Interview with Liz Chapdelaine; an amazing Speech Therapist with great insight into SPD kiddos!Hartley: Welcome Liz! Thank you so much for joining me here on my blog! My readers are really looking forward to learning more about how SPD affects their kids’ language—Are you ready?
Liz: I hope so!
Hartley: Just to catch my readers up to speed, Liz worked with Gabriel for about a year during Kindergarten. She was an amazing help for Gabriel and our family (Do you know how many visual aids we have? lol). Liz, can you tell my readers a little bit about your background? How did you get on this path to helping kids with Speech Language issues?
Liz: In college, I started my degree in elementary education. I took the course Introduction to Communication Disorders as an elective, and instantly knew that this was the field for me! To become a Speech Language Pathologist, I majored in Communication Disorders in undergraduate school and then achieved my Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. I have been practicing now for 16 years (and still loving it!).
Hartley: No way--16 years?!? I would never have guessed. :) I know you have worked in the public school system; what are the benefits and/or drawbacks to private speech therapy vs. school based in your experience?
Hartley: Just to catch my readers up to speed, Liz worked with Gabriel for about a year during Kindergarten. She was an amazing help for Gabriel and our family (Do you know how many visual aids we have? lol). Liz, can you tell my readers a little bit about your background? How did you get on this path to helping kids with Speech Language issues?
Liz: In college, I started my degree in elementary education. I took the course Introduction to Communication Disorders as an elective, and instantly knew that this was the field for me! To become a Speech Language Pathologist, I majored in Communication Disorders in undergraduate school and then achieved my Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. I have been practicing now for 16 years (and still loving it!).
Hartley: No way--16 years?!? I would never have guessed. :) I know you have worked in the public school system; what are the benefits and/or drawbacks to private speech therapy vs. school based in your experience?
Liz: I really enjoyed the public school setting and miss some aspects very much. I valued being part of a team and was able to directly help the kids with their educational goals. Unfortunately, I had so many kids on my caseload that my time with each one was very limited. Also, school districts have specific criteria that the students have to meet in order to qualify for services. Many of the kids who I tested and knew would benefit from speech therapy did not qualify for services. In private practice, I have the freedom to work on skills that impact the children’s lives in broader ways. Sometimes, a minor skill deficit can be addressed at an early age allowing the child to catch up rather than waiting until it becomes a bigger deficit and therefore much more difficult to overcome. In addition, in private practice, I get to know the children and their families much better. This is always very helpful in supporting them.
Hartley: I have actually experienced that myself; Gabriel definitely benefited from private Speech a great deal: even when he didn't qualify at school. As moms to special needs kids, we often feel like we over react to every little thing; can you give some ideas to my readers with young kids (think around the age of 2) of what to watch out for? Are there early indicators that it is time to get an evaluation?
Hartley: I have actually experienced that myself; Gabriel definitely benefited from private Speech a great deal: even when he didn't qualify at school. As moms to special needs kids, we often feel like we over react to every little thing; can you give some ideas to my readers with young kids (think around the age of 2) of what to watch out for? Are there early indicators that it is time to get an evaluation?
Liz: Here is a general guideline:
By the end of 7 months, many children are able to:
· turn head when name is called
· smile back to another person
· respond to sound with sounds
· enjoy social play (such as peek-a-boo)
By the end of 1 year (12 months), many children are able to:
· use simple gestures (waving “bye bye”)
· make sounds such as “ma” and “da”
· imitate actions in their play (clap when you clap)
· respond when told “no”
By the end of 1-1/2 years (18 months), many children are able to:
· do simple pretend play (“talk “on a toy phone)
· point to interesting objects
· look at object when you point at it and tell them to “look”
· use several single words unprompted
By the end of 2 years (24 months), many children are able to:
· use 2 to 4 word phrases
· follow simple instructions
· become more interested in other children
· point to object or picture when named
By the end of 3 years (36 months), many children are able to:
· show affection for playmates
· use 4 to 5 word sentences
· imitate adults and playmates (run when other children run)
· play make-believe with dolls, animals and people (“feed” a teddy bear)
Hartley: Great information! I also have many readers who currently have their kids in Speech Therapy, and many more think they should go back. Generally speaking, what kind of issues do you see in your practice on a day to day basis?
