It’s been quite a time since Covid came our way. Our children lost a lot of ground over the two year period in all areas: Social, Behavioral, Academic and Communication Skills. School based speech and language therapy is no longer an automatic service provided to students due to a severe shortage of Speech and Language Pathologists. While we are in this period of dire need, please consider working with an SLP in private practice. The advantages are many: your child’s school day is not interrupted by them having to leave the classroom for speech therapy, sessions are prepared and presented for your child individually instead of a small group in which your child gets reduced attention, the private therapy setting is cozy with a relaxing atmosphere for your child and services are provided in all speech and language communication areas: articulation, receptive language, expressive language, stuttering, voice disorders, apraxia, auditory/language processing, which includes reading and writing

Payment: Insurance frequently covers 80-100% of the cost; initially there is usually a copay which, when fulfilled, goes to zero and payment is made in full by insurance. Sometimes, if a school cannot provide the necessary speech/language therapy services recommended for your child at a Planning and Placement Team meeting, the school system will pay for outside services.

Speech and language skills are the foundation of communication and communication is the foundation for all learning. Let Connecticut Therapy Associates help get your child back on track. We can help!

In another month it will be time for the “Back to School” song! The need for Speech and Language Pathologists in public and private schools is at an historic high right now. Connecticut Therapy Associates provides Telehealth therapy using FaceTime and Zoom. These days, Telehealth therapy has become the preferred style of speech and language therapy. Here are some of the reasons why:

1) Sessions are more convenient because there is no travel time…either to the office or back and forth from the classroom

2) Sessions can be shorter because they are more intense – this has been proven to be more effective for students to reach their goals and be released from services sooner than the historic twice a week for thirty minute sessions usually held in school

3) Sessions are individual – no wasted time while students “wait their turn” to participate because they are in a group

4) Sessions can easily be scheduled before or after school – even in the early evening depending on the child’s age

5) Parent communication is immediate directly with the Speech and Language Pathologist – there are no PPT meetings and no IEP. Therapy services are outlined after an initial meeting with your child and by the second session we are ready to go!

6) Therapy programs are individually tailored specifically for your child – fun homework is provided that is short, meaningful and provides the necessary carry over of new skills

7) Safety! COVID-19 is still around and remote sessions offer the safest option for your child

These are just a few important reasons to consider a preferable alternative for providing your child with speech and language therapy. Call today with any questions you may have or to discuss enrolling your child for the school year. We can help!

Maryalice M. Stone, M.S. CCC-SLP, AET

Phone: 860-455-1334

Fax: 860-455-9487

It’s that time of year again — final days of school approaching and plans for the summer are in the making. Have you considered having your child continue building speech, language, reading, writing and social skills over the summer? Here’s what is offered at Connecticut Therapy Associates:

• Speech therapy for articulation, voice, stuttering and dyspraxia
• Language therapy for receptive and expressive language skills
• Reading programs using the FastForWord family of products and Sound Reading Solutions
• Writing programs tailored to meet your child’s areas that need improvement
• Social behavior skills

While we are still using Teletherapy (Zoom and Facetime) to deliver services, we have found that there are some definite advantages: travel time is reduced to zero because the student is working from their home computer, weather is no longer a factor and masks are not necessary!

Contact us to find out more about what we can offer your child over the summer to keep their skills up to or beyond grade level. Adults are welcome as well! Services include all of the above with additional programs for accent reduction and executive functioning.

Call or text Connecticut Therapy Associates: (860) 455-1334. We can help!

Maryalice M. Stone, M.S., CCC-SLP, AET

Speech and Language Pathologist

Cognitive Communication Specialist

Believe it or not, summer sessions here at Connecticut Therapy Associates are filling up fast! While the main focus this summer will understandably be on having family and friends over for barbecues, getting the kids outside for bike riding, swimming and camping and just enjoying our lives as they approach normal again, there is another opportunity this summer that will have long-term payoff. What is that? This summer is a great time to help your children improve their reading levels and catch up on speech therapy issues that weren’t able to be effectively taken care of this past year due to Covid.

