STAR (Speech Therapy: Awareness and Recognition)
A newsletter for families; Fall 2012
A publication provided by:
the Division of Speech-Language Pathology
at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
STAR Feature Patient Fall, 2012
The Division of Speech-Language Pathology proudly announces Preston Ogden as the patient of the
month for July! Preston is a sweet, hard-working 3-year-old boy who loves singing, reading, and
playing with his cars.
Preston began speech therapy with HelpMeGrow when he was 2 years old. Preston’s communication
skills were very limited. He communicated mostly through pointing and using sign language. At the
time of his evaluation at Cincinnati Children’s last August, he was diagnosed with a language
impairment and was suspected of having childhood apraxia of speech. Preston produced only a few
vowels and consonants and had difficulty imitating simple words. After 8 months of speech therapy,
Preston has gone from only being able to imitate single sounds to producing full sentences!
Preston’s mother, Pamela states, “It has been an amazing experience watching Preston’s transition
Autumn
Leaf
Prints
over the past several months. When
he first
came
to Cincinnati Children’s, he could not even say
By
Lynne
Christofaris,
M.A. CCC-SLP
“Mommy” and “Daddy” clearly enough for others to understand.
Now he can sit down with us and
tell us about his day, read books, and sing songs in their entirety.”
Autumn is a wonderful time of year for rich language
Preston’s father, Ryan, faithfullydescriptions!
brings Preston
to speech
therapy
each week.
He sights
and Pamela
Take
some time
to discuss
the vivid
duringwork
with Preston every day to help Preston
succeed.
Although
this time
of year with
your talking
child. is still sometimes difficult for
Preston, he continues to practice new skills outside of therapy every day.
One way to target vocabulary is to take a walk and collect
Preston is an extremely hard worker.
someI am so proud of him!
Nominated by Lynsey Potts, MA, CCC-SLP
Preston’s speech-language pathologist
1
to school. His mother shares a secret
with him. After kissing the palm of his
hands whenever he misses her, he can
put his hands on his cheek and feel the
kiss from his mommy!
Back to School Kindergarten Books
By Katie Schrader, MA, CCC-SLP
and Lindsay Stutz, MA, CCC-SLP
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura
Numeroff
That little mouse is at it again! This is a
fun back to school book where the
familiar mouse from “If You Give a
Mouse a Cookie” is discovering school.
Younger kids may enjoy going on a
scavenger hunt around the house to find
school supplies and put them in the
lunch box. Older kids may have fun
helping to write out a list of their school
supplies. Children who do not like to
write or have trouble writing can make a
list by cutting out pictures from flyers,
magazines and newspapers.
Vocabulary: Lunchbox, backpack,
notebook, locker, science experiment,
furniture and skateboarding
Concepts: Dirty, clean, wait, if and then
“Wh” questions:

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What might happen next?
What do you think would happen if you
took a mouse to school?
Where will the boy take the mouse next?
Why did the mouse put the lunch box in
a safe place?
What did the mouse make out of clay?
Who took the mouse to school?
Other fun back to school reading:
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
Chester Raccoon is nervous about going
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for
Kindergarten by Joseph Slate.
This rhyming book shows how everyone
gets ready for the first day of school,
even the teachers!
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan
London.
Froggy is excited for school but also
starts to feel nervous. Froggy quickly
learns his way around the classroom.
Autumn Leaf Prints
By Lynne Christofaris,
MA, CCC-SLP
Autumn is a wonderful
time of year for rich
language descriptions!
Take some time to talk about the vivid
sights during this time of year with your
child.
One way to work on your child’s
vocabulary is to take a walk and collect
some beautiful autumn leaves along the
way. Take time to compare and contrast
the leaves as you collect them.
Supplies:

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
Baking Tray
A variety of acrylic paints
Assorted leaves (at least 3 different ones
of various shapes and sizes)
White construction paper
Step 1: Use a baking tray to hold the
paint (acrylics in a variety of colors).
Add as many colors as you would like
and spread them around the tray.
Step 2: Press the back of the leaves
down into the paint.
