Blog

Is your kiddo having a difficult time making the /s/ sound?
Here’s some tricks on how to elicit the sound correctly:
First: Place a tongue depressor on the alveolar ridge (the bumpy spot behind your teeth) so that your kiddo can become familiar with where their tongue needs to be.
Second: Have them make the /t/ sound. The /s/ and the /t/ are made by placing the tongue in the exact same place!

Read More “5 tips for eliciting the /s/ sound”

Let’s talk about social skills!
Social skills are a huge part of language development!

But learning them does not always come easy, especially for our kiddos with Autism Spectrum Disorder. They tend to have a difficult time with social skills and it can be a task trying to incorporate them into their therapeutic routine. Read More “Let’s talk social skills”

Aloha from everyone here at Speech Solutions Hawaii!

We know the /r/ sound is any SLP’s dreaded goal in therapy!  It’s hard to elicit and not to mention it isn’t a visual sound. But we are here to tell you that targeting the /r/ does not have to be a headache and can actually be very fun to teach! Read More “3 tips for eliciting the /r/ sound”

My PlayHome

As much as we try to avoid using iPad’s in therapy it is inevitable in this day in age. We have done some research to find the best apps to use for speech development. Here is one of our favorites! Read More “App Review of “My PlayHome””

Want to bring Literacy into your speech and language activities?!?  One great way target articulation and language goals is by picking a favorite book. The options for targeting goals are endless. One of my personal favorites is Mrs. McNosh hangs up her wash. If you aren’t familiar with this one, it’s a very cute and silly story about a woman who hangs up EVERYTHING; starting with her clothes, to her newspaper,  and even her dog! This read is great for targeting the /s/ and /sh/ sounds, sequencing events, and even talking about the main character in a story.

Read More “Bring Literacy into Speech Therapy!”

by Misti Bushmire

au pair :: noun \ˈō-ˈper\

If you’ve ever read early 20^th century literature or any Agatha Christie mysteries I’m sure you remember how many families had an au pair as part of their family – but never as the criminal!  It’s not a concept that is well known in the United States but au pairs were very common in Europe from the late 1800’s and still are.  The word means “on par” or “equal to” in French. The intention was a reciprocal, caring relationship, the au pair being part of the family, not a servant.  Typically an au pair is a young woman aged 18-26 (sometimes a young man but we will say young woman simply for ease of discussion) from another country. They provide childcare and light housekeeping in return for room and board and a weekly stipend.

Read More “What You Need to Know About an Au Pair”

by Kelci Santiago

Hip Hip Hooray for the month of October!

and…. pumpkins, scarecrows, hay rides, candy corn, apple picking, the changing of leaves, bats, witches, and ghosts! BOO!

While preparing for speech therapy during the month of October, I stumbled upon an amazing resource, totschooling.net.Totschool is an online website providing free printables for toddlers and young children. So big thank you Totschool for providing such creative enrichment, I now have wonderful Fall themed play-dough mats to laminate and use to target early developmental skills!

Read More “What to do with: Play-Dough Mats!”

by Carolinda “Trini” Myers-Murphy

I’ve had the pleasure of being able to treat children now for many many years.  (15 to be exact! Sheesh- where did my 30’s go?!?).  Over the course of time, you begin to notice trends that help, and trends that hamper a child’s progress through-out their experience in speech therapy.

Read More “5 Practical Speech Therapy Techniques That You Can Do Now!”

by Debra Hartley

If you’ve been following the Speech Solutions Hawaii blog this year, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve focused on holidays a bit this year. Every month has a major holiday with the exception of August, but we’ve found that a lot of our kiddos don’t know the meaning or origin of these holidays. (And if we’re honest, some of us adults are a bit hazy on the details as well.) As far as our kids understand, it’s a day off from school, a chance to spend the day at Magic Island or Lanikai, BBQ day with friends, or, everyone’s favorite, stay up late and watch fireworks in Waikiki!

Read More “Where Did Labor Day Come From?”

by Kelci Santiago

Sometimes mom and dad, you just need some quick tips on how to build your child’s language in the home environment. Well, here you go!

Read More “3 Super Tips for Building Your Child’s Language Skills at Home”