Do mornings with your young children often feel hectic? Does starting the day with TV or iPad games set the wrong tone for the rest of your day? Beth from the website Days with Grey has a solution: start the day with simple, intentional, play-based learning activities! In this episode of Unbabbled, Beth, a teacher turned stay-at-home mom turned business owner, discusses how starting the day with engaging learning activities can set parents up for a day of playing and teaching children new skills, all while giving parents a few minutes to relax and enjoy their coffee. Throughout the episode, Beth gives ideas of how to bring these simple activities into your daily routine, explains her philosophy on teaching through play, and shares her favorite activities to do with her boys. About Our Guest:Beth is an educator certified in K-12 with a master’s degree in reading. After teaching for 13 years, she started Days with Grey in 2016 to share the educational activities she was doing with her two boys. Now a mom to three boys, Beth shares her Breakfast Invitations and activity cards with families all over the world through her blog and Instagram. We hope today’s episode inspires you to start you day with play! Related Links: Days with Grey website Days with Grey Instagram Unbabbled Instagram Support the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Unbabbled

At-Home Toddler Activities with Beth from Days with Grey | Season 3, Episode 11

Do you ever wonder why your child with ADHD has trouble getting started on chores or homework? Have you noticed that they get off track when following seemingly simple instructions? Or does preparing to leave your house in the morning often feel chaotic? Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Kimberly Harrison discusses why individuals with ADHD operate differently and how parents can best support them. Additionally, she provides advice on how to help get things done more efficiently, so everyone can start enjoying more peace and harmony in the home. This episode includes questions submitted by parents of children who have ADHD. If you are interested these Q&A type discussions, be sure to check out The Parish School’s Adult Education series for more live events.  Dr. Kimberly B. Harrison is a clinical psychologist who diagnoses, treats and does research with persons who have ADHD. She is passionate about helping parents and children discover their personal giftedness and develop ways to use these strengths to overcome areas of deficit. Related Links:The Conative Group The Parish School Adult Education Series Support the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

At-Home Support for Children with ADHD Featuring Dr. Kimberly Harrison | Season 3, Episode 10

This special episode was recorded in February 2020 at the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (TSHA) Annual Convention in Houston, and is being released in conjunction with the 2021 Virtual TSHA Convention. In this episode, we speak with Meredith Poore Harold, PhD, CCC-SLP, about the importance of evidence-based practice, barriers clinicians face in implementing evidence-based practice, and how her business, The Informed SLP is helping clinicians to put research into practice. About Meredith HaroldMeredith Harold is a speech-language pathologist, science communicator, speaker, and founder of The Informed SLP.  Meredith received her doctorate from the University of Kansas in developmental speech physiology and neuroscience. Since then, she has worked as a school-based SLP, an assistant professor at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, and has owned a private practice. Meredith&apos;s current professional endeavors focus on understanding, supporting and advancing research and clinical practice in speech–language pathology. She founded The Informed SLP, a website and series of email newsletters that provides speech-language pathologists with evidence-based research in an way that’s friendly, realistic and efficient. She is also president of the Kansas Speech–Language–Hearing Association, is on the Committee on Clinical Research, Implementation Science, and Evidence-Based Practice for ASHA, is an adjunct faculty at The University of Kansas. On top of all that, Meredith hosts a podcast called, Evidence & Argument.Related Links:The Informed SLPThe Informed SLP on InstagramConnect with Meredith HaroldSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

BONUS EPISODE: Being an Informed SLP with Meredith Harold

Mompreneur Julie Friedman joins us this episode to discuss her journey to bringing sensory-based play into her home. Julie is the owner and founder of Young, Wild & Friedman, a Houston-based company that ships sensory play kits worldwide. She shares her inspiration for starting her business and gives a first-hand account of how sensory-based play has positively impacted her daughter’s development. She shares similar stories from other families. We also discuss simple steps parents can take to bring sensory-based play into their own homes.About Julie FriedmanJulie is a mother of four. Her oldest child was diagnosed with a speech disorder coupled with anxiety. In 2017, she started Young, Wild & Friedman to help other parents integrate sensory play into their own children&apos;s lives and takes pleasure in knowing that each kit plays a small role in a child&apos;s development.Related Links:Young, Wild & Friedman websiteYoung, Wild & Friedman InstagramUnbabbled InstagramThe Parish School BlogSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