2
Step 3:
Transfer
the leaves
to the
paper and
press
down.
Concepts
that can be
targeted
include: Size (big, medium, small);
Shape (round, pointed, oval); Color
(red, orange, yellow, green, brown) and
Number of points on leaves.
When you return home, you can use the
leaves to make leaf prints with paint.
Then you will have a set of new “leaves”
to describe using the concepts targeted
during your walk.
Lastly, take time to review the sequence
of events used to make your prints (e.g.
“First we collected the leaves. Then we
spread the paint on a tray. Next, we
pressed the leaves in the paint. Last, we
pressed the leaves onto the paper”). See
if your child can tell another family
member or friend how you made the
prints using sequencing words such as
“First, Then, Next, and Last.”
Advice for Getting Ready to Go Back
to School by Pei-Pei Johnson*
1. Pick your clothes or uniform out the
night before your first day of school.
2. Go to bed early the day before
school starts.
3. You might be excited about starting
school, meeting new friends and
meeting your teachers…so you
might not be able to sleep…that’s
okay!
4. Set your alarm clock or ask your
mom or dad to set their alarm clocks
so you wake up early.
5. On the first day of school, eat a good
breakfast. Some examples could be:
fruit (apples, bananas, or oranges),
cereal with milk, graham crackers,
scrambled eggs, orange juice, grape
juice or apple juice.
6. Make sure you take a shower or bath,
brush your hair, get dressed and
brush your teeth very well.
7. Pack your backpack with school
supplies (scissors, glue, paper,
pencils, pencil sharpener,
construction paper, or pens), your
lunch box or lunch money and an
apple for your teacher.
8. Make sure you get to the bus stop
early so you don’t miss the bus.
9. Don’t be scared of your teachers
because they will not “bite” you.
Your teachers are nice and they want
to help you learn (like doing a math
problem).
10. Meet new friends by saying “hi,”
telling them your name, and giving
them a compliment (like “I like your
shirt”).
11. HAVE FUN! 
*Pei-Pei Johnson’s Speech-
Language Pathologist: Jaime
Hannan, MS, CCC-SLP
3
Pumpkin Holes
By Andrea Hansen,
MA, CCC-SLP
Pumpkins,
Pumpkins, &
More….Pumpkins!
Ingredients:
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1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
For Coating
 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
 2/3 cup sugar
 2 tbsp. cinnamon
Multi-Step Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray
mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking
spray.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and
spices in a bowl and whisk together.
3. In another bowl, mix the oil, brown
sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.
4. Pour the sugar mixture into the flour
mixture and mix together.
5. Fill the mini muffin tins almost full
and bake 10-12 minutes.
6. While the muffins are baking melt the
butter in a small bowl.
7. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in
another small bowl.
8. After the pumpkin holes cool for a
few minutes, dip them in the butter and
then roll them in the sugar-cinnamon
mixture.
Language Activities:
 Present the directions as listed above.
The next time that you make the
recipe, have your child give the
directions to you. Besides including
multi-steps, these directions include
amount (almost and full) and time
concepts (while and after). Provide
pictures or words to help your child
remember, as needed.
 Help your child build associations by
discussing why we tend to make
pumpkin recipes during the fall.
Also discuss other things you can
make with pumpkins (pumpkin pie,
pumpkin muffins, etc.). Ask which
what pumpkin recipe they like or
would like to try and prompt them to
ask you as well (to help build an
understanding that people may like
different things).
 Work on describing skills by talking
about how the pumpkin poppers taste
(soft, sweet, etc.).
 Think about comparisons by
discussing what would happen if you
used regular muffin tins vs. mini
muffin tins.
Recommended Fall Books:


Talk about how the books relate to fall,
just like your cooking experience.
Emphasize seasonal vocabulary words.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid
of Anything by Linda Williams
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
Winnie the Witch by Korky Paul and
Valerie Thomas
*recipe from Domestically Speaking;
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/
4
Then, ask the teen to paraphrase
the meaning of the underlined
sentence using “his own words”.
