Category: social pragmatic language

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What parents need to know about speech-language assessment of older internationally adopted children

This post is based on Elleseff, T (2013) Changing Trends in International Adoption: Implications for Speech-Language Pathologists. Perspectives on Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders, 3: 45-53

Changing Trends in International Adoption:

In recent years the changing trends in international adoption revealed a shift in international adoption demographics which includes more preschool and school-aged children being sent for adoption vs. infants and toddlers (Selman, 2012a; 2010) as well as a significant increase in special needs adoptions from Eastern European countries as well as from China (Selman, 2010; 2012a). Continue reading What parents need to know about speech-language assessment of older internationally adopted children

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Improving Social Skills of Language Impaired Children

social kids

Many children on our caseloads have social pragmatic language goals aimed at improving their social emotional functioning in a variety of settings.  In therapy we often target our clients ability to engage in interpersonal negotiations, interpret ambiguous facial expressions, as well as appropriately relate to peers.

However, oftentimes finding appropriate and relevant real-life photos is a challenge for busy clinicians. That is why I created the “Social Pragmatic Language Activity Pack“.

This 30 page social pragmatic photo/question set is intended for children ages 6 and older. It is organized in a hierarchy of complexity ranging from basic social scenarios to more abstract and socially ambiguous situations.  Some photos contain additional short stories with questions that focus on auditory memory, processing, and comprehension.

There are on average 10-20 questions per each photo, and each photo takes up one page.  While some scenarios may be suitable for younger children, most are suitable for children ages 8-9 and older. Select scenarios containing abstract concepts may be suitable only for upper elementary or middle school aged students.   These sets are suitable for both individual therapy sessions as well as group work. Depending on the student’s abilities and extent of deficits, one set (one page) may take up to 30 minutes to complete.

Areas covered by the questions:

  1. Recognizing Emotional Reactions
  2. Explaining Facial Expressions
  3. Making Predictions
  4. Making Inferences (re: people, locations, thoughts, feelings, and actions)
  5. Multiple Interpretations (of actions and settings)
  6. Interpersonal Negotiations
  7. Sympathy/Empathy
  8. Peer Relatedness (Support)
  9. Interpreting Ambiguous Situations
  10. Problem Solving
  11. Determining Solutions
  12. Determining Causes
  13. Determining Perspectives
  14. Social Judgment
  15. Safety Rules

So don’t delay and grab your set today. You can find it HERE in my online store.

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Introduction to the “Need to Know” Disorders in Speech Language Pathology

In a few weeks the school semester will begin and many speech language pathologists will be heading back to school to resume their duties. Seasoned professionals, newly minted clinical fellows, and eager graduate students will embark on assessment and treatment of children with a variety of communication disorders. In the course of the next school year they will encounter, assess, and treat children with a number of diagnoses which result in accompanying speech language deficits. Many of these diagnoses will be familiar, a number will be new, some complex, yet others will be less known or controversial. Continue reading Introduction to the “Need to Know” Disorders in Speech Language Pathology

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New Product: Social Pragmatic Deficits Checklist for School Aged Children

Social pragmatic checklist Need a quick way to figure out if a child is presenting with a social pragmatic skills deficits?

Then check out my Social Pragmatic Deficits Checklist for School Aged Children

This checklist was created to assist speech language pathologists (SLPs) with figuring out whether the student presents with social pragmatic language deficits which require further follow up (e.g., assessment). The SLP should provide this form to both teacher and caregiver/s to fill out to ensure that the deficit areas are consistent across all settings and people.

Checklist Categories:

  • Listening/Processing
  • Verbal Expression
  • Problem Solving
  • Pragmatic Language Skills
  • Social Emotional Development
  • Behavior
  • Supplemental* Caregiver/Teacher Data Collection Form
  • Select assessments sensitive to Social Pragmatic Deficits

You can find it in my online store HERE:

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Introduction to Social Pragmatic Language Disorders

SPLDI have been making a lot of materials lately in order to disseminate information on a variety of helpful topics including insurance coverage for speech language services, improving feeding abilities in picky eaters, the importance of oro-facial observations during speech- language assessments  and so on. I’ve also created an “introduction” series, which offers handouts on popular topics of interest, most recently on the topic of Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), which can be currently found in my online store HERE.  Continue reading Introduction to Social Pragmatic Language Disorders

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Recognizing the Warning Signs of Social Emotional Difficulties in Language Impaired Toddlers and Preschoolers

emd toddlersToday I am exited to tell you about the new product I created in honor of Better Speech and Hearing Month. 

It is a 45 slide presentation created for speech language pathologists to explain the connection between late language development and the risk of social emotional disturbances in young children 18 months- 6 years of age.

Learning Objectives:

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Materials Corner: Multiple Interpretations Social Language Freebie

I don’t about you but I am always looking for visually based social language materials for my clients. Luckily, even with a non-existent budget social skills materials are fairly easy to create. All you need is to locate a few relevant photos with faintly ambiguous scenarios and punctuate them by relevant to the scenarios questions.

Voilà! Your materials are ready for use.  It really is that easy. Want to take a look at a one such material in action?  Then check out the Multiple Interpretations Social Language Freebie I created specially for you. Click on the image below to get to my Facebook Page. There click on the Free Downloads Tab located on the top right corner and check it out for yourself.

 

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SPEECH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Today I am excited to tell you about another product in my assessment referral series: SPEECH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN 

I created this 9 page guide to assist speech language pathologists in the decision making process of how to select assessment instruments and prioritize assessment for preschool children. In doing that you are eliminating the administration of irrelevant tests and focusing on the administration of instruments directly targeting the areas of difficulty that the child presents with. Continue reading SPEECH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

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In case you missed it: The importance of targeted assessments for school aged children

Last week I did a guest post for The Simply Speech Blog. In case you missed it,  below I offer an explanation why targeted speech language assessments are so important, as well as list helpful resources that will aid you in speech language assessment preparation.

In both my hospital based job and in private practice I do a lot of testing. During staff/caregiver interviews I used to get a laundry list of both specific and non-specific problems by the parents and teachers, which did not always accurately reflect the students true deficits.  Experience quickly taught me that administering general comprehensive language testing to every student simply did not work. Oftentimes the administration of such testing revealed one of two things: Continue reading In case you missed it: The importance of targeted assessments for school aged children

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App Review and Giveaway: Verbal Reasoning by Virtual Speech Center

Today I am reviewing a great app, which targets verbal reasoning skills in children and adults. Verbal Reasoning by Virtual Speech Center was created to target the following:

Adults with cognitive deficits caused by TBI, stroke, or other brain injuries as well as with Aphasia

Children with autism

Children with language disorders

It is intended for  individuals ages 12 and up and includes such activities as: Continue reading App Review and Giveaway: Verbal Reasoning by Virtual Speech Center