his various struggles, he is a true joy to work with. He works hard and has great support from his family.

Many of the treatments he requires are not covered by insurance, so the Mitchell Thorp Foundation has been a great resource for his family. We know there are countless families like this one, who are committed to providing the best care for their children but financially strapped. It is in these situations that the Mitchell Thorp Foundation steps in with support.

There are many more worthy organizations out there, and we wish we could support them all; however, we’ve seen firsthand how these two charities are making a difference in the lives of our speech therapy clients, which is why we have chosen to donate to their causes. If you feel so inclined, we hope you will join us in supporting the work of the March of Dimes and the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. You can find out more about both of the organizations by clicking on the links above.

During this time off, you may see a loss of momentum when it comes to your child’s progress, but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are many things you can do as a parent to make sure your child continues to progress toward their speech and language goals.

Unstructured Play is Great for Development

The school months are filled with lots of structured activities—in speech therapy, in the classroom, and in any after-school activities in which your child may be involved. Summer is a good time to give your child the opportunity to engage in unstructured play—that is, play that is undirected by you or anyone else. Give your child some simple materials or craft supplies and see what they come up with. Take them to a safe area where they can just explore until their heart’s content. Invite a friend or two over to play so they can practice communicating and socializing with peers in a casual environment.

Whatever activity your child is engaged in, make sure you are working alongside them to improve their communication in a way that keeps things fun and lighthearted. Ask questions, introduce new words related to what he or she is doing, and encourage critical thinking as they work through situations.

Summer Activities that Can Enhance Speech and Language Development

Summer activities present great opportunities for teaching and practicing vocabulary in new environments. Taking your child to the beach, the pool, on a hike, or on a trip will allow you to introduce new words and concepts, and also will give your child many chances to ask and answer questions, practice following directions, engage in critical thinking, and socialize.

Just like in unstructured play, keep the communication practice fun during your family’s summer activities. Make it a natural addition to what you’re doing, rather than turning a fun activity into a “lesson.”

As a parent, you are your child’s number one teacher! Your child’s speech therapist can give him or her the tools needed to develop their speech and language skills, but you teach your child how to engage with the world. Look for opportunities every day to teach and practice communication skills, but don’t forget to have fun!

If you’d like to supplement you summer activities with some private speech therapy, contact Lil’ Chit-Chat. Our speech therapists come to your Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach home and involve family members in your child’s speech therapy sessions. You can also contact us with any initial questions you may have or to schedule an evaluation of your child. We hope to hear from you soon!

Recently, Lil’ Chit-Chat founder and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist Sabrina Conway completed the “It Takes Two to Talk” workshop put on by The Hanen Centre, and is now a Hanen Certified Speech-Language Pathologist.

The Hanen Centre is a Canadian-based organization dedicated to helping parents, caregivers, educators, and speech-language pathologists become better equipped to develop language, social, and literacy skills in young children with developmental challenges. Their approach of putting parents first as a way to best help children is very much in line with our philosophy of speech therapy at Lil’ Chit-Chat. We have always found therapy to be most effective when parents and caregivers are involved in the speech therapy sessions and work with their children in between sessions.

As a Hanen Certified speech therapist in the “It Takes Two to Talk” program, Sabrina Conway is now able to offer training to parents in the Hanen methods on a one-on-one basis, or in group settings.

In an “It Takes Two to Talk” parent training session, Sabrina will cover topics such as:

• Adapting the way in which you play and read with your child to better facilitate language development
• Changing the way you speak with your child so he or she will learn new words more quickly
• Helping your child build confidence in his or her ability to communicate
• Identifying what motivates your child

Overall, the “It Takes Two to Talk” program focuses on practical strategies that parents can use in everyday situations to help their children develop their language skills. The methods are easy to understand and implement, and are designed specifically for parents of children ages five and younger who have been identified as having speech delays.

Lil’ Chit-Chat is offering “It Takes Two to Talk” training sessions as part of our parent enrichment program.

If you’d like more information about parent training and enrichment, or if you would like to schedule an “It Takes Two to Talk” training session in Manhattan Beach or the surrounding areas with a speech therapist from Lil’ Chit-Chat, give us a call or contact us through our website form.

It is so fulfilling to us as speech therapists when we see progress in our clients. Take “G,” for example. His mother called Lil’ Chit-Chat when he turned two because she was concerned with his limited verbal output and his speech sound development.

Upon evaluation, we noticed that G was using some sound productions, but was inconsistent in imitating environmental sounds and in consonant-vowel productions. He understood most of what was being asked of him, but had difficulty using words and sentences to get his thoughts and needs across. Obviously, in a situation like this, it is frustrating for both the child, who is unable to have his voice heard, and for the parent, who has trouble understanding what the child is trying to say or ask for.

A speech therapist from Lil’ Chit-Chat began providing speech and language therapy to G at his Manhattan Beach home at the start of the new year. There has been a heavy emphasis on parent involvement and parent enrichment from the beginning, allowing G to work on his speech and language development in between speech therapy sessions.

In just eight speech therapy sessions, G’s progress has been remarkable! He is communicating much more independently. Where he once used vocalizations (i.e. “ahh”) to try to get his message across, he is now using more words to refer to objects (i.e. “boat”). He is even beginning to use spontaneous 2-3 word utterances! He’ll say things like “I want [the] ball,” “More toys,” “My turn,” “Yes please,” and “Come watch.”

One of the keys to G’s success is the fact that his mother didn’t take a “wait and see” approach. She called for a consultation with speech therapist as soon as she suspected that G wasn’t progressing as he should when it came to his speech and language development. At Lil’ Chit-Chat, we strongly believe in early intervention, and we can’t stress enough to parents the importance of calling for a consultation as soon as they have concerns. A licensed speech therapist from Lil’ Chit-Chat can give you an honest evaluation of your child and make recommendations for speech therapy, if it is needed.

Another key to G’s rapid progress is the fact that his parents have been heavily involved in the entire process. They went through our parent enrichment program and really worked with G in between sessions to reinforce what he was learning from his speech therapist.

Contact Us for Speech Therapy in Manhattan Beach

Do you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us with your questions or to set up a consultation in your Manhattan Beach home.