At-Home Sensory-Based Play Activities with Julie Friedman | Season 3, Episode 9

Licensed professional counselor, Amanda Armbruster, provides advice for supporting children’s social and emotional development at home. Hear meaningful tips to help children through everyday challenges, including how to navigate big emotions in public places, how to deal with low impulse control, what to do when you feel your child “knows better,” and ways parents can model self-regulation behaviors. While Amanda gives many useful strategies, her greatest message is that all kids are good kids. When challenging behaviors pop-up, children have merely gotten off track or are struggling with something difficult for them. Mother of two, Amanda is the founder of Take a Break Tots, a place for parents and caregivers to receive advice and strategies for promoting positive emotional development. She also works at a private clinic doing individual and group therapy, parent training and school consultations. Amanda’s goal is to take the information she has gathered from the clinical world and bring it to all parents and caregivers.About Amanda ArmbrusterAmanda Armbruster, MEd, LPC, earned a Master’s of Education in Counseling from the University of Houston. While in graduate school, she took an internship with an incredible Child Psychologist, Dr. Michelle Forrester. Amanda completed her post-graduate internship at Dr. Forrester’s office as well. Now, she continues her work there part-time doing individual and group therapy, parent training, and school consultations as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Amanda wants to use her experience as a children’s therapist to help caregivers become the most confident they can be and provide a strong foundation for children. Amanda wants to bring her knowledge and expertise in child development from the clinical world to the average household and classroom.Related links:Take a Break Tots website@Takeabreaktots on InstagramDr. Michelle Forrester&apos;s website@unbabbled on InstagramThe Whole-Brain ChildSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

At-Home Activities That Support Your Child’s Social-Emotional Development with Amanda Armbruster | Season 3, Episode 8

Reading specialist, Jordan Boyce, shares practical, easy and fun ideas that parents can do at home to support their elementary-aged child’s (ages 5-9) learning. Throughout the episode, Jordan provides hands-on, engaging activities to support a child’s developing reading and math skills using materials most families already have on-hand, like Legos, Magnatiles and dixie cups. She also provides book recommendations for early readers that hold children’s attention while still easily read independently.  About the SpeakerJordan Boyce, MEd, LDT, CALT, is a licensed dyslexia therapist (LDT) and certified academic language therapist (CALT) based in Houston, with a passion for working with students who have reading and learning difficulties and their families. She received a bachelor&apos;s degree in education and a master’s degree in special education from Texas Christian University. Jordan has over ten years of experience working with children who have learning challenges. She has previously worked at both The Parish School in Houston and at Rawson Saunders School in Austin. Jordan has a private practice, Boyce Literacy Services, where she provides academic language therapy, consultations, evaluations, and a variety of parent support services.Related links:Boyce Literacy Services websiteHouston Branch of International Dyslexia AssociationFollow Boyce Literacy on InstagramFollow Unbabbled on InstagramSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

At-Home Activities That Support Your Elementary Student’s Learning | Season 3, Episode 7

Elementary teacher Wendy Garza, Wendy provides a variety of simple, engaging and practical activities parents can do at home with their tween (kids ages 9-12) to support their academic learning. tips on using children’s interests to drive fun inquiry-based learning projects, provides methods for engaging children when practicing reading, and discusses the benefits of getting your child into the kitchen!About Wendy Garza, MEdWendy is a bilingual special education teacher at The Parish School in Houston. She received her Master’s in education from the University of Texas – Arlington with a focus on teaching early literacy to children with autism and developmental delays. Wendy has experienced working in the public school as an elementary general education and resource room teacher and as a middle school history and economics teacher at a South Korea boarding school.Related Links:The Complete Cookbook for Young ChefsThe Birthday Party ProjectBooks Between KidsGeneration Serve HoustonSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

At-Home Activities That Support Your Tween’s Learning | Season 3, Episode 6

Dr. Alain Katic of Houston Clinical Trials joins us to answer parents&apos; and professionals&apos; questions about mental health and medication. He discusses how to tell if a medication is working, how long it takes to see changes, and provides information on side effects parents may see with certain medications. Many questions asked are related specifically to children who have speech, language and sensory processing difficulties. In addition, Dr. Katic provides background information on many common medications, including those used to treat ADHD, and gives a variety of parent resources for those seeking more information. This episode is recorded from a live virtual adult education session hosted by The Parish School in Houston, TX.About Alain Katic, MDDr. Katic is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He has an extensive background in psychopharmacology, autism, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, migraines in children and adolescents, adolescent and adult ADHD, and bipolar 1 depression. He has served as Medical Director for numerous hospitals and treatment facilities, including Houston Clinical Trials, where he currently serves as President and Medical Director. Dr. Katic and his research have been successfully published in reputable scientific journals and presented at scientific meetings.For over 17 years, Dr. Katic has served as a principal and sub-investigator on over 200 Phase I-IV clinical trials in adult, adolescent and child psychiatry. As a principal investigator, he has conducted clinical trials for a comprehensive spectrum of indications, including ADHD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, sleep disorders and substance abuse. Related LinksHouston Clinical Trials website: Houston Clinical TrialsSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Mental Health and Medication with Dr. Alain Katic | Season 3, Episode 5

