Blog
16 gestures by 16 months
7.16.19
I was inspired by the First Words Project to create this infographic to present the 16 gestures that children should be using by 16 months. Research shows that the development of gestures predicts language skills 2 years later! Please contact us today if you are interested in speech therapy for your child.
Tips to Improve Your Voice
6.26.19
Did you know that we also offer voice therapy to both adults and children? Voice therapy is a program designed to reduce hoarseness through guided change in vocal behaviors and lifestyle changes. Voice therapy consists of a variety of tasks designed to eliminate harmful vocal behavior, shape healthy vocal behavior, and assist in vocal fold wound healing after surgery or injury.
June is Aphasia Awareness Month
6.12.19
June is Aphasia Awareness month. Aphasia is a language disorder that affects the ability to communicate. It is most often caused by injury to parts of the brain that control speech and language resulting from a stroke. At AZ Speech Therapy Solutions we are proud to help adults with aphasia learn and love to communicate again. Contact us today if you are interested in speech therapy for you or your loved one.
What does Tummy Time have to do with feeding?
2.17.19
My philosophy for treating complex and non-complex feeding issues is to use a whole body approach. This means that when I initially assess your baby's feeding skills I begin with an observation of their gross and fine motor skills in a non-feeding setting. I want to see if your baby is turning their head to hear sounds, starting to sit up unassisted, and even if they are starting to crawl.
Before starting solids between 4-6 months of age, your baby needs to be able to hold his head up and sit with minimal support. In order to sit up independently or with minimal support your baby needs to have "Core Strength" meaning their torso muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body need to be adequately developed. Poor core strength can ultimately affect gross and fine motor skills which are both important when starting solid foods. Your body needs gross motor skills to sit up and attend during the feed and fine motor skills to eventually self-feed. Developing Core Strength starts when your child is an infant during tummy time. Tummy time is the main way that we can strengthen the neck and upper back muscles, again muscles that are imperative for proper feeding.
Before starting solids between 4-6 months of age, your baby needs to be able to hold his head up and sit with minimal support. In order to sit up independently or with minimal support your baby needs to have "Core Strength" meaning their torso muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body need to be adequately developed. Poor core strength can ultimately affect gross and fine motor skills which are both important when starting solid foods. Your body needs gross motor skills to sit up and attend during the feed and fine motor skills to eventually self-feed. Developing Core Strength starts when your child is an infant during tummy time. Tummy time is the main way that we can strengthen the neck and upper back muscles, again muscles that are imperative for proper feeding.
