International Stuttering Awareness Day
October 22, 2022 just passed and was designated International Stuttering Awareness Day. Stuttering is a complex communication disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population (over 76 million people globally) and 3 million Americans. Many children go through a period of stuttering but then outgrow it, so approximately 5% of children stutter at some point in their lives.
Because stuttering is a multi-dimensional disorder, it is often defined in three parts:
* Affective: The way one feels about stuttering, such as: feeling ashamed, embarrassed, anxious, etc.
* Behavioral: The observable characteristics, such as repetitions (c-c-car), prolongations (mmmine), blocks (—-book), physical struggle, avoidance behaviors, etc.
* Cognitive: The way one thinks about stuttering and themselves, such as: thinking people don’t like them, thinking they are stupid, thinking they are less of a person, etc.
Here are some stuttering facts:
* Approximately 4 males stutter to every 1 female
* Many preschoolers who show early signs of stuttering will outgrow it. However, we cannot predict who will recover spontaneously. Speech therapy at an early age can increase the likelihood that the child will recover.
* Approximately 5% of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three-quarters of those will recover by late childhood.
* Stuttering exists in all languages and all parts of the world.
4 Ways to Teach Gratitude to Children
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5. This means that instilling gratitude in your kids at a young age could help them grow up to be happier people.
According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of School Psychology, grateful children (ages 11 to 13) tend to be happier, more optimistic, and have better social support. They also report more satisfaction with their schools, families, communities, friends, and themselves. Grateful kids also tend to give more social support to others as well.
1. Teach your child to say “Thank you”. It can help kids start to recognize when others have given them something, whether it’s something tangible like a gift, or intangible like time.
2. Ask Gratitude Questions
3. Perform Acts of Kindness
4. Model Gratitude
Two ways to establish a Gratitude Ritual with your Child: 1. At bedtime, you ask each child to say three things they feel grateful for. 2. During the car ride to school, everyone thanks someone else in the car for something.
Apple Pie Sensory Bin Fun!
Sensory play encourages learning through exploration, curiosity, problem solving and creativity. It helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development of language and motor skills.
You will need:
1. Dough: You will need 8 cups of flour mixed with 1 spoon of oil or you can use dry oats.
2. Measuring spoons
3. Apples
4. Cinnamon sticks
5. Mason jar lids
Get messy and have some fun!