Sessions here at Connecticut Therapy continue to be “Zoom Sessions” at least for the summer…just to be extra safe. Our most popular and effective program for improving the cognitive and language skills necessary for successful reading (decoding and comprehension) is the Fast ForWord family of products. Sessions can be either 3 days a week for 50 minutes each or 5 days a week for 30 minutes each. By the end of August, you child will be at or above his/her grade level in reading!

Therapy sessions are also offered for articulation (sound production), stuttering, improving understanding and expressing language, accent reduction and executive functioning skills.

It’s been a tough year. Connecticut Therapy has programs that can get your child back on track for a successful school year in the Fall. You’re invited to call so we can discuss the options that fit your needs. Connecticut Therapy can help!

Maryalice M. Stone, M.S., CCC-SLP, AET

Speech and Language Pathologist

Cognitive Communication Specialist

(860) 455-1334

I think this past year has been described in every way, over and over (and over and over…) again, so let’s look ahead to better times – especially for our children and their learning opportunities! Connecticut Therapy Associates is still up and running using the virtual approach. It took some getting used to, some creativity and a lot of patience, but we’re rolling along quite smoothly now and the kids are doing very well with it. Sessions tend to be shorter (30-45 minutes) mostly because the kids are on screen time so much with school and video games that their eyes and concentration become fatigued more quickly. No matter, though, because it looks like distance learning in total or in combination with reduced classroom time is probably here for awhile.

Connecticut Therapy continues to offer Speech and Language Evaluations along with Therapies for Reading, Memory, Attention, Processing and Sequencing using the Fast ForWord Program and the Sound Reading Solutions Program. Therapy is also available for Articulation, Executive Function, Stuttering, Voice, Language Comprehension and Expression. If you have Zoom or Face Time, we’re in business!

If you have any questions regarding your child’s speech and language development or the need for therapy services, please don’t hesitate to contact the office by phone, text or email. Sometimes a conversation with questions and answers is enough to put your mind at ease, and sometimes after talking about your concerns we find that an evaluation and possible treatment is what’s best for your child. So give a call….we can help!

As the summer starts to wind down and you’re all getting ready to start another school year,  is that same quiet frustration returning where you’ve been trying forever to find the cause of your child’s learning struggles? Do you suspect that it could be an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)? I frequently hear from parents how difficult it is to get the right diagnosis and treatment for their child, especially when many learning or attention issues can look very similar.

What I’ve found is that many auditory processing disorders (APD) exhibit symptoms similar to those found in attention deficit disorders, such as:

*Being easily distracted

*Non engaging in class

*Not following directions

Teachers and parents may feel like children with APD are not trying, not paying attention, or being disruptive when, in fact, what’s happening is that they try to pay attention but cannot follow what’s being said and eventually give up. These children may receive a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD with treatments that fail to address the underlying issues.

If you suspect your child might have an Auditory Processing Disorder, I can help you determine the next steps in providing a program that can help improve processing speed and accuracy.

Feel free to call, text or email. I can help your child start this upcoming school year with new skills and improved academic confidence.  Let’s make it a stress-free, successful year for your child….and you!

Yes, Summer is coming to a close and it’s time to think about getting all those school supplies on the provided lists, checking to see that shoes still fit and helping pick out that outfit for the first day of school. Traveling vacations are pretty much over now – everyone has had their annual family and friend get-togethers at cottages, camps, ocean condos and grandparents’ houses. A bit of melancholy, and perhaps a little tension, is starting to fill the air as the countdown gets closer to that first day of school. BUT WAIT!! The most challenging task for parents is how to fit in the all important sports schedules! While I totally respect and support the need for kids to have healthy, skill building physical outlets, as a speech and language pathologist who works on kids’ cognitive growth, it  becomes my end-of-summer responsibility to remind parents that working on speech and language skills, helping children learn to process information at the warp speed it comes in, helping them to make enough sense of all the new information received every minute of everyday to be able to respond to it verbally and/or in writing is an enduring, life long skill from which EVERY child will benefit!