This paraphrasing helps the
parent to examine if the teen
truly understands the meaning of
the sentence.
Supporting Reading and Writing in
Adolescents
By Christine Lackey, MS, CCC-SLP
Parents can play a key role in facilitating
teenagers’ reading comprehension and
writing skills. In particular, teenagers
with language impairments may require
specific teaching examples or models of
the desired strategy. The following ideas
have been used by both professionals
and parents to assist teens in improving
their reading and writing skills:
1. Prefixes and Suffixes
Improve the teen’s awareness and
use of common prefixes and
suffixes. Improvements in reading
comprehension and vocabulary
development can result.
Prefixes: re- (again); un- (not);
pre- (for); anti- (against); tri(three)
Suffixes: -less (without); -ful
(filled with); -ness (a state of);
-ly (every, like)
2. Understanding Complex Sentences
In a novel or a textbook, locate
complex sentences containing
important connecting words such
as: otherwise, instead, after all,
although, when, because,
however, therefore, in addition,
on the other hand, instead of…
Underline the sentence. Ask the
teen to read the sentence written
before and the sentence written
after the underlined sentence.
3. Vocabulary Development
Increase knowledge of vocabulary
from school subjects. Use the
“LINCS” strategy to give the teen
multiple ways to make associations
with the target word.
LINCS Strategy: Use an index card.
The teen writes the vocabulary word
on one side and the definition from
the textbook on the other side. On
the side with the definition, the teen
writes a definition in his “own
words” and draws a picture to show
the definition. Next, the teen finds a
rhyming word or similar sounding
word to help him remember the
vocabulary word. Identify synonyms
and examples of the vocabulary
word. Finally, do a memory self-test
of the word and the definition.
Example index card:
Gregarious:
(Paraphrased Definition):
Likes to be around other people; sociable
= “Greg” + “Gari” + “us”
(pronunciation & spelling use)
Example: My friend, Sarah
Synonyms: outgoing, social
5
Connecting Words for Use in Writing:
Meaning:
Cause-Effect
4. Graphic Organizers:
Improve the teen’s written or verbal
explanations of reasons or problem
solving by asking the teen to write
complete answers to WHY questions
related to a novel or a textbook.
Provide a specific organizer to guide the
teen in developing a complete response.
Descriptiondefinition
Comparing
Answering WHY Questions
Find and mark the “key” words in the
question.
Use the “key” words to begin the first
part of your answer.
Give the reason that was mentioned in
your reading or from your own
experience.
To give
examples
Problemsolution
Find two or more facts in the paragraph
to support your reason.
Summary: That is why…
*If another reason is given in your
reading, go through the middle two steps
again. (Reason + 2 supporting details)
5. Linking Written Sentences:
Provide a list of connecting words to
improve the teen’s ability to link ideas.
Sequence or
procedure
Connecting Words
or Phrases
as a result; because;
thus; consequently;
therefore; for this
reason; if-then;
affected; influenced;
hence; since
defined as; refers to;
labeled as; is
someone who; is
something that;
can be interpreted as;
describes
in contrast;
similarly; the same
as; different than;
but; yet; although; in
spite of; on the
contrary; on the
other hand
for example; such as;
that is; namely; to
illustrate; for
instance; another; an
example of
one problem is;
another problem is;
the issues are; the
solutions are; a
solution to this
problem is; a
possible solution is
first; next; then;
now; last; finally;
before; after; earlier;
later; following;
meanwhile; soon;
until; since;
beginning; during;
while
6
6. Note-Taking Skills:
Develop the teen’s note-taking skills.
Provide a guide for organization of
notes based on selected segments of
information in the textbook. Work
with one paragraph at a time.
Encourage the teen to use the first
and/or the last sentence of the
paragraph to locate the main idea.
Then, the teen can write one or two
word phrases to take notes on the
supporting details. The parent may
need to guide the student to locate
the most important details to include
in the notes. Avoid use of entire
sentences. Ask the teen to practice
paraphrasing the notes by
summarizing the information in the
main idea and detail sections.
Teens often have difficulty putting
together the important facts in order
to draw appropriate conclusions.