The holidays are here, and our hosts are discussing several tried and true tips to help parents prepare for the challenges the season may bring. These tips are provided with children who have language and social challenges in mind, but they’re excellent for trying with all children as well.This episode was originally recorded and released in December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Holiday celebrations look very different in 2020, but many of these ideas are applicable for any year! In fact, this year, more than ever, it’s important to talk with your children ahead of time about changes and expectations for family activities, model self-care, and focus on staying regulated. From all of us at Unbabbled, Happy Holidays!Support the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Tips to Survive and Thrive During the Holidays | Season 3, Episode 4

Social-emotional learning is a vital part of education and development. Self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills are necessary for school, work and life success, but these skills may require direct teaching for children who have disabilities.In this episode, we chat with Elizabeth Sautter, who provides practical strategies parents can use to build their child’s executive functioning skills, and help them to manage emotions and navigate social situations. Elizabeth also provides resources that parents can use to support their children’s goals at home. Throughout the episode, she doesn’t just focus on children, Elizabeth frequently stresses the importance of self-care for adults and gives realistic ideas beyond just bubble baths!About Our GuestElizabeth Sautter, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist, author and presenter specializing in social and emotional learning for families. She is the founder of Make Social Learning Stick which provides consultation, training and resources to help children, teens and their families build skills and strategies to manage emotions, navigate social situations, and achieve their goals. She is author of Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick!, which provides parents with practical activities to help children manage emotions, navigate social situations and reduce anxiety. She is also co-owner of Communication Works, which provides speech therapy to schools and individual clients. Elizabeth has completed a mentorship with Michelle Garcia Winner for Social Thinking® and has co-authored two popular children&apos;s books, Whole Listening Larry at Home and Whole Body Listening Larry at School. Elizabeth is a collaborative trainer for Zones of Regulation and co-author of its game and storybooks. On a personal note, she has two teenage sons, a sister and cousin with additional needs related to social communication, self-regulation and executive functioning challenges. This makes her work not just a career, but a life endeavor.Related Links:Make Learning Stick WebsiteMaking Learning Stick Parent TrainingsMaking Learning Stick BookFollow Elizabeth on InstagramSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Social-Emotional Learning: Practical Activities Parents Can Implement at Home | Season 3, Episode 3

Caring for a child with special needs, such as a communication disorder, learning difference or complex medical diagnosis, can be overwhelming. Families planning for the future of a child with special needs could benefit from additional support and financial resources. In this episode, we speak with financial planners Bryan Smith and Tinja Anderson of MassMutual Greater Houston to learn the basics of planning for your family’s unique financial needs. They provide clarity on complex issues like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security benefits, different types of trusts families with special needs may use, and what to keep in mind when planning for the future. They also share the types of services they provide to families to give holistic support now and through the next 20, 40 or 60 years.About Our GuestsBryan Smith is a financial planner for MassMutual Greater Houston who works with families to develop customized Life Care Plans using unique and personalized strategies that maximize financial efficiency. His passion to serve is born out of his personal journey and growth as the oldest brother to a sibling with special needs. He relates to siblings and parents about the highs and lows of caring for a person who has disabilities. Bryan assists families with a myriad of issues including understanding and accessing public benefits, preserving benefit eligibility through special needs trusts and guardianship concerns.Tinja Anderson is a financial strategist whose mission is to leave anything she touches better than she found it. She is passionate about assisting her clients by reducing their fear of not having enough, and by working with a team of special care planners who assist her clients in navigating the complex world of special needs. As a sibling of someone who grew up with a severe speech disorder, she knows how important it is to find a community of support.You can follow the Greater Houston MassMutual SpecialCare Team on Facebook for upcoming free webinars.Helpful Links:Greater Houston MassMutual SpecialCare websiteSpecialCare Team Facebook PageSpecialCare Team ResourcesSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Long-Term Financial Planning for Families of Children with Special Needs | Season 3, Episode 2

With an estimated 15-20% of the population showing signs of dyslexia, it is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties in children and persists throughout life. Yet, there is still a lot of confusions among the public, including parents and teachers, when it comes to understanding this learning disability. In this episode, we sit down with reading specialists Alison Edwards and Meagan Rosales to discuss dyslexia, including the red flags to look for, when and how to get a diagnosis, ideas parents can implement at home and best practices for intervention. We also debunk some of the most common dyslexia myths. About Our GuestsAlison Edwards is a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT) and a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) in Houston. With more than 23 years of experience in the school setting, she offers dyslexia intervention for struggling students and consulting services to parents and teachers. Alison helps navigate the daunting questions raised when children struggle in the classroom. She provides dyslexia therapy both in-person and online to help students reach their full potential. Meagan Rosales, MEd, is a Reading Intervention Specialist at The Parish School. She earned her Master’s in Education from the University of St. Thomas in 2014. She also holds teaching certifications for Special Education EC-12, Generalist EC-6 and Reading Specialist EC-12. Meagan has a special interest in teaching children with learning differences how to read. She loves being at The Parish School because she has space to incorporate a variety of strategies to meet the needs of individual students.Related Links:Alison Edwards&apos; websiteHouston Branch of the International Dyslexia AssociationSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Dyslexia Diagnosis and Intervention | Season 3, Episode 1

