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Tag: ARTICULATION

4.7 YEARS: MORE INTELLIGIBLE THAT I THOUGHT

Hello! Belle has been a little under the weather this month, and I have been a little concerned that her level of articulation has declined a bit as we have opted out of oral motor exercises so she can catch an afternoon nap or doctor’s appointment, etc. Overall, I think she is starting to feel better as […]

May 10, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ARTICULATION, DOWN SYNDROME, INTELLIGIBILITY, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, PRESCHOOL SCREENING, READING, READING SKILLSSPEECH ASSESSMENT, SPEECH THERAPY

4.5 YEARS: “NEAR PERFECT” ARTICULATION

Belle is doing well and has been enjoying some spring-like weather in February! She has managed to stay healthy this season (minus her chronic runny nose). Belle’s good health has allowed her to go roller skating for the first time, participate in her preschool’s Valentine’s Day party, perform with her dance class on stage for 300+ […]

March 8, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: #DOWNSYNDROME, ANNABELLE, ARTICULATION, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, FOUR YEAR OLDORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, PARENTING, SPEECH, SPEECH CLARITY, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TODDLER, TODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROMETODDLERHOOD

How Music Therapy Became our Next Best Step

For those who have been following our story on this site, you know that Elizabeth has struggled with speech and language throughout her life due to her disorders of Dyspraxia and Sensory Processing Disorder. And because of this, we have had some form of speech therapy throughout most of her life. I say a form […]

February 20, 2017 administrator Elizabeth's Journey Comments (0) Details
Tags: AMTA, ARTICULATION, DYSPRAXIA, ELIZABETH, MICHELE GIANETTI, MUSIC AS THERAPY, MUSIC THERAPIST, MUSIC THERAPY, PLAYING MUSICSENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER, SINGING, SPD, SPD TIPS, SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL NEEDS MOM, SPECIAL NEEDS PARENT, SPEECH THERAPYTEEN WITH SPD, TEEN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

4.4 YEARS: MAKING UP HER OWN SILLY PHRASES

Happy New Year! Belle’s year is off to a solid start! I am happy to report that we have been pretty consistent with our TalkTools oral motor program, created by Monica Purdy. We have been staying on track except for the 4 days that Belle stayed with her siblings and grandparents while we got away for […]

February 8, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: #TALKTOOLSWORKS, ABC, ABCS, ALPHABET, ANNABELLE, ARTICULATION, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, COMMUNICATION SKILLSDOWN SYNDROME, FOUR YEAR OLD, MONICA PURDY, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, Oral Placement Therapy, PARENTING, SIBLINGSSPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY HOMEWORK, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS HOMEWORKTALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TODDLER, TODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

4 YEARS 2&3 MONTHS: COMMUNICATION GRANTS BELLE THE INDEPENDENCE SHE DESIRES

4 Years 2 Months Belle is doing well despite our crazy busy schedule and lack of consistency with her oral motor exercises.  She is not regressing in any way, but I can’t say that I have seen significant gains in her speech clarity this month.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, right?  Her congestion has returned in full […]

December 26, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, CHEWING EXERCISES, CHEWING SKILLS, CHRISTMASCOMMUNICATION SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FIRST SLEEPOVER, FOUR YEAR OLD, GUM CHEWING, GUM EXERCISES, NSOMEORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOMESPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPYTODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

3 YEARS 10&11 MONTHS: GETTING BACK-TO-SCHOOL AFTER DISNEY WORLD MAGIC

3 Years 10 Months Summer continues in our household! This month, Belle has enjoyed swimming lessons (and lots of pool time), a slip’n slide party, BBQs, fairs, a trip to the lake, and a full week at Walt Disney World! While our hearts may be full, our routine is not. 🙂 However… Belle continues to do […]

September 30, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, BACK TO SCHOOLBACK TO SCHOOL ROUTINE, BELLE BEETSMA, BELLE UPDATES, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, COUNTING, DISNEYLAND, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLER, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLERHOOD, DOWN SYNDROMEDOWN SYNDROME CHILD, LANIE BEETSMAMONICA MITCHELL, MONICA PURDY, NUMBER PUZZLE, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENTSPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, SUMMER SCHEDULE, SUMMER TIME, TALKTOOLS CLIENTTALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, TEACHING NUMBERS, THREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD GIRLTODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD, VISUAL AID, VOCABULARY, WALT DISNEY WORLD

3 YEARS 8&9 MONTHS: SHE IS READING!

3 Years 8 Months Belle got her palatal expander out this month! Her “princess jewelry,” as we referred to it, was in for a total of six months. Even though her speech didn’t improve as substantially as I had hoped, it was still a success overall. Belle proudly states, “me got my princess jewelry out […]

August 29, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ABCS, ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, BELLE BEETSMABITE BLOCKS, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, DENTIST VISIT, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME CHILD, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLER, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLERHOOD, JAW GRADING BIT BLOCKS, LANIE BEETSMA LIZ SMITHSON, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, PALATE EXPANDER, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, SUMMER SCHEDULE, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, THREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD GIRL, TODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

Elizabeth: Speech Goals

GOALS. My wish list. Two things that I have carried with me since Elizabeth was born. Actually, more like since the minute she was diagnosed. Goals and my wish list. I have carried these things around like two best friends. I checked in with them often, planned things around them, and happily checked things off […]

May 18, 2016 administrator Elizabeth's Journey Comments (0) Details
Tags: ADULT DYSPRAXIA, ADULT SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER, ANXIETY, ARTICULATION, COMMUNICATE WITH CHILDREN, COMMUNICATIONCONVERSATION, DYSPRAXIA, ELIZABETH'S MONTHLY UPDATES, MISARTICULATION, SELF-ESTEEM, SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERSOCIAL SPEECH, SPD, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH CLASSES, SPEECH THERAPIST, SPEECH THERAPY, TEEN DYSPRAXIA, TEEN SELF-ESTEEM

3 YEARS & 3 YEARS 1 MONTH: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE FIRE CRACKER!

3 Years She is 3! Happy birthday to this little fire cracker. Belle has MANY nicknames around our house including Beezy, Boppy, B-Belle, Belldozer, and Bops. She is very used to her nicknames and answers to all of them graciously . The nickname that I have been calling her lately, however, is Chatty Cathy. Three years ago I would […]

April 25, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE, ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, BIRTHDAYCOMMUNICATION, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, FAMILY REUNION, FAMILY ROAD TRIP, GIRL WITH DOWN SYNDROMEORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH THERAPY, TALKTOOLS, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPYTHREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY, WHITNEY PIMENTEL

Ask A Therapist: Vocalic /R/

Hi Ms. Rosenfeld-Johnson,   I took your oral placement technique course in New York a few weeks ago. I have a few clients who have difficult with the /r/ and tried out the robot technique. A lot of those same kids also have trouble producing the glottal fry — do you have any pointers for me?   […]

October 15, 2014 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: / /R/ SOUND, /R, ARTICULATION, ASK A THERAPIST, BACK OF TONGUE, GLOTTAL FRY, Oral Placement Therapy, ROBOT VOICESARA ROSENFELD-JOHNSON, SOUND PRODUCTION, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH SOUND PRODUCTION, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, UPPER PALATE