Discuss how the details fit together
and the conclusions that result by
modeling your thought process.
“From reading that paragraph, I think
the writer wanted me to know…”
Teens often benefit from the parent
talking through the thought process
while demonstrating the strategy.
Examples:
Note-Taking Web:
Web for Paragraph Information
Student Web
Note Taking Framework:
_______ Notes
Main
Ideas:
Details:
Main
Concepts:
Conclusion:
Teens that struggle with language often
require parental support beyond the
elementary school years to strengthen
their confidence and to build specific
language skills or learning strategies to
be successful in the academic
environment. Parents need to take an
active role in supporting teens’ reading,
writing and studying skills. Repeated
application and guided practice will
boost your teen’s confidence in using
skills and strategies to tackle the
increasingly complex language demands
of the classroom.
References:
1. The National Joint Committee on
Learning Disabilities. (2008).
Adolescent literacy and older
students with Learning Disabilities.
ASHA, Technical Report, 1-12.
2. Ward-Lonergan, Jeannene. (2011).
Supporting Literacy Development in
Adolescents Through Written
Language Intervention. Perspectives
in Language and Learning, 85-92.
7
*Refer to the Division of Speech-Language
Pathology’s handout, “Guidelines for
Determining the Frequency of Therapy” for
further information on the different models
of therapy frequency.
Pictures in Newsletter; Thank You!
Page 5; Front: Benjamin Turcotte,
Finnegan McGuire Back: Jacob Yockey,
Jake Hamann and Nolan Cheung
Phasing Out of Therapy by Briana
Corcoran, MA, CCC-SLP, Amanda
Niehaus, MA, CCC-SLP and Stacy
Justice, MS, CCC-SLP
At the time of the evaluation, your
child’s speech and language were
compared to those of other children of
the same age, gender, ethnic, cultural
and linguistic background. Therapy was
recommended to target skills that your
child did not demonstrate during the
evaluation. Your child’s therapy
sessions were designed based on what
you considered the most important for
your child’s success. Partnering with
your child’s speech-language pathologist
is important in order to increase your
confidence in working on these skills
with your child at home. Progress and
parent confidence are continuously
considered during the course of therapy.
Your child’s speech-language
pathologist may determine that the
current model of therapy is no longer
needed based on your child’s progress
and your confidence. You and your
child’s speech-language pathologist will
discuss changing the model of therapy,
which may include fewer visits or a
discharge from therapy. Discharge from
therapy occurs when expected goals
have been reached, services are more
appropriate at school, you are confident
in managing child’s communication
problem or therapy no longer results in
progress.
Page 8; Left Column, Left to right: Nolan
Griffith, Lindsay Stutz, MA CCC-SLP,
Maxwell Baker, Henry Jarman, Daniel
Morrey, Pamela Little Hayes – occupational
therapist, holding River Graham and Colton
Hill; Lower Right Column: Colton Hill
Page 9: Right Column; Alexa and Brooklin
Buskey
Page 10: Left Column; Top: James
Kauffeld with his mother Katie
Right Column; Top: Shea Benson with Irv
Wollman, MA CCC-SLP, BRFS
Helpful Hints From Your
Child’s Speech-language
Pathologist:
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Practice, practice,
practice! Your child
will improve faster and
carry-over speech and
language goals into
everyday activities.
Stay organized! Back
to school means many schedule
changes for families. Record therapy
appointments in your mobile device
or keep a family calendar handy.
Please remind you child’s speechlanguage pathologist if you must
miss an appointment. With advance
notice, your speech-language
pathologist may be able to
reschedule your appointment.
8
Join us at Cincinnati Walks for Kids!
Greetings Speech-Language Pathology
Families! Walk with our team "Speech
Pathology" on Saturday, October 20,
2012 at Cincinnati Walks for Kids
benefitting Cincinnati Children's
Hospital Medical Center. All proceeds
that our team raises directly benefit our
Speech-Language Pathology department.
This year, we continue...
"WALKING for TALKING!"