By the end of 7 months, many children are able to:
· turn head when name is called
· smile back to another person
· respond to sound with sounds
· enjoy social play (such as peek-a-boo)
By the end of 1 year (12 months), many children are able to:
· use simple gestures (waving “bye bye”)
· make sounds such as “ma” and “da”
· imitate actions in their play (clap when you clap)
· respond when told “no”
By the end of 1-1/2 years (18 months), many children are able to:
· do simple pretend play (“talk “on a toy phone)
· point to interesting objects
· look at object when you point at it and tell them to “look”
· use several single words unprompted
By the end of 2 years (24 months), many children are able to:
· use 2 to 4 word phrases
· follow simple instructions
· become more interested in other children
· point to object or picture when named
By the end of 3 years (36 months), many children are able to:
· show affection for playmates
· use 4 to 5 word sentences
· imitate adults and playmates (run when other children run)
· play make-believe with dolls, animals and people (“feed” a teddy bear)
Hartley: Great information! I also have many readers who currently have their kids in Speech Therapy, and many more think they should go back. Generally speaking, what kind of issues do you see in your practice on a day to day basis?
Liz: I see kids with Apraxia, Auditory Processing Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Articulation Disorders, Social Pragmatic Disorders and Language Disorders.
Hartley: Some families I talk to, seem to not understand exactly how SPD affects their child’s speech, and more importantly, how they process verbal (heard) information. Can you tell me a little bit about how that works?
Liz: Poor auditory processing can manifest in a variety of ways including impairments in academic performance, communication and self-esteem. The following behaviors are often seen in children with Auditory Processing Disorders:
· deficient listening skills
· discrimination problems (hearing the wrong words)
· problems following verbal directions
· distraction by background noises (air conditioning, fan, people talking)
· poor organization of verbal messages (including word-retrieval issues)
· oral and written expression difficulties
· difficulty remembering what they hear
· difficulty learning to read
Auditory processing involves the auditory system, the cognitive system, the language system and the sensory system. All of these need to be working and integrated to process auditory information well.
Hartley: What if my kid has great articulation—meaning he is easily understood: Does that mean that he doesn’t have Auditory Processing issues?
Liz: Many children with auditory processing disorders develop articulation skills that are intact. Good articulation (or clear speech without sound errors) is not enough information to rule out auditory processing issues.
Hartley: Like you already know, all of our kids like to know what to expect, and more and more, us parents need the same! When you are bringing in a new client, tell us how the process works. What kind of testing do you do?
Liz: Generally, when I first meet the child, the parents fill out an intake packet with child’s developmental history and background. I often administer standardized tests that address the area(s) of concern. The amount of testing really depends on how much has been done previously as well as parent and insurance requests.
Hartley: In your experience, do SPD kiddos tend to have the same trouble areas? What types of concerns are most common for kids with SPD?
Liz: Many children with SPD are either hypersensitive (over-sensitive) or hyposensitive (under-sensitive) to sound. Both of these can lead to auditory processing issues. Both can impact regulation and arousal which can impair processing and attention to auditory input. This is one of the reasons that so many children with SPD benefit from therapies like The Listening Program. Children with SPD often have difficulty following verbal directions (and processing verbal information in general), have difficulty developing reading skills and are distracted by background noises (or even appear to shut down when there is too much auditory stimulation).
Hartley: I joked about the Visual Aids earlier, but I am sure my house wouldn’t run without them (I have 5 major ones we use every day for routine)! Why are visual aids so important for SPD kiddos?
