Tag: Parents & Therapists

Following Your Child’s Lead 

By McKenna Jackson, M.S., CCC/SLP

When we witness a child struggling with learning of any kind, our first inclination, as adults, is to step in and teach the child the correct way of doing things. We lead the child through instructing them in the proper way as we see it. When the task at hand is learning to talk, parents may talk for the child, finish the words for them, or use controlling language, like commands and questions, while correcting their speech.

However, it is essential that the child develop the confidence to take an active role and an eagerness to express themselves independently. Follow the child’s lead in observing their interests and level of communication. When your response is appropriate for these levels, learning to talk will come more naturally and comfortably for the child.

Steps to Take:

• Wait, Observe, and Listen – In this way, the child’s communication methods may be observed. These may include pointing, eye gazing, gestures, grunts and crying.

• Give Your Child a Chance – Instead of anticipating the child’s every need, allow them to have the time to express themselves. For instance, wait to serve juice until the child makes a request for it. When the doorbell rings, wait for the child to respond before answering the door.

• Know What to Expect – After observing the child’s interests and desires along with their methods for expressing them, communication is achieved whether it be verbal, pointing, nodding, or using signs or picture boards. This is the starting level for communication — do not expect more or less. If you expect too much, you may never recognize the child’s current method of communication. If you expect too little, for instance a grunt instead of using a word the child has used before, the quality of the initiations will not improve.

• Be at the Same Physical Level – Sit together on the sofa or on the floor where eye contact can be reached with no distractions. Verbal and non-verbal methods will be more recognizable. Your responses and facial expressions will work to encourage your child’s communication skills

Rachel’s Reflections
“Study, Practice, and Teach”

By Rachel Betzen, M.A., CCC/SLP

The philosophy of “Study, Practice, and Teach” comes from Jim Rohn, author of the book Living an Exceptional Life. This simple concept he described as an important part of a person’s spiritual nourishment. However, Rohn is also a businessperson, and he was very successful using this model for business development and growth.

“Whatever is valuable to you, you must study, practice, and teach.”

The potentials for using Rohn’s philosophy within our clinic is tremendous. Doing so allows and inspires our therapists to further develop their clinical skills by encouraging them to develop skills well enough to teach them. Teaching a skill requires a higher level of understanding and the ability to manipulate information and adapt it to the student’s needs. Additionally, this is the perfect model for building the foundation of a mentorship program.

Relationships are very important, especially in a collaborative therapy setting like ours. Mentor relationships benefit all of us – the mentee, the mentor, and the whole clinic – as we set ourselves up to become an educational institution as well as a therapeutic one. Our therapists already know how to support each other, and know what to do when they need further help. Our staff is awesome and amazing, and their history of collaboration will make it much easier to step into the roles of mentor and mentee.

At our clinic, our success is measured by the lives we change.

This is true for all people involved in the therapy process at Dallas Reading and Language Services, including our students, their families, and our staff. The bottom line is, whoever comes to our clinic will have the opportunity to change themselves for the better – in all areas of their lives. Although this also includes our staff, the main focus for change is on the students. Change in the child can have a ripple effect. It can affect change in the family as incidences of communication breakdowns decrease. It can affect change in the classroom as the child better participates and experiences more academic success. It can change their social functioning as the child can better interact with and understand others.

It is my hope that we take Jim Rohn’s philosophy to heart in our workplace, as well as in other areas of our lives.

“Whatever is valuable to you, you must study, practice, and teach.”

Dear Valued Clients,

All our team at Dallas Reading and Language Services wish you and your family a joyous and happy Thanksgiving holiday season this year!

So that our team members may enjoy the holiday season with loved ones, please note that the Dallas Reading and Language Services clinic will be closed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (November 26^th, 27^th, and 28^th).

We will be back open Monday, November 30th, and will be available to do regularly scheduled visits as well as make-up visits. If your child is not already scheduled at least once that week, please let us know when you would like to come in for a make-up therapy session if possible.

Kind Regards,

Rachel Betzen, M.A.,  CCC/SLP

Dear Valued Clients,

All of us at Dallas Reading and Language Services wish you loved ones a wonderful holiday season, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Please know that our clinic will be closed from Monday, December 21^st until Friday, January 1^st, so that our team members may spend the holidays with their families and friends.

We will be open again on Saturday, January 2, 2015. We will be available to do regularly scheduled visits as well as make-up visits beginning on that day.

If your child is not already scheduled at least once that week, please let us know when you would like to come in for a make-up therapy session if possible.

Kind Regards,

Rachel Betzen, M.A., CCC/SLP

Why Do I Freak Out About That?

By Cliff Pearson

Have you ever had a reaction to something that just seemed a little over the top? For example, have you ever just freaked out at something and then wondered later what made you act like that?

In neuroscience, the study of the brain, this kind of reaction is the result of tthe triggering of a biological response in an area of the brain called the amigdyla (uh-MIG-dill-uh). The reaction is known as “amigdyla hijacking,” a term coined by neuroscientist Daniel Goleman in his 1996 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. It refers to emotional responses which are immediate and overwhelming, and out of measure with the actual stimulus because it has triggered a much more significant emotional threat.

