10 Fun Holiday Reading Activities for Kids

Make reading fun over the holidays! 

Check out these fun and easy holiday reading activities that you can do with your kids... maybe you'll find the perfect addition to your family's holidays for years to come! 

10 Fun Holiday Reading Activities for Kids

Helping your child's language development over the holidays

For some kids, being home for the holidays is a much needed break - but for others, it can be difficult or worrisome for them to spend time away from an environment in which their speech and language receives extra monitoring and support. Even without elaborate craft times or day trips around town, there are easy ways for you as parents to help your child's language development every day at home.

Parents: 9 Ways to Help Your Child's Language Development

More Than ABCs: Building the Critical Thinking Skills Your Child Needs for Literacy Success

Reading is about more than just ABCs.  When sharing a story with your child, remember that their story understanding is just as important for later abilities to read and write their own stories. Critical thinking skills allow children to use what is beyond the pages to understand the stories they enjoy.  Learn more about how to help your child get the most out of reading. 

 

The Hanen Centre - More Than ABCs: Building the Critical Thinking Skills Your Child Needs for Literacy Success

Tips to limit screentime

With the arrival of new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, come new tips from Canadian doctors to limit kids' screen time.  

"The overall goal is still to reduce screen time as much as possible, but more focus is shifting to what kids watch and how — especially younger viewers who should watch with a caregiver who can explain what they're seeing." (Szklarski, 2016). 

CBC gives us the scoop on the guidelines and tips HERE. 

CBC: Canadian doctors offer tips to limit kids' screen time, after U.S. gets new set of guidelines

How to be a SUPER communication partner

Learning to talk is hard.  Imagine doing it without a voice!  Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is on the rise, as technology provides us with more and more amazing tools every day.  AAC users - even those without a voice - are able to speak their minds and build relationships through communication thanks to these tools and devices.

So how can you help?  Assistiveware will tell you all about the top traits of a good communication partner. These traits along with great skills in modelling, prompting, and responding will have you on your way to being a super communication partner in no time!

  

Assistiveware: How to be a super communication partner

Look at me! Look at me!

As parents, therapists, teachers, and friends, we often expect eye contact from those we interact with as an indication of their attention to - and understanding of - our words. 

But could placing the demand for eye contact in fact take away from comprehension when it comes to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder? 

Bill Nason shares his thoughts on requesting eye contact from a child (or adult) with autism, and reasons why it could interfere with their ability to listen.  Check out the Autism Discussion Page on Facebook attached below to read Bill's tips and rationale. 

Facebook: Autism Discussion Group

How infants learn from facial expressions

Research shows that faces are important - special, even - to infants right from birth.  They learn to distinguish their mother's face from those of others after only a matter of hours, and begin to distinguish between emotional facial expressions after only a few days.  This awareness and expertise quickly becomes an important tool for learning.  Infants learn to read faces around them for cues about their world - is it safe? is it fun? is it a good idea?  And they learn to trust those faces most familiar to them the most.  

Get the full scoop here!.

The Conversation - Face time: How infants learn from facial expressions

Closing the gap: Teaching phonics skills alongside reading raises literacy achievement among Indigenous children

In New Zealand, a literacy program is being used to close the gap between the literacy skills of indigenous, disadvantaged children and their elementary school peers.

By teaching phonics alongside repetitive reading, where the words become recognizable to the students, they are being taught HOW to sound out words.  Their skills began to approach average levels, including reading accuracy, comprehension, and spelling (The Conversation, 2016).

To find out more about this approach and its benefits to these students, check out The Conversation. 

The Conversation: Teaching phonics skills alongside reading raises literacy achievement among Indigenous children

Maternal language shapes infants' cry melodies

Even a child's very first cry is marked by their maternal language.  This seems especially apparent in tonal languages - those in which pitch and the fluctuation of pitch determine meaning.  These findings also lend themselves to the idea that we begin with the foundation to build future language skills immediately from birth.  And with further study and understanding, these findings could even lead to early identification of developmental disorders.  Find out all the details HERE from ScienceDaily.

Is repeating baby talk bad for speech development?