This 3-mile, non-competitive walk at
Coney Island offers fun for the whole
family. Celebrate with the medical
center, speech-language pathologists,
patients, families and friends during the
opening ceremony, and enjoy
refreshments, world music, crafts and
more. Receive a free walk t-shirt if you
raise $25 or more, plus many other great
prizes!
Registration:
http://giving.cincinnatichildrens.org/netc
ommunity/walkingfortalking
Make sure to join our team - "Speech
Pathology".
Preschool Fall Activities by Marlo
Mewherter, MS CCC-SLP
Fall is right around the corner and this is
a perfect time to work on your child’s
language skills!

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I am walking for talking! Are you??
Thank you!
Jena Feichtner, MA, CCC-SLP

Carve different types of faces on
pumpkins. Label how each pumpkin
looks (i.e. angry, happy, sad, etc.).
Talk about you and your child’s
feelings.
Talk about the 4 seasons and the
changes in the weather, sunlight,
trees and animal habitats.
Make a fall poster with pictures of
holidays, family activities (i.e.
football practice, birthdays, etc.),
back to school, leaves and pumpkins.
Talk about how they all symbolize
fall.
Make a family obstacle course
outside. Use short sentences to talk
about the actions (e.g. She is
jumping in leaves. Dad is hopping
around the pumpkins, etc.).
Work on prepositions with a small
pumpkin. You can also make
pumpkins out of construction paper.
Take turns hiding the pumpkin. Talk
about where you found it (i.e. under
the table, in the leaves, on the chair,
etc.).
Take time to enjoy this wonderful
season!
9
Early
Childhood
Development
Conference for
Parents and
Caregivers
Many professionals will be talking
about:

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
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


Hearing and Effects of Ear Infections
Medical Diagnosis and Referral
Information
Speech and Language Development
Fine and Gross Motor Development
“Picky Eaters” and Nutrition
Sensory Integration
Social-Emotional Development
Date: September 29, 2012
Time: 8:30 AM 2:00 PM
Location: Cincinnati Children’s
Hospital Anderson Satellite, 7495 State
Road, Cincinnati, OH 45255 Please
enter downstairs in front of the building.
We’ll be in a Mercy Healthplex
Conference Room.
Online Registration is Required:
To register and see full brochure with
program schedule, presenter
information, course description, and
learner objectives, go to the following
website address and click on the event
title for this seminar.
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/speech
Registration: $15; Continental
Breakfast Provided by Whole Foods
Fluency Friday
Plus (Nov 2nd &
3rd): Event for
Families & Youth
who Stutter!*
Fluency Friday Plus
is an intensive program for Greater
Cincinnati children and teenagers who
stutter. Celebrating our 12th event,
Fluency Friday Plus 2012 will be held
on Friday, Nov. 2 (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) and
Saturday, Nov. 3 (8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.) at
Vineyard Community Church, 11340
Century Circle in Tri-County.
In 2011, 63 children and teenagers
received individual and group treatment
at FFP. More than 20 Greater Cincinnati
speech-language pathologists mentored
and supervised graduate clinicians from
the University of Cincinnati and
Bowling Green State University, who
provided treatment for the participants.
FFP also included a parent and sibling
program on Saturday
morning. Presentations by national
experts in treating stuttering were
provided to the parents. The experts
provided advice ranging from
appropriate treatment for people who
stutter, how to talk to your child about
stuttering and how to deal with teasing.
The cost per person for the event is $20,
which includes registration, food and
materials. Scholarships are available
based on financial need. All children and
teens are welcome to attend the event.
To register, contact Diane Games at
[email protected]. Information and
applications: www.fluencyfriday.org.
*Fluency Friday Plus is supported by the Ohio Speech
Language Hearing Association (OSHLA), the
University of Cincinnati, Bowling Green State
University, Hamilton County Educational Service
Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical
Center Division of Speech Pathology.
