Spotlight: All about milestones with KC Speech Pathology PC
/Hi everyone!
It’s Winnie again. This week I’m here to discuss the panic-inducing topic of milestones. From baby’s birth, our children are expected to meet developmental markers, and we parents are conditioned to nervously measure every little thing, worrying if our kids don’t seem “on track.”
It starts with: Is your newborn eating enough? Are they a fussy eater? How long does it take to feed them? And these milestone markers continue through talking, eating, and other developmental firsts. I remember going to my child’s one-year appointment and being asked “Does she talk? How many words does she know?” At that time, my child was saying just one or two words. Often, it was just nonsense babble and I remember thinking, Oh no! She’s behind already!
Those office quizzes made me feel so worried about what is considered normal and what to do if the baby doesn’t measure up.
Keeping track of your child’s speech language feeding development doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve partnered with Kristin Courtney MS, CCC-SLP at KC Speech Pathology PC to give you some pointers on what to expect developmentally from your infant or toddler. Kristin specializes in pediatric feeding delays and motor speech disorders. She holds a NYS speech and language license, certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Certificate of Clinical Competence; additionally, she is PROMPT certified.
How do I know if I should seek speech language and/or feeding treatment for my child?
Knowing what is “typical” and what is not, can help parents figure out if there’s warrant for concern and if they should seek out a professional opinion. Below are some developmental milestones and red flags. If you feel your child is exhibiting feeding delays, not hitting language milestones or other red flags, Kristin recommends contacting a speech language pathologist (SLP) for a speech language feeding evaluation. The SLP will help parents figure out whether the child is developing typically or if she does need some support. You can also reach out to Kristin at KC Speech Pathology PC with any questions. She provides free phone consultations, as well as full evaluations (in-home or in an office in Tarrytown).
Red flags to look out for during feeding:
Irritability: arches back, stiffens, cries or fusses when feeding
Falls asleep when feeding
Problems breast feeding
Spits up or throws up a lot
Refuses to accept food or liquid
Drools a lot or has liquid come out of nose or mouth
Long feeding time (more than 30 minutes)
Failure to accept a variety of textures of food (i.e. only eats puree foods)
Coughs or gags during meals
Has trouble breathing while eating and/or drinking
Gurgly, hoarse or breathy voice during or after meals
Recurring pneumonia or respiratory infections
Less than normal weight gain/growth
speech language therapy/ feeding therapy
Typical development milestones:
asha.org
What to expect during a consultation
The purpose for a SLP’s evaluation is to determine strengths and weaknesses and if speech language and feeding intervention is recommended. If therapy is suggested, a course of services will be recommended along with target goals, which will incorporate speech, language, and feeding goals. KC Speech Pathology PC offers a variety of services including consultations, full evaluations, ongoing therapy including PROMPT therapy and hippotherapy (speech therapy using equine movement), and social skills groups.
Individualized treatment plans are developed in order to increase feeding and language skills. Parents will also work with the SLP to develop an action plan to utilize at home.
Therapy sessions are typically 45 minutes, but these sessions can be fun! They are play-based while incorporating speech and feeding goals. Feeding sessions focus on motor weaknesses such as difficulty moving tongue, sucking, or chewing.
Sessions can address transition from bottle to solids as well as increasing the variety of foods that the child eats and having them become comfortable with different textures, temperatures, colors, food groups, and brands.
hippoTherapy
I hope that this addresses your concerns about your child’s development. If you have a question we haven't covered, Kristin Courtney MS, CCC-SLP at KC Speech Pathology PC invites you to reach out. Kristin can be contacted at (914) 582-3647 or K.SLP19@gmail.com. In the meantime, check out KC Speech Pathology PC on Instagram (@KCspeechpathology).
