Setting Realistic Goals for Communication Development in the New Year

The New Year often comes with big aspirations, but when it comes to communication development, small, achievable steps are the key to success. Whether you’re a parent supporting your child’s speech progress or an adult working on personal communication skills, setting realistic goals is essential for maintaining motivation and tracking improvement.

Start with Where You Are

The first step is understanding current abilities. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often conduct thorough assessments to pinpoint specific strengths and challenges. For instance, ASHA emphasizes that individualized goals should align with evidence-based practices and realistic expectations. A baseline not only guides progress but also ensures goals are personalized to your unique situation.

Break It Down

Large goals, like “speak more clearly” or “reduce swallowing challenges,” can feel overwhelming. Instead, try smaller, actionable objectives, such as improving one sound at a time or introducing a new safe swallowing strategy during mealtime. Research highlights that targeted practice, when paired with measurable steps, fosters quicker progress (ASHA, 2021).

Build in Flexibility

Life happens, and setbacks are part of the journey. Plan for adjustments and celebrate small victories along the way. For children, this might mean recognizing the joy of mastering a single word. For adults, it might be successfully navigating a social conversation. Remember, progress doesn’t need to be linear to be meaningful.

Partner with Professionals

One of the most powerful tools for achieving communication goals is a trusted team. SLPs bring expertise in speech, language, and swallowing challenges and can help set meaningful, manageable objectives. Working with professionals ensures your efforts are evidence-based, as ASHA’s guidelines suggest focusing on collaboration between SLPs and caregivers to achieve the best outcomes.

Celebrate Progress

Don’t forget to look back on how far you’ve come! Use progress as a motivator to keep going. After all, New Year’s goals are about improvement, not perfection.

This New Year, let’s make communication growth a journey worth celebrating. If you’re ready to partner with us at SaSS KC, we’re here to help you set and achieve goals tailored to your needs. Let’s make this year one of connection and confidence!

5 Fun Winter Activities to Encourage Communication Development

Winter isn’t just for snow angels and hot cocoa—it's also the perfect time to sprinkle a little communication development into your child’s play! With these five fun and evidence-backed activities, you can support your child's speech and language growth while making magical memories together. All of our activities are supported by current research from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

1. Snowy Storytelling

When the snow comes down, bundle up and build a snowman or fort together, then create a backstory for your frosty friend or snowy structure. Encourage your child to name their creation and craft a mini adventure.

Why it works: Narrative skills foster vocabulary growth and sequencing abilities, vital for language development.

2. Hot Chocolate Chats

Whip up some hot chocolate and add a twist—marshmallow questions! For each marshmallow added, ask a question about your day or favorite winter activities.

Why it works: Interactive conversation strengthens turn-taking and builds pragmatic (social) language skills.

3. Winter Word Hunts

Take a stroll (indoors or out) and create a scavenger hunt for winter-related words, like “sled,” “gloves,” or “snowflake.” You can also snap photos and label them together.

Why it works: Labeling objects improves word retrieval and builds vocabulary breadth.

4. Cookie Creations and Directions

Bake winter cookies and let your child “play chef” by giving simple, step-by-step instructions: “Add the sprinkles!” or “Mix the dough!”

Why it works: Following multi-step directions enhances auditory processing and comprehension skills.

5. Arctic Animal Charades

Play charades with a frosty twist! Act out animals like penguins, polar bears, or owls, and guess what they are.

Why it works: Pretend play improves symbolic thinking and encourages descriptive language use.

With these activities, you're not just enjoying winter but building communication skills to last a lifetime. Don’t forget to let us know which activity your family loved most—snow joke, we love hearing your stories!

Understanding Speech Delays: Signs, Causes, and When to Seek Help

Parenting is full of surprises, but noticing that your little one isn't speaking as expected can leave you scratching your head (and Googling late at night). Speech delays are more common than you might think, and understanding them is the first step toward supporting your child's communication journey. So, let’s "talk the talk" about what a speech delay really is!

Signs to Keep an Ear Out For

Speech delays don’t mean your child isn’t trying their best. Typical signs might include limited babbling as an infant, difficulty forming simple words by age two, or struggling to combine words into short phrases by three. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), other indicators could include challenges with clarity, limited vocabulary, or difficulty following simple directions.

Think of your child’s speech development like a recipe — sometimes, one ingredient might be missing or added a little late. That’s where intervention comes in to "spice things up."

Why the Delay?

Speech delays can have various causes. Sometimes it's related to hearing issues, while in other cases, developmental disorders like autism or motor planning difficulties (such as childhood apraxia of speech) play a role. Environmental factors, such as a lack of exposure to language, can also contribute. Whatever the reason, knowing the "why" can help us shape the "how" of addressing it.

When to Seek Help

If your parental intuition is sounding the alarm, don’t hesitate to reach out to a speech-language pathologist (SLP). ASHA recommends early intervention, as catching delays early can lead to better long-term outcomes. Think of it like fixing a squeaky wheel — the sooner it’s addressed, the smoother the ride.

Why SaSS KC?

At Speech & Swallowing Specialists of KC, we provide tailored evaluations and therapy right in the comfort of your home. Our compassionate team understands that every child’s journey is unique, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way. No judgment, just results — and maybe a little fun along the way.

Speech delays don’t have to be scary. Let’s make it a team effort to help your child find their voice, one word at a time. Ready to chat? Contact us today!