by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP At 16-18 months, toddlers are becoming confident communicators, often using both words and gestures to express themselves. What Should My Child Be Doing? Receptive Language: Follows two-step directions, recognizes body parts and familiar objects, and shows understanding of simple prepositions. Expressive Language: Uses 10-15 words, tries [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP Between 13-15 months, toddlers are becoming more expressive and may start combining words with gestures to communicate. What Should My Child Be Doing? Receptive Language: Follows simple instructions, recognizes people and objects by name, and shows interest in songs or stories. Expressive Language: Uses 5-10 recognizable [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP Unlocking Your Baby's Language Potential: Follow Their Lead Have you ever wondered what your baby is thinking as they explore their world? As parents, we tend to focus on providing them with words we think they should know. You might be intent on teaching them specific [...]
Understanding Parentese and Early Language Development | Speech Therapy in Orange County Parentese is a sing-song, expressive way of speaking to babies using real words, slower speech, and exaggerated tone to support early language development. For families looking for speech therapy in Orange County, understanding parentese can be a helpful first step in supporting [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP The Power of Bilingualism: Unlocking Language, Cognitive, and Cultural Growth Bilingualism is becoming more common in the United States, and with good reason. Beyond the ability to communicate with a wider range of people, bilingualism offers an array of additional benefits. It not only supports [...]
Parenting is rewarding and hard. If you’re wondering how to help your child listen, these speech-therapist backed tips can help you and other families. As the adult in the relationship, we’re in a position to provide all of the tried and true guidance that — if only he or she would [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP Over the decades, “use it or lose it” has included everything from physical conditioning and money to mechanical systems and faith. Scientists, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other health professionals likewise adopted the maxim to simplify and summarize the principles of neuroplasticity for the rest of us. [...]
So your baby is really starting to meet some major milestones! She’s sitting up, rolling over, scooting for items, and maybe even crawling! You’ve probably noticed that your baby’s attention span is longer and the two of you can engage in simple play activities together. It’s such an exciting time and I [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP All parents know the joys (and challenges) of encouraging speech in a baby or young child. One moment she’s reacting intently to your “words of wonder” and the next is something like talking to the sky. All of this –and oh, let’s not forget the endless variety [...]
by Narissa Ventress, M.A., CCC-SLP Over 30 million youth play organized sports with some level of contact each year. Injuries happen, but not all injuries are equal. Traumatic Brain Injury, often presenting as a concussion, can affect the developing brain. Each year, U.S. emergency rooms treat more than 100,000 sports-related concussions [...]