As a communications professional for nearly two decades, and as one educated in communication theory, I can tell you with a certainty that there are people who quickly learn what words, phrases, and images will evoke these kinds of overwhelming emotional reactions in a person based on clues the person gives off, or based simply on the person’s demographics. Yes, as disgusting as it sounds, there are people who deliberately push people’s buttons to get them to do what they want — such as buy something, vote for someone, join a cause, etc.

Our founding therapist, Rachel Betzen, feels that learning to effectively recognize what words, phrases and images work as our “triggers” to these kinds of reactions can help us to overcome whatever social-emotional barriers exist in our lives, and which may interfere with our overall well-being.

In keeping with that, Dallas Reading and Language Services shares the following video link to introduce you to the concept of “amigdyla hijacking” and how you can work to overcome it.

For more information, please contact us via Facebook and we will be happy to respond:

One of our little guys is very proud to have graduated from speech-language therapy at Dallas Reading and Language Services.
Congratulations! We knew you could do it!

Social-Emotional Challenges in Therapy

By Rachel Betzen, M.A., CCC/SLP

As Dallas Reading and Language Services continues to grow our clinic, we will continue to experiment with practical ways to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing, in keeping with our whole child intervention approach to speech-language therapy.

Communication goes beyond merely the intent to express something to others. It helps us to understand ourselves, and to make changes to become the kind of person we want to be.

Developing social-emotional awareness of ourselves and others is a skill that opens doors to understanding and connection. This awareness allows us to recognize our triggers, and to have the chance to respond to them rather than react to them impulsively.

We are all developing these important skills across our entire lifespan.

The tools and ideas we use at Dallas Reading and Language Services are using come from the MindUp Curriculum, the Momentous Institute, the BePeace Connection Practice, and the Center for Nonviolent Communication. We are also beginning to add tools from Qigong.

When a child displays social-emotional barriers, here are some ideas on how parents, guardians, and teachers can work through them:

• Ask the child to identify his or her feelings and needs, or gently guess some of the child’s possible feelings and needs (“I feel _____, _____, and _____.” “When I feel this way I need/value _____ and _____”).
• Use active listening and repeat back what you think the child said (“I’m guessing you feel _____.” “You may need _____ or _____. Does that sound right?”)
• Offer comfort and try to empathize with the child.
• Share a small piece of your own vulnerability. Talk about your own weaknesses, struggles, and/or negative thoughts and beliefs with which you have dealt.
• Listen for the child’s main barriers or causes of their anxieties.
• Ask the child to identify how his or her body feels when they are in distress.
• Help the child calm him or herself with slow rhythmic breathing.

More information on these issues and ideas may be found by contacting Dallas Reading and Language Services at 214-646-1570, or by visiting our website, www.SpeechTherapyDallas.com.

Settle Your Glitter 

by Momentous Institute

Shake the glitter ball! This is like your brain when you are feeling any big emotion (excited, scared, angry, happy, sad). Wow! Look at all that glitter. It is hard to see clearly. When our brains are like this, it is harder to make good decisions and to learn.

So, we need to “Let the glitter fall” to settle. Let’s hold it really still. Let’s take some breaths together. Breathe in. Breathe out. Wow, look at the glitter settle at the bottom. Now can you see to the other side? Do you think our brains are ready and able to learn now? Take a look and see that the glitter is still there. Our big emotions don’t just go away. We still carry them with us. But now we know how to settle our glitter and get our brains thinking clearly. Now we are ready to do our best thinking!

We got this idea from Susan Kaiser Greenland in her book, The Mindful Child.

August 25, 2015

Dallas Reading and Language Services wishes parents and children good luck on their return to school this week!

We know getting everything together and working with new schedules can be very stressful for parents and kids alike.

The return of children to school for the Fall 2015 school year has created many immediately available appointment slots here at our clinic for free screenings for kids who are not in school – such as preschoolers, toddlers, and home-schooled children – between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. during the week (Monday through Friday).

We encourage anyone who has concerns about their preschool-aged, toddler, or home-schooled child’s speech and language development to contact us for an appointment.

July 29, 2015

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We have exciting news to report once again! Our clinic continues to grow, and we are pleased to announce that to better serve your child, we have hired McKenna Jackson, M.S., CCC/SLP, as our newest full-time speech therapist.

McKenna earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2012 at the University of Texas at Dallas, which she attended on the Texas Engineering Scholarship. She earned her Master of Science in Communication Disorders there two years later and she is licensed in Texas and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

McKenna has a passion for helping children. While attending college and before, she was a volunteer with Samaritan Inn, providing homework tutoring and emotional support to children aged 1-13, and for ManeGait, where she helped teach mentally and physically-challenged children to ride horses, thus gaining self-confidence and inner strength.

She has a strong technical and scientific background as well, having worked as the lab coordinator for the Developmental Neurolinguistics Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas for a year and a half.

Before coming to work with us at Dallas Reading and Language Services, McKenna worked in home healthcare and for the Frisco ISD school system, as a speech therapist.

We are very proud to have McKenna join our team, and we feel she will be an asset to both our clinic and to you our client.

Thank you for supporting our special speech therapy practice, and for helping us to change lives for children and families.

Kind Regards,

Rachel Betzen, M.A., CCC/SLP
Dallas Reading and Language Services