Happy 2021!
As we head into January, I’m taking stock of how things are going and where things are at with my kids and school, health and wellness, work, and life in general. A lot got put on the back burner in the interestingness of 2020, and I’m now revisiting what needs attention, especially kid-wise.
In the scramble of sorting out distance learning and/or getting students back in the classroom safely, I’ve heard from parents (and seen myself!) that various regular activities and extra support services got bumped to the side. (Which is totally understandable: We were all just trying to figure out how to hold things together!) However, for parents who were already wondering if there was something going on with their child’s speech or communication skills, the disruption in services didn’t help with screenings to give answers or offer the chance to ask questions and assess where things were at. And while school staff is continuing to work hard to help us support our kids (and a huge thank you for their efforts!), some services may still be on the backburner with everything they’re currently juggling.
Which brings me to the topic for today: If you’re wondering if your child’s speech is where it needs to be developmentally but don’t yet have the information to help answer that question, let’s get your child screened so you can get a picture of where they currently are. And if some support may be needed? We can talk through possibilities.
Over the next two months, I’m opening several slots each week for free screens. During these 20 minute Zoom sessions, I’ll spend 10-15 minutes working through several exercises with your child to assess their current level of speech development. Following the assessment, I’ll then talk with you, their parent/guardian, to share what I learned and discuss possibilities to help, if needed.
Let’s be clear: These aren’t sales calls nor a push for any specific support (sometimes parents walk away from the calls learning their child is at a developmentally appropriate spot or that there are a few basic exercises they can work on with their kids at home!). The goal is to get you solid information on where your child is currently at and if any additional support may be useful, which you can then use to determine the best next steps for you and your child (and if interested in recommendations or information about specific services, I’m happy to share possibilities).
If a free screen could help you and your child, grab a spot:
And if you know a fellow parent who is currently wondering if something is up and could use a free screen for their child, please feel free to share this post with them. I’m happy to help.