Help AG Bell tell everyone that deaf people can hear and speak!

What if you were born deaf?                         What if your child was? Dear Friend, Think about a world where the general public understands that nearly every child with hearing loss can learn to listen and talk. Did you know that most deaf children - more than 95 percent - are born to parents with typical hearing, and close to 90 percent of those parents are choosing listening and spoken language for their child? Deaf children growing up now have unprecedented opportunities to develop listening and spoken language, thanks to newborn screening, early identification and intervention, and the latest technology, such as advanced hearing aids and cochlear implants. The voices of our children with hearing loss tell their own story. AG Bell recently asked parents, children and adults, "What if you were born deaf?" In videos available on the AG Bell YouTube channel, families shared the remarkable abilities of deaf children today - making music, singing songs, and participating fully in sports and theater using speech and hearing.  Every day, AG Bell works to dispel myths about deafness and spread the word that children who are deaf can hear and talk. They can become part of the larger world and share in the great treasures of sound. AG Bell uses timeless guiding principles to ensure that deafness doesn't mean a world of silence. Empowering and Respectful. We empower families to make informed choices, respect their decisions and value the contributions of people who are deaf and hard of hearing.  Forward-Thinking and Innovative. We value our heritage and history, while adapting to the changing environment, and promoting access to technology.  Inclusive and Supportive. AG Bell provides a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families and the professionals that work with them. Dependable and Knowledgeable. AG Bell has built a reputation of providing evidence-based, reliable and accurate information about listening and spoken language. You make our vision possible. Your contribution helps us continue to share the great news with the general public that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can listen and use spoken language. This holiday season, help AG Bell tell everyone that deaf people can hear and speak! P.S. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar if you make your pledge now and fulfill it in 2016!

HearSayLW made the list! 100 Top Speech and Language Websites and Blogs for 2016.

I am honored to have been selected as one of the Top 100 

Speech and Language Blogs and Websites for 2016, and thankful to return from the 2015 list.

Check out my colleagues sites by following the link to Kidmunicate . 

The sites are wonderful resources for professionals and parents alike and grouped into the following categories-

SLP Blogs

SLP Resources

SLP Disorders, and 

SLP Technology

Meeting Santa - What will you talk about?

Here is a great suggestion from N. Thompson at L2L http://www.listening2learn.com  

Nan recommends preparing for your child's visit with Santa 

by brainstorming of questions to ask him

 beyond the typical wish list.

Holiday Baking for Listening, Spoken Language and Fun

Source

Holiday baking with children is a rich experience for listening and spoken language. Children love to measure, pour, stir and decorate. While it is messy, you are building memories alongside listening and spoken language skills.

Cooking Up Therapy is a blog post by a fellow AVT Elizabeth Rosenzweig MS CCC-SLP LSLS Cert. AVT who wrote, "Whatever your child needs to work on, you can target it in cooking with just a little bit of thought and preparation."

I recall one December when our daughters Kara and Joy were young baking a variety of cookies for Christmas. I don't recall the recipes or how the baked goods tasted, but we still talk about how Joy couldn't keep the beaters in the bowl and the flour and dough covered counters. Kara laughs about burning up two hand held mixers that year with all the mixing and beating. I wish I would have bought a Kitchenaid mixer back then. Today, I rarely bake, but both our daughters are married and love their Kitchenaids!

As an AVT, there was always lots of talking going on in my kitchen. Sweet Joy told me on many occasions, "Please Mom, I'm not one of 'the kids' you see for therapy." which was her way of asking me to hush! Oh, the memories.

There are many toys to carry over holiday cooking and baking Christmas cookies through imaginative play. Many would make great gift ideas. Go to HomemadeSpeech to view cookie toys that can help foster listening and spoken learning. 

Happy baking!

What's In the Christmas Stocking?

http://littlewondersdays.blogspot.com/2010/12/whats-in-stocking.html

Two  Ways To Play: 

1. One player peeks at the hidden object and describes the item in the stocking for the other players. This targets a wide range of spoken language goals including descriptive skills, use of adjectives and expressive language.

2. One player listens and makes a smart guess based on what was heard based on the other players descriptions. This targets inferencing and auditory memory skills.

To Play: Take turns drawing stocking cards and listen and make a smart guess based on what you heard based on the descriptions.

 

This game can be purchased for $2.25 

and is available from Lindsey Karol at 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Whats-in-My-Stocking-Describing-Fun-An-Attribute-and-Adjective-Activity-1017730

Listening and Spoken Activities for Christmas

This can be found at http://www.listening2learn.com/

Listening and Spoken Language Tips for Grocery Shopping

This printable can be found at http://www.listening2learn.com/