"Your toddler's baby talk is cute, but are you stunting her development by repeating it back?" (Moyer, 2016)

Listening to those little mistakes that are oh-so-cute, we can sometimes find ourselves saying the same mistakes when responding - or maybe even in our own language to encourage the errors simply for their sweetness.  But when is it a disservice to model these errors in our language? 

Dianne Paul, director of clinical issues in speech-language pathology at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, says it is not bad for parents to mimic the mistake's of toddlers as long as they don't do it all the time. 

SLATE: Yes, You Eated Gogurt for Bekfast! Is repeating your toddler's cute speech mistakes bad for her development? 

Fact or Fiction? The Top 10 Assumptions about Early Speech and Language Development

It's so easy to get so wrapped up in studies and articles, research and stories, that it gets hard to sort out fact from fiction.  The Hanen Centre is always a great resource of information, and they are great at keeping things SIMPLE.  Check out this Fact or Fiction? The 10 Assumptions about Early Speech and Language Development and see for yourself.

The Hanen Centre: The Top 10 Assumptions about Early Speech and Language Development

Workshop: Making Sense of Discipline with Dr. Gordon Neufeld

Check out this great opportunity right here in Guelph.  This workshop is geared to teachers and parents to help with the what to do when...

Find all the details and register HERE.

Workshop: Making Sense of Discipline with Dr. Gordon Neufeld

NOV 26 @ 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

$65

MAKING SENSE OF DISCIPLINE:

Most every parent and teacher wants to know what to do when ….. This tends to be the most pressing and universal issue in dealing with children. Finding the right answers to these questions becomes more challenging when parents and teachers are concerned about issues like attachment and healthy development and do not want their discipline methods to undermine or sabotage these processes. At the same time however there is the responsibility to teach the lessons that need to learned and to impose order when required.

This day seminar speaks to the question of what to do when …, but does so in the larger context of what is required to raise children to their full potential as human beings. Some of the prevailing discipline practices – like time-outs and consequences – are discussed from this perspective. This seminar provides participants with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach to discipline with strategies that are attachment-safe and developmentally friendly.

Single Workshop Pass ($65) includes lunch

Group Workshop Pass ($500/10 tickets)

An Evening with Gordon Neufeld: Raising Children in a Digital World

NOV 25 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

$20

RAISING CHILDREN IN A DIGITAL WORLD:

The digital revolution has happened so quickly that it has caught most of us off guard. Yet the digital world is here to stay, changing our society in ways that have far-reaching consequences for our children. What are the implications for parenting? How do we harness the spectacular connecting potential and yet avoid the pitfalls of attachment technology gone awry? How do we prepare them to live in this new world and yet preserve what is required for healthy development to take place? We have followed our children into the digital world and yet for their sakes as well as ours, need to restore our lead in order to avoid the insidious dangers that live in the shadows of this potent technology.

Dr. Neufeld looks at the digital revolution as a developmentalist committed to helping parents help their children become all they were meant to be. He not only explains the drive underlying today’s digital technology but also points to a way through

Single Evening Pass ($20)

Double Evening Pass ($40)

Group Evening Pass ($150/10 tickets)

To more information to purchase tickets to the Saturday November 26th workshop MAKING SENSE OF DISCIPLINE click here.

Best start!

Week one: check! You made it!

Now that the kids have got their feet wet and everyone is warming up to the idea, if you want to find out even more about expectations for school readiness in Ontario, check out beststart.org.  They break down the array of skills considered for school readiness, and give great suggestions and information that are helpful and easy to put into practise.  Check it all out HERE. 

It's here!

We hope everyone had a wonderful first day back to school!

Even though summer vacation is over, there is still so much fun to be had.  Remember to check in on the KidsTalk Wellington blog for lots of tips, tricks, and info when it comes to your child's speech and language! 

Worried about school readiness? Take a step back and think of the skills your child is already acquiring and how you are supporting their development every day - with something as simple as play.  

When a child is engaged in play with caregivers and other adults in a warm and responsive relationship, she will develop qualities that will help her succeed in school:

• Strong oral communications skills
• Confidence
• The ability to make friends
• Persistent, creative problem-solving
• Task completion
• Curiosity
• Eagerness to learn.

