This will be a back to school year like no other! We will be smiling behind our masks and are excited to see everyone again.  Wearing masks helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community but it can sometimes make communication more difficult, especially for people who have trouble speaking or hearing.

Communication challenges:

• Masks make voices muffled and harder to hear.
• Masks cover facial expression and prevent speech reading. Without visual cues, people with hearing loss or communication difficulties may have even more trouble understanding what they are hearing.
• People with communication difficulties may not be able to make themselves understood through a mask.

Communication strategies when wearing a mask:

• Move to a quiet place, or reduce competing noises in the environment.
• For those who wear hearing aids, ensure they are working well.
• Face your communication partner and make sure nothing is blocking your view.
• Get the attention of your communication partner before you start talking.
• Ask what you can do to make communication easier for both of you.
• Speak a little more slowly and slightly louder than usual, but do not shout or exaggerate your speech.
• Use your eyes, hands and body movements to add more information to your speech.
• Use a voice amplifier.
• Ask if your communication partner understood you. If not, repeat, rephrase or write it down.
• Use speech-to-text apps to transcribe speech in real time.

Please see General Public Masks Info Sheet by Speech-Language and Audiology Canada for further information.

Have a safe and healthy school year!

Many parents are looking for ideas to to keep their kids busy over the summer at this time of year.  Here are some fun activities to try that target speech and language goals (you can also print out Summer Speech & Language Bingo)

For more ideas, check out our handouts on how to support your child’s language during everyday activities.  See our articulation section for ideas and materials to practice specific speech sounds.  Dr. Henry reminds us to “Be kind, be calm and be safe.” As the unique school year ends, also try to have a FUN summer!

When a child has a communication disorder it may feel like talking about difficult topics, such as racism, with them is too challenging. Some children can and usually do sense when there are big feelings (like anger, shame, confusion, anxiety, fear) being felt by those around them or they may see or be exposed to difficult topics being covered in the news or social media. Your child may also be experiencing big feelings that they may or may not understand or know how to express. Talking about these topics with your children at their level is important and doable.

Right now, Black Lives Matter and antiracism movements are topics that are on the minds of many people. Kids may also be learning about this in class or hearing about it  from their peers. As parents, it is important for them to hear it from you and discuss it with you. Here are some ways to support those conversations with kids who have difficulties with communication:

Continue reading

As May is coming to an end, so too is Speech and Hearing Month.

Speech & Hearing BC is holding a contest with a chance to win a gift card worth $150 to a local bookstore for your family and a $500 gift card for your school or community library! All you have to do is take a picture of yourself reading with your child. Click here for more details on how to enter.

Reading with your your child can support the development of many speech and language skills. Visit our Everyday Activities section to see how you can incorporate speech and language goals into your daily routines.

Many students will have questions about returning to school in June as schools open in Burnaby, like schools in the rest of BC.  Here is a social story about Returning-To-School-During-COVID-19 from www.socialstories4kids.com and also saved here in our social stories section.  There is also a social story about Staying Home from School saved here in our social stories section.

In the month of May, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and other professionals working in the field raise awareness about communicative health. Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) aims to “highlight the importance of early detection and intervention in the treatment of communication disorders, and the role that our members and associates play in helping people to “Speak well. Hear well. Live well.””

Take a moment to reflect on how communication affects your life everyday.

If your child is under 11, SAC is holding their annual contests for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Visit the Kid’s Hub on the SAC website for more information.

This could be a great opportunity to target language goals. For example: Continue reading

What Can I Do with My Child All Day? Strategies for Supporting Young Children

ACT Autism Community Training is hosting a free presentation by a behaviour analyst/special educator and a speech-language pathologist to provide a framework for thinking about how to provide support. This will include resources for engaging children in activities that can enhance informal learning and support social-communication development. This presentation is intended for parents and early intervention service providers.  No registration is required. The presentation is at 3pm on April 30. A recording will also be available after the live stream ends.
Please click here for more information