If there is one thing we’ve learned since March 2020, it’s that the rules of our society are frequently changing! The way we grocery shop, go out to eat, attend school, have birthday parties, and even interact with family members have all been altered. With changes to the social rules and expectations occurring in almost every aspect of your child’s life, it’s important to address these adjustments and teach your child how to figure out the new rules and also adapt to them. During this bonus Unbabbled episode, Meredith and Stephanie discuss ways to support your child through the ever-changing social norms during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on front-loading situations, looking for clues in new situations, and problem solving when new changes occur.Support the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Help Your Child Adjust to Frequent Changes in Social Norms | Season 2, Episode 15

Have you ever sent a text asking someone how they’re doing and received the reply “great.” You may have interpreted it as your friend is having a wonderful day. However, they might have actually been having a horrible day and meant “great” sarcastically. Understanding a person’s meaning behind their words (otherwise known as pragmatic language ability) often requires knowing a lot of contextual clues, including tone of voice, body language and facial expressions. “Great” with an eye roll is vastly different from “great” with a smile. These subtle clues can be difficult to detect in many pragmatic language assessments, yet they are a large factor in determining if a person has a social communication disorder and pragmatic language difficulties. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Adriana Lavi about her new video-based pragmatic language assessment, the Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs). She discusses her clinical background, what led her to develop the assessment tool, and why this assessment can be more accurate in detecting pragmatic language disorders. This interview can help parents and educators understand why their child may have scored well on other language assessments, yet they struggle with reading these ever-important social cues in real situations. About Dr. LaviAdriana Lavi, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a practicing licensed school-based speech-language pathologist with more than 15 years of experience working with children and young adults who present with a variety of communication disorders. She currently supervises speech-language pathologists in three school districts in Southern California. Dr. Lavi developed the Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs) and founded the Lavi Institute for Research and Professional Development, where she completes research and develops a variety of treatment programs. She has also served as an assistant professor at the Department of Communicative Disorders at Loma Linda University. Her primary research interests focus on pragmatics, and the assessment and treatment of culturally and linguistically diverse students with communication disorders. Dr. Lavi is also a mother of four young, highly energetic little boys, ages 6, 5, 4 and 18 months. Related links:  The Lavi Institute for Research and Professional Development - Lavi Institute Lavi Institute Video Resources - Lavi Institute on YouTube Lavi Institute Instagram Where to find the CAPs - Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics Support the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Dynamic Testing for Social Communication Disorders Using the CAPs with Dr. Adriana Lavi | Season 2, Episode 14

Raising a child in a bilingual household? Hear from bilingual speech-language pathologist, Jacquilyn Carcamo, as she discusses language development and the many common misconceptions held by families, educators and even therapists in supporting children learning to speak more than one language. She provides guidance in determining whether a bilingual child is struggling with a language disorder or if their difficulties are due to learning a second language. In addition to her clinical expertise, Jacqui touches on her personal experience growing up in a bilingual family.About JacquiJacquilyn Carcamo, MA, CCC-SLP, is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist at The Parish School and The Carruth Center in Houston. She has experience in pediatric and adult settings, working with patients with a variety of communication, swallowing and feeding disorders, as well as working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She is Hanen-certified in “It Takes Two to Talk” and “More than Words.”  She enjoys furthering her education in communication disorders and staying current with research-based practice. Jacqui has a passion for naturalistic intervention and family collaboration. In addition to her work at The Parish School, Jacqui provides freelance consulting, training and resources to speech-language pathologists who work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations through Habla Cadabra SLP.Related LinksFind Jacqui on Instagram: Habla Cadabra SLPAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Information Page: ASHA Bilingual Service DeliveryASHA’s Speech-Language Pathologist Search Page: ASHA ProFindSupport the show (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportTPS?code=New%20Website)

Bilingualism and Language Development with Jacquilyn Carcamo | Season 2, Episode 13

Navigating the world of special education, communication delays and learning differences can be a challenge. Tune in twice a month to hear Stephanie Landis and Meredith Krimmel, two speech-language pathologists at The Parish School in Houston, Texas interview guests from parents to industry professionals with the goal of providing guidance, insight and hope to those touched by children who are differently wired. Each episode will cover a different topic related to education or child development. Whether you’re the parent or caregiver of a neurodiverse child who has autism, a speech-language delay or a learning disability, or you’re an educator who works with special needs children, this show is for you.

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Unbabbled

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