(Best Start, 2006)

School Readiness: Language and Cognitive Development

Of course they need stylish backpacks, new shoes, and packed lunches.  But what else do your kids need to be ready for school? 

Here you'll find simple descriptions of the importance of language and cognitive development and how to support the development of these skills. 

CMAS - School Readiness: Language and Cognitive Development 

Got the back-to-school blues? This will help!

Feeling the back-to-school blues?  Bummed that summer is over after one final holiday weekend?  This video of a 3-month old boy hearing for the first time is sure to brighten your day and put a smile on your face.  After not responding to hearing tests following his birth, little Jordan underwent more tests and was ultimately diagnosed with a severe-to-profound hearing loss.  Find out a little more about Jordan and his parents' reaction to his first responses to sound. 

TODAY: 'I cried with happiness': Baby hears mom's voice for the first time, giggles sweetly

Reading is the answer!

It's coming!  Back-to-school signs, deals and reminders of all kinds are everywhere you turn.  Wondering what you can do to help your kids get ready to go back?  Read, of course!  Check out these great books about other kids going back to school - you can even find some reading suggestions to help ease separation anxiety too! 

Imagination Soup: More Back-to-School Books

Helping kids with a speech disorder enjoy the camp experience

Eight children, all of whom have apraxia - a disorder affecting the production of speech, are enjoying the first camp of its kind in Calgary this summer. The idea for the camp was initiated by the mother of one of the campers who felt her son did not benefit from regular camp attendance last summer.  The camp is not therapy-based, but provides these campers a space to learn and play among others like them, and where their speech disorder is considered and supported.

See the story from CTV News HERE.  

Helping kids with a speech disorder enjoy the camp experience

Combining words - it's a big deal!

First words are exciting! But what receives less than its share of attention is a child's ability to combine words together.  A recent study found that children who were late to combine words were more likely to have future problems with language, than those who were late to use first words (Lowry, 2016).  The Hanen Centre answers commonly asked questions such as "Are 'thank you' and 'goodnight' two word combinations?" and "How can I learn to help my child combine words together?".

Find all the answers HERE. 

Combining Words Together: A Big Step in Language Development

Communication Considerations for Children With Hearing Loss

Making a life-long decision for a child is never easy, especially after dealing with a possibly unexpected diagnosis of a hearing loss.  Alongside dealing with a roller coaster of emotions, parents need to understand the importance of early intervention on future outcomes.  Many options for communication should be presented to parents, keeping in mind that early exposure to language, in any form, lays the foundation for future communication skills.  Finding a plan that can be supported by parents, siblings, and all other individuals in the child's life is key.  Dive a little deeper into this article to find out more. 

The ASHA Leader Blog: Communication Considerations for Children With Hearing Loss

Technology gives unique voices to those who can't speak

With technology advancing and devices getting smaller, customizing devices for voice output features is becoming more accessible for many individuals with impaired or deteriorating speech and language.  Many programs and devices come with pre-programmed voices that individuals can choose from.  But thanks to advancements in the field, some companies are creating voices for clients using some of their own vocalizations.  Their own sounds can be combined with a 'donor voice', which can even be a relative to provide similarities to their own voice for the output audio.  Check out the whole story HERE. 

NEWS 1130: Technology gives unique voices to those who can't speak

Motivated by their struggles

Just when these three professionals felt most defeated by their own communication challenges, they rallied to conquer them—and to share what they’d learned with others facing the same sorts of challenges.

To get an up-close look at this unique population of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professionals who understand their field with a particular intimacy, The ASHA Leader spoke with an audiologist with hearing loss and two speech-language pathologists, one who has a stutter and one who has a voice disorder.

All three of them were discouraged from pursuing CSD careers. All three persevered. And all three have never looked back.
(ASHA Leader, 2012)

Learn their stories HERE.  

ASHA Leader:  Motivated by their struggles

Go Play!