10
Division of Speech Pathology Family Newsletter Feedback Form*
Please take a few minutes to read and review our family newsletter. An optional prize coupon is
located on the next page. We will keep your information completely anonymous. Please fold your
feedback form and place it in the feedback form envelope. Please place the raffle coupon on page
12 in the raffle envelope. We will pick a few lucky winners from all the entries to receive a gift
card or prize. Deadline for submitting coupons is October 21, 2012. THANK YOU!
I am a:
Patient
Family member
of a patient
Parent Education Advisor
What story did you enjoy the least?
I/we attend speech-language pathology
services at the following location(s):
Anderson___ Base___
College Hill__
DDBP___
Drake___ Eastgate___
Fairfield___ Harrison___ Liberty___
Kentucky___ Mason___ Perlman Center ___
Home Care___
How long has your child been receiving
speech therapy? ____Months
Including this issue, how many issues of
STAR have you read?
1___ 2___ 3___ 4 or More___
Do you have any topics/ideas that you
would like to see addressed in future
issues of star?
What story did you enjoy the most?
Please read this material and rate it using the following scale:
Does
Not Apply
Poor
OK
Great
1. The titles of the newsletter stories describe the content.
2. The newsletter is easy to read and understand.
3. I can easily pick out the key points.
4. The pictures and drawings are easy to understand.
5. Medical and speech-language pathology terms
are explained, as needed.
6. Overall, what did you think of this material?
7. Would you recommend this material to your family or friends?
If no, why not?
Yes
No
8. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?
*Form adapted from University of Washington Medical Center, Patient and Family Education Services, Easy Writer 4.0 worksheet
11
Prize Coupon for submitting a feedback form! 1 per child, please.
Child’s Name:
________________________________________________________
Age:
_________________________________________________________
Therapy Location: _________________________________________________________
Phone Number:
_________________________________________________________
My Child’s Speech-Language Pathologist:
_________________________________
I am willing to have my child’s picture in the next issue of Star, if they are chosen as a
winner! Yes/No:
_______________________________________________________
THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!
12
*Parent Workshop*
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
How the Evaluation Process Works
Presentation by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of
Children with Disabilities
Tuesday October 9, 2012
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The First Step in Getting an IEP is the Evaluation.
Learn what an evaluation is, how to request one, how to decipher the Evaluation
Team Report and what to do if you get stuck. Frequently used evaluation tools
will also be discussed.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Fifth Third Bank Auditorium – Location D
3333 Burnet Ave. Cincinnati OH 45229
Presentation is FREE, but RSVP required.
Space is Limited. Call now to reserve your spot!
Family Resource Center: 513-636-7606 OR email: [email protected]
Free Parking available in the visitors garage
The auditorium is located directly across from the cafeteria.
See http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/visit/directions/burnet/default/ for directions.
This parent workshop is sponsored by the Family Resource Center at Cincinnati Children’s and is being presented by
The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD). OCECD offers training sessions and
workshops on a variety of topics of interest to parents of children with disabilities and to the professionals who serve
them. OCECD training sessions provide parents with the information they need to become informed members of their
child's Individual Education Planning Team.
Division of Therapeutic Recreation
SENSORY MOTOR GYM:
FREE PLAY!
All children can benefit from sensory motor based
play (touch, smell, taste, vision, and hearing)
regardless of ability as it is vital to proper
development.
Sensory Motor Gym provides sensory, fine motor,
and gross motor play, all supervised by a Recreation
Therapist.
Ages:
Day:
Dates:
Time:
Fee:
Contact:
Parents/guardians can join the children in the
Sensory Motor Gym or use the other recreation
facilities LeBlond has to offer.
Location:
2-5
Thursdays
Oct. 4 - Dec. 6
10:30-11:30am
$50/10 sessions*
or $10/session*
Kristen
(513) 352-4055
LeBlond Recreation
Center
2335 Riverside Dr.
MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE
Cincinnati, Ohio
Code:
45202
SMGF12
*All-CRC Membership Required.
$10/youth
www.cincyrec.org • InfoLine: 352-4000
Recreation programs and facilities are open to all citizens regardless of race,
gender, color, religion, nationality or disability. CRC is an Equal Opportunity
Employer and is committed to supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Please call if you require any special accommodations.