Many of my parents are discouraged and wonder why their child(ren) work all day at school then another 2-3 hours on homework. Did you know that the National Education Association recommends that children in first grade receive 10-20 minutes of homework per night, children in second grade should receive 20-30 minutes and third graders should receive 30-40 minutes per night? Most teachers assign far more than this. It is not unusual for my second and third graders to be working for 2-3 hours per night on homework! What are teachers thinking?! Many of the children I work with have difficulties with language – vocabulary, processing sounds, memory, sequencing and sound-letter relationships. Given these underdeveloped skills, take a wild guess how much more time these kids spend on their homework. No wonder school is not a popular option! Now add in sports time…usually 2-3 times per week (if you’re lucky and games are on the weekends), plus karate, plus music lessons, plus dance, plus scouts…well, you get the idea. They’re all good outlets and definitely worthwhile for your child, but how much can you expect from someone who is 7, 8, 9 or 10 years old?

Recommendations? Think about these: 1) If your child is struggling with academics, make it a priority to get him/her specialized, professional help. Understanding and using language is the key to all success.  2) Absolutely have your child participate in sports..BUT limit your child’s involvement either by time or number of activities. Is it really necessary to be on all the school sports teams AND the town recreation teams AND the competitive regional teams? 3) S-L-O-W down the day for your child. Have a chat about the day..in the morning over breakfast (turn the TV off!), leave a note in his/her lunchbox, dare I suggest you have a conversation if/when you pick your child up after school or sports practice..without the radio on, the earbuds in or the video games?

Yes, Summer is almost over and it’s time to transition into Fall and the new schedule. I hope these thoughts give you pause to help you organize your child’s time and activities. Remember, the REAL long term goal is to help your child become an adult who can communicate effectively, prioritize work and play, and, above all, be healthy and happy!

Spring is right around the corner and so are parent-teacher conferences, end-of-year Planning and Placement Team meetings and penciling in summer plans. This is a great time to think about keeping your child’s brain up to speed during the vacation from school months. Connecticut Therapy Associates is already taking reservations for summer programs. Individual, small group and larger social group sessions are offered. The Fast ForWord Programs and Sound Reading Solutions will catapult your child’s language and reading skills for an “upgraded” return to school in August and September. Programs in articulation boost your child’s ability for being understood by others and raise his or her self-esteem as they become aware that clear speech is empowering! Also offered are programs for establishing and maintaining fluency. Flexibility in scheduling allows for family vacations, summer camps and some down time before school starts up again.

Call today to discuss your child’s speech, language and cognitive needs and to learn about summer program possibilities. Together, we can do this!

As I sit here in this deep freeze of a day and watch the birds and squirrels enjoying their food from my window, I am reminded that the last blog I entered was in the SUMMER! Apologies with a well intended new year’s promise to stay current in 2014. We have passed the first marking period and all the ‘big’ vacations are over. Now it’s time to settle back down and get to work for the remainder of the school year. I continue to receive numerous referrals for children who are having difficulty with reading – comprehension a bit more than decoding. Kids are by and large great at memorizing letters and their corresponding sounds. For many children, however, memorizing doesn’t translate to learning all the rules and exceptions to the rules of our English language. By second or third grade, we see children who are pretty frustrated with reading, don’t understand what they read and decide they just don’t like to read. If this brief description reminds you of your own child, here’s something to think about: At Connecticut Therapy individual programs are offered that help your child truly learn skills in the areas that are critical to reading success: working memory, attention, processing and sequencing sounds, words and information. Programs here help your child organize his/her brain so strong, enduring networks are established. Yes, this can happen! Call today for more information. Until next month’s thoughts, enjoy the remainder of January and stay healthy in body AND brain!

Hi everyone,

There are still some times available here at CTA for you to schedule your child or children..Fast ForWord continues to be an incredibly successful program for kids to improve in the areas of Memory, Attention, Processing and Sequencing..all skills that are required for reading decoding and comprehension.

A new summer ‘Book Club’ has been added to the roster here. Students are bringing their summer reading requirements and we’re using them to improve reading and writing skills. Just think..no more frantic rush to finish those summer book reports the day before school!

Also in full swing is the Sound Reading Solutions program which increases your child’s decoding and reading fluency skills.

School will be back in session before you know it (only 8 more weeks!) so this is the best time to improve your child’s speech, language, reading and writing skills. Wouldn’t it be great if your child started his/her new school year with STRONGER skills than when they left in June?
Call today: 860-455-1334 to schedule an initial evaluation appointment and demonstration of programs offered here at Connecticut Therapy Associates. We can help!