Summer is here!  So get outside and play!  Play is a great way to develop speech and language skills - no pencil and paper required - and what better place to do it than the playground?  The playground is the perfect place to target a wide variety of speech and language skills.  From learning new words and concepts to playing games and socializing, the opportunities are endless.  Learn about some of the easy ways you can include speech and language skills on the playground here! 

Go Play! Tips to Teach Speech-Language Skills on the Playground

Talking to children, made easy

Kids are great.  Maybe they're your own kids.  Maybe they're nieces and nephews, the little ones of friends, or maybe you work with these fascinating tiny humans.  Whoever they are, sometimes it's not easy to know just what to say.  From building vocabulary and pretending as children to understanding and describing more complex emotions and sharing opinions as teens, talking is an amazing way to teach and connect with kids of any age.  Take a look at 

The Star: Talking to children, made easy

Breakthrough study pinpoints genetic conditions behind intellectual disabilities

Researchers out of British Columbia have identified the genetic underpinning of certain intellectual disabilities in children (CTV News, 2016).  Being able to identify the underlying genetic conditions means target treatment can be offered in as many cases as possible.  In specific cases, the right intervention has decreased self-injurious behaviour, improved overall mood, and has even increased communication skills. 

CTV News: Breakthrough study pinpoints genetic conditions behind intellectual disabilities

Missed preschool opportunity

Preschool is a wonderful time for diverse learning opportunities.  But is the focus on academics overpowering some important life skills?   Executive function skills, including paying attention, setting goals, planning, and organizing, are a critical foundation for academic skills and can influence a child's classroom behaviour in the future.  Could the narrowed focus on learning things like letters and numbers mean missing this key opportunity to teach other important life skills?  

USA Today: We're missing a big preschool opportunity

Experts unveil new sleep guidelines for children

First-ever official recommendations for sleep requirements for children are here. 

With lack of sleep a growing trend, it's important to remember that sleep - though taken lightly by many - is just as important as what you eat or how much exercise you're getting. 

Having consistent sleep routines and eliminating screens from bedrooms can help to increase sleep time which improves attention, memory, and overall mental and phyiscal health.

CBC: Experts unveil new sleep guidelines for children

Fluctuating Hearing Loss and its Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

Early reading skills and attention in class are the primary impacts of a fluctuating hearing loss.  Episodes of fluid lasting months at a time can go unidentified and students can appear to be 'hearing when he/she wants to' or 'daydreaming'.  Discover the many factors in a classroom that can affect the listening and learning of a child with fluctuating hearing loss.  

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 

High Frequency Hearing Loss and its Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

With a high frequency loss, 20-30% of vital speech information can be missed, and many consonant sounds are often heard inconsistently.  This can result in assumptions of selective hearing, and can also cause social problems due to difficulty in noisy environments such as lunch or recess. Early evaluation and educational monitoring are suggested.

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: Fluctuating Hearing Loss and its relationship to listening and learning needs

Mid-Frequency Hearing Loss and its Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

Mid-frequency hearing loss means that there is a range of sounds that the individual will have difficulty hearing especially in noisy environments as opposed to an impaired ability at all frequencies of sound.  This can mean missing out on 30% of speech information, which can, in turn, affect the production of these sounds as well.  Find out what this means for a child in the classroom. 

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: High-Frequency Hearing Loss and its relationship to listening and learning needs

Severe and Profound Hearing Loss and their Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

"Individual ability and early intensive intervention will determine the degree that sounds detected will be discriminated and processed by the brain into meaningful input" (Anderson, 2007).    In mainstream classrooms, children with a severe or profound hearing loss may become more dependent on adults and socialization with hearing peers may be difficult.  

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: Mid-Frequency Hearing Loss and its relationship to listening and learning needs

Moderate to Severe Hearing Loss and its Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

When it comes to moderate to severe hearing loss, even with hearing aids, children will miss fragments of what is said, making noisy environments especially difficult to manage.  Depending on the timing and addressing of the loss, many elements of expressive language can be impacted by such a loss.  

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: Severe and Profound Hearing Loss and their relationship to listening and learning needs

Moderate Hearing Loss and its Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

Moderate Hearing Loss can mean missing  more than 80% of speech signals.  80%!  The significant lack of input that is received becomes reflected in the expressive language of these individuals, leading to social barriers and necessary accommodations. 

