Episode #037: Language Development Milestones – A Chat with Allison Fors

https://youtu.be/o6fnU1Xi4po

Allison Fors is an SLP, blogger, and product creator. She has worked in both a school and private setting, and is now a stay-at-home mom focusing on her resource creation. Today we’re discussing the big word in the development world; milestones. What does that even mean? 

A milestone is a skill that 90% of children are doing at that age. The problem is, we often treat milestones as averages, when an average is about what 50% of children are doing and that is where you see a bigger gap.

When looking at milestones, it’s important to understand the difference between expressive and receptive. Expressive is how the child communicates, whether verbally with words or through signs and gestures. Receptive is what the child understands. Children will typically have a higher receptive communication. If you have a pre-verbal child, determine how they are expressing physically and the amount they can show they understand.

It’s not just about the milestones, you have to look at the whole child. Figure out what their speech looks like, physical development; you really need the big picture. Allison, as a product creator, has developed easy-to-read graphics for the milestones and all of the areas that Speech-Language Pathologists cover. It has such a broad scope of practice and this can be helpful for determining what SLPs can help with and how. Allison has also created a grammar resource for older children where there isn’t a lot of guidance in the SLP world.

The more charts there are for guidance to help parents and professionals, the better. Looking at milestones, If you have concerns, do not wait. Get your child assessed by a pediatrician or in a clinic. If you’re on a waitlist like so many families, there are always options out there if you’re able to pay for private care. There are also online options.

Allison’s advice for professionals to look at the whole child. Do not get sucked into these developmental marks. There are so many pieces of the puzzle that could really change the direction of therapy or the level of concern. Her advice for parents is don’t wait, time is precious and it is better to be safe than sorry when talking about the development of your child.

I am coming out with a toddler course that you can find on my website. It’s going to be great information for parents and professionals. In this episode, I share some important information that will be included. Be sure to get on the waitlist!

What’s Inside:

• What are milestones for speech and language?
• How to analyze the milestones, whether you’re a parent or professional. 
• How to look at the whole child to understand the whole scope.

Today’s Guest:

Allison is a speech-language resource author who lives in California with her husband, son, daughter, and 2 cats. Her interests include early language development and incorporating sensory needs into therapy sessions. You can find her at allisonfors.com sharing preschool therapy ideas and much more.

Mentioned In This Episode

—@ABASpeechByRose
—ABA Speech – Join the Waitlist!
—ASHA: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
—LinguiSystems, Inc.
—Allison Fors – Speech Therapy Ideas & Resources
—Allison Fors | Speech Therapy (@speech.allisonfors) on Instagram
—Allison Fors – Speech Therapy on Facebook
—Allison Fors | Speech Therapy on Pinterest
—Speech Therapy Development Handouts by Allison Fors | TpT
—FREE Speech Therapy Handouts by Allison Fors

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