Promote Speech and Language Development: Tools to Help Your Toddler Talk April is Autism Awareness Month. Speech Delay can coincide with Autism. Communication is always a goal for toddlers, whether communication delay is present or not. You can benefit from tools to promote speech and language development whether your little one is meeting communication milestones or not. Let's look at tools to help YOU help your toddler talk. Start with Sign Language Starting with or relying on sign language is not a hindrance to speech development - quite the opposite! Children mimic motor movements or move their bodies sooner than they say words. Using signs to communicate can help your child get their needs met and reduce frustration while facilitating the use of spoken words. Use Mirrors Liberally What little one doesn't like to look at themselves? They may like to communicate with their reflection. Full length mirrors are great to show body movements that are an important pre-speech in
Content warning: mentions cancer and death If I had a dollar for every time a patient came into my office and said they “want to be checked for cancer,” well…I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog post! There is no single universal test for cancer, but common things happen commonly. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined ( cancer.org ). Screening for colorectal cancer should be on your list to be “checked for cancer.” For those at average risk, screening for colorectal cancer should begin at age 45 ( cdc.gov ). If you want to know more about colorectal cancer incidence, risk factors and screening methods, then check out last week's blog post here . I am at increased risk for colorectal cancer, because my father died from complications of colon cancer when he was only 45. So though I’m only in my thirties, I’ve already had my first screening colonoscopy, which is the gold standard screening method for individuals at hig