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: Moderate to Severe Hearing Loss and its relationship to listening and learning needs

MORE on the Relationship of Hearing Loss to Listening and Learning Needs

Before we dove into the helpful and interesting facts for Speech and Hearing Month in May, we took a quick look at the relationship of a minimal hearing loss to listening and learning needs.  A slightly greater loss, a mild hearing loss introduces new challenges for a learner in a noisy classroom.  Check it out.   

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 


Coming up next: Moderate Hearing Loss and its relationship to listening and learning needs

Hearing Loss and it's Relationship to Listening and Learning Needs

When we think of hearing loss, it's easy to focus the attention simply on the auditory input that is being missed.  But even a minimal hearing loss can have a significant impact on learning, understanding language, and social interactions.  See below a straightforward review of minimal hearing loss and it's relationship to listening and learning needs.  

MINIMAL HEARING LOSS (16-25 dB)
Possible Impact on the Understanding of Language and Speech	Possible Social Impact	Potential Educational Accommodations and Services
Impact of a hearing loss that is approximately 20 dB can be compared to ability to hear when index fingers are placed in your ears. Child may have difficulty hearing faint or distant speech. At 16 dB student can miss up to 10% of speech signal when teacher is at a distance greater than 3 feet. A 20 dB or greater hearing loss in the better ear can result in absent, inconsistent or distorted parts of speech, especially word endings (s, ed) and unemphasized sounds. Percent of speech signal missed will be greater whenever there is background noise in the classroom, especially in the elementary grades where instruction is primarily verbal. Young children have the tendency to watch and copy the movements of other students rather than attending to auditorily fragmented teacher directions.	May be unaware of subtle conversational cues which could cause child to be viewed as inappropriate or awkward. May miss portions of fast-paced peer interactions which could begin to have an impact on socialization and self concept. May have immature behavior. May be more fatigued due to extra effort needed for understanding speech.	Due to noise in typical classroom environments which impede child from having clear access to teacher instruction, will benefit from improved acoustic treatment of classroom and sound-field amplification. Favorable seating necessary. May often have difficulty with sound/letter associations and fine auditory discrimination skills necessary for reading. May need attention to vocabulary or speech, especially when there has been a history of ear problems. Depending on loss configuration, may benefit from low power hearing aid with personal FM system. Appropriate medical management necessary for conductive losses. Inservice on impact of “minimal" hearing loss on language development, listening in noise and learning, required for teacher.

©1991,RelationshipofDegreeofLongtermHearingLosstoPsychosocialImpactandEducationalNeeds,KarenAnderson &NoelMatkin,revised2007 

May is Speech and Hearing Month!

Did you know...May is Speech and Hearing Month?!

What a perfect reason to learn a little more about speech and hearing.  Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC) has compiled resources, tips, and even a kids' contest to spread the word about speech and hearing.  Find great info sheets and tips for communication disorders and hearing impairments among other great resources! 

Here are just a few of the fun kids activities you'll find on the site too!

Colouring Sheet

Activity Sheet 1

Activity Sheet 2

Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders

Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders - OAFCCD - is the perfect place to find parent resource information, parent support activities and public awareness activities.  The association works with families and communities to ensure all children with communication needs have access to effective speech and language services.  Here, families can find resources, tips, and news about services, funding and getting involved.  Go ahead, check it out for yourself! 

Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders

Major funding - and major changes - for autism services

In early April, the government announced a new Ontario Autism Program with $333 million dollars in funding, but this announcement came with the news of changes too.  These changes to government funded-intensive therapy include age restrictions of 2-4 years, and the release of any children over 5 years old currently on the waiting list for intervention.  Since the announcement, some families and staff from local providers have gathered for rallies and have spoken with members of local government.  They are using these encounters as well as social media to share their stories and voice their concerns over these sudden and significant changes - speaking up for their children and clients alike.  Find the details here, from CTV news. 

CTV News: Ontario kids with autism aged 5 and older cut off of gov't-paid therapy

What's that again?