Liz: Often, children with auditory processing deficits are very visual learners. Their learning styles are more visual and that is a strength that can be built upon. The visual support helps the children to process the message. In addition, the visual supports are concrete and can be referenced repeatedly so that the children can prompt themselves rather than having a verbal message repeated over and over (which can be frustrating for the parents and the child). It should be noted that some children with SPD have difficulty integrating auditory and visual information. In these cases, it is important to offer the visual and verbal input separately (i.e. “look, then listen”).
Hartley: That makes sense--the visual support sure does work at our house. I noticed when you were working with Gabriel, that you used a computer. I am amazed that technology has moved along so far—is everything computerized?
Hartley: In your experience, do SPD kiddos tend to have the same trouble areas? What types of concerns are most common for kids with SPD?
Liz: Many children with SPD are either hypersensitive (over-sensitive) or hyposensitive (under-sensitive) to sound. Both of these can lead to auditory processing issues. Both can impact regulation and arousal which can impair processing and attention to auditory input. This is one of the reasons that so many children with SPD benefit from therapies like The Listening Program. Children with SPD often have difficulty following verbal directions (and processing verbal information in general), have difficulty developing reading skills and are distracted by background noises (or even appear to shut down when there is too much auditory stimulation).
Hartley: I joked about the Visual Aids earlier, but I am sure my house wouldn’t run without them (I have 5 major ones we use every day for routine)! Why are visual aids so important for SPD kiddos?
Liz: Often, children with auditory processing deficits are very visual learners. Their learning styles are more visual and that is a strength that can be built upon. The visual support helps the children to process the message. In addition, the visual supports are concrete and can be referenced repeatedly so that the children can prompt themselves rather than having a verbal message repeated over and over (which can be frustrating for the parents and the child). It should be noted that some children with SPD have difficulty integrating auditory and visual information. In these cases, it is important to offer the visual and verbal input separately (i.e. “look, then listen”).
Hartley: That makes sense--the visual support sure does work at our house. I noticed when you were working with Gabriel, that you used a computer. I am amazed that technology has moved along so far—is everything computerized?
Liz: No, there are many fantastic, effective computer programs that are helpful in building the foundational skills for auditory processing (auditory memory, auditory segmentation, auditory discrimination, auditory syntheses and rhyming). That is only part of an effective speech-language treatment session. It is also important to put these skills into use in other types of activities to help with generalization.
Hartley: I have heard, from friends that their Speech Therapist is able to give them a definitive timeline for when things will improve; like your child “will be able to say “r” in three months”. This hasn’t been my experience, and I am wondering if the kinds of issues that SPD kiddos struggle with are things that ever truly resolve, or if they just get better/easier? How do you know when your kid is finished with Speech Therapy?
Hartley: I have heard, from friends that their Speech Therapist is able to give them a definitive timeline for when things will improve; like your child “will be able to say “r” in three months”. This hasn’t been my experience, and I am wondering if the kinds of issues that SPD kiddos struggle with are things that ever truly resolve, or if they just get better/easier? How do you know when your kid is finished with Speech Therapy?
Liz: That is a great question. I hesitate to give families timelines, every child is different and has their own timeline for development and progress in therapy. In my experience, kids with SPD (and many other issues) improve and learn techniques to compensate for their deficit areas. It is important for the parents to play a role in the decision of when therapy is finished. The decision is usually based on a combination of one or more of the following:
standardized test result
reported performance at school
observation of the child in a variety of settings
parent concerns
Hartley: Liz, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for us! For my readers that live in the Seattle area, and need some help with their child, what is the best way to reach you?
Liz: I am easily reached by phone at (425) 314-1716, e-mail at lizchapdelaine@gmail.com and your readers are welcome to look at my website for more information http://www.bloomingspeech.com/ .
Hartley: Thanks again Liz, you are such a wonderful resource for all of us parents out there. Gabriel is better for having you as a part of his “team”!
Liz: Thank you!
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