In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca Robbins, a pediatric speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with young children with autism, apraxia, and other conditions that impact communication.

You’ll find this conversation extremely helpful if you’re a parent of a toddler and you want to know how to interact with them in a way that helps them to build the speech and communication skills they need to thrive.

During this interview, we talk about:

How you can help your child develop essential skills such as “communicative intent”, so they can share their wants and needs.
Common signs of nonverbal communication that people often miss, and why noticing these signs is critical for your child’s development
Signs and symptoms of diagnoses that impact both speech and language development in children, such as autism or apraxia of speech.
Tips for playing with your child in a way that facilitates language and cognitive growth.
How to push your child out of their comfort zone in a healthy way, so they can expand their skills and become more independent and connected.
How to use your child’s interests to make nonpreferred tasks (homework, cleaning, chores) more engaging.
How to increase your child’s ability to focus on a task (even if they are extremely active).

To connect with Rebecca Robbins, you can visit her website here, follow her on Instagram at @mindshaperslp or visit her Facebook page here.

If you want a SIMPLE tool that will help you get through daily routines (like homework) with ease, WITHOUT bribery, arguments, or constant hand-holding, then check out the Time Tracking Journal.

The Time Tracking Journal walks you through a strategy you can do in just 10-15 minutes a day that will help kids get tasks done effectively and efficiently, and critical thinking skills and self-confidence at the same time. You can learn how to get instant access here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/time-tracking-journal-37-1/

The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding.

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time.

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

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Outro

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