Plenty of research has shown that the amount of language children hear in the first years of life is undeniably important to their own verbal abilities later, and some are now focussing on the quality of that language.  Using short repeated utterances has been found to play a role in language development and identification skills. Check out the details of this research HERE! 

Popular Science - What's that, again? How short, repeated phrases may further your tot's speech

Low levels of hormone linked to social deficit in autism

Stanford Medicine reports findings that children with autism present with low levels of a hormone that affects their ability to empathize with others.  Researchers have found a correlation between the low levels of this hormone - vasopressin - and the inability of autistic children to understand that the feelings and perspectives of others differ from their own.  Check out how these researchers investigated this hormone to find these correlations, and what the effects of this hormone may mean for future treatment. 

Stanford Medical - Low levels of hormone linked to social deficit in autism

Concussion Recovery

Check out this helpful Concussion Handbook created with the expertise of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Concussion Centre.  This guide is intended to provide information about concussion and it's potential effects, strategies for recovery, and self-management tools.  Discover how to improve recovery time by resting your brain and body, and along what timeline you can begin to reintegrate different types of activities.

Find this guide and other helpful resources from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital: Concussion Centre

A newfound link between brain injuries and ADHD

Researchers in Toronto have found a link between brian injuries and ADHD - and it goes both ways.  Suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been found to make a person 2 1/2 times more likely to screen positive for ADHD, while having ADHD makes a person who has had a TBI will incur future traumatic brain injuries.  The increased chance brought on by the presence of ADHD is due to the individuals' impaired attention, making them less aware of danger for example.  The relation between these injuries to the brain and an attention disorder draws even more attention to the importance of the healing process following any kind of brain injury - including concussions. 

Maclean's - A newfound link between brain injuries and ADHD

Bedtime Stories for Young Brains

Reading a bedtime story can be a signal in routine that the time to sleep is nearing.  It can be a chance to escape to a make-believe world, or just a calming wrap-up to a busy day.  But according to studies, reading bedtime stories - really, any stories at any time of day, can be so much more.  Children who are frequently read to, and with, from a young age have more experience attaching images to words and stories they hear.  It can help them understand, and later support the transition to books without pictures.  This simple act of reading together is not just an enjoyable time together - it can truly impact your child's learning, language development, and even future school success.

The New York Times: Bedtime Stories for Young Brains

The E's and P's to Build Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills like problem solving, predicting, and projecting can grow with language, and can impact literacy too!  As a child's thinking is encouraged to expand, their language framework expands along with it to support these new ideas and interpretations of the world.  These same skills are called to action to understand the meaning of a book - reading between the lines, drawing on experiences, and making inferences enable them to understand things not explicitly written in the text.  Learn the E's and P's to easily encourage the development of your child's critical thinking skills.

The Hanen Centre - Build Children's Critical Thinking Skills with the E's and P's

Why It's So Difficult to Diagnose Autism in Girls

More and more research about the presentation of autism in girls is continuing to surface, and it is a welcome development.  Diagnosing girls is more difficult because on top of the very diverse presentation of any individual with this disorder, it seems that most screening and diagnostic tools have been developed with the observations of boy's behaviours in mind.  Research has proposed that perhaps girls are better at camouflaging their symptoms, therefore, making an accurate diagnosis less likely or at the least, more difficult. Find out more about the fascinating investigation researchers are taking on to learn about autism in girls and how we can better diagnose and serve this population.  

The Slate: Why It's So Difficult to Diagnose Autism in Girls

What Makes Your Child "Tick"?

Including a child's interests in every day activities leads to better communication and language outcomes.  It motivates them to interact - and for longer, and gives parents more opportunities to promote communication. Discovering your child's interests can be made easy using 3 important components.  Physically get on their level, be face-to-face, and wait.  Waiting provides the opportunity for you to see what your child is interested in and follow their lead, instead of initiating an activity of your choice. Using your child's interests in daily activities can provide ample opportunity for building communication skills.  Find out more from The Hanen Centre HERE. 

The Hanen Centre: What Makes Your Child "Tick"? Using Your Child's Interests to Build Communication Skills