A poem by a very talented blogger…’Don’t Make Me Speak’

Today I read the most beautiful poem by ‘Anonymously Autistic’. I have been following this blog for a while as I find it fascinating to read about the experiences of the world from the mind of an adult who is Autistic. I have read many theorists and many articles from parents. This blog is different…

Never underestimate the ‘everyday’…a speech and special needs Journey.

Today was J’s best friends 3rd birthday (J is youngest of his friends). We went round for a birthday party with my best friends friends and family. We had a lovely ‘party tea’ and of course, lots of cake! As I sat and laughed with the other Mum’s and Dad’s, watching the children play and…

A picture is worth a thousand words…a speech and language journey.

Everyday life can be a struggle outside of the home for many children with speech delay or speech disorders. Even more so if without Mummy/Daddy who tends to be ‘tuned in’ to their child’s wants/needs aren’t there. It can be hard to get across a need or a want so can then become a tantrum…

‘Dangerous diggers’…a speech and language journey.

J has started to use more single words. He can now say ‘nana’ (banana), ”is-it’ (biscuit) and ‘pees’ (please). He says Muma, Dada, Dad-Dad (Grandad), ‘Ma-mar’ (Grandma) and ‘Nana’ (Nana). It’s so exciting hearing him talk! ​Here’s J on the monitor having a chat (apparently to me, despite being in a completely different room haha)….

A parent’s guide to surviving genetic testing…

Today was the day of J’s genetic test. It’s done by a simple blood test. But there really isn’t such a thing as ‘simple’ with a toddler, is there? I hate needles! I tried not build today up as I didn’t want J picking up on my anxiety. So, I just said we were off to…

Woo-woo’s and Toot-Toots…a speech and language journey.

First off, the title made me cringe just typing it. I spend a lot of my time at preschool encouraging children to say the names of things instead of the sounds e.g.: “it’s a sheep…not a ‘baabaa’” and “it’s a train…not a ‘toot toot’”. So at home with J I have tried my best to…

Squishy, squashy sensory play…our speech and special needs Journey

J is a sensitive boy. He doesn’t like a lot of sounds, visuals and textures. His dislike for wet and sticky textures makes him an awful little bugger for food. So, we have been working on desensitising J to sensory play in the hope it leads to him being less fussy over food (he lives…

Future gymnastic Olympian…a speech and communication blog

On Tuesdays we go to our local gymnastics toddler group. It’s a great place for a lively toddler to run, climb and throw themselves around without the worry of injury.  It’s also full of speech and understanding language opportunities: Positional language Stop/go Action words New naming words (equipment) Colours etc I focused on a mixture…

Things that excite me now I’m Mummy…please say I’m not alone in this!

So, this happened today…  I never knew I would ever get so excited to see the bottom of the laundry hamper. Motherhood has certainly changed my view of the world. What makes this better is that it is J’s laundry hamper. Toddlers make soooo much mess, it’s amazing. J has a lot of sensory issues…

Talking Tubes…a speech and language journey.

Today J and I were playing with these Talking Tubes. They are basically a fancier version of yoghurt pots and string. There are two ends to a hollow tube with a ‘phone’ attached to ends. This instantly gets J’s attention as he LOVES phone. At first he was just giggling at hearing my voice. Then eventually…

Speech, Language and Special Needs: Meeting Our Paediatrician

Hi everyone, J’s initial assessment Yesterday J met our paediatric consultant at the Child Development Centre. We waited in the waiting area first which had toys and books to explore so J didn’t get bored. We were then called in and Dr M led us to his office. He quickly put us both at ease…

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt…a speech and language blog.

With all the fun and excitement of Christmas and new year, we managed to miss watching the new We’re Going on a Bear Hunt tv  adaptation (Channel 4). Luckily, I had put it on record. What’s so special about it? For me, it’s fond memories. I work in a preschool and this has been a…