>>> WELCOME BACK.
PLAY.
IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE FUN, BUT
IT IS ALSO A CRITICAL
DEVELOPMENTAL SKILL IN YOUR
YOUNG CHILD'S SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE, AND LACK OF IT CAN
ACTUALLY BE PRETTY SERIOUS.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
THERAPIST KYLE MEADES FROM
THE THERAPY GROUP OF TUCSON
IS HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF PLAY.
COME ON.
WHEN WE SAY "PLAY", WHAT DO
WE MEAN?
>> AS SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS
WE WORK WITH CHILDREN FROM
SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS OF AGE
ALL THE WAY TO 8 YEARS OF
AGE, B WITH YOUNG KIDS
ESPECIALLY, WE USE PLA
SKILLS TO ELICIT SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE SKILLS.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE A
RANGE.
AS A PARENT, WHEN DO I
INTRODUCE PLAY?
>> YOU CAN DO THAT VERY
EARLY ON.
WE HAVE SOME CHILDREN WHO
COME TO US PRETTY EARLY ON,
8, 9, 10 MONTHS OF AGE, AND
WE USE PLAY SKILLS TO ELICIT
CERTAIN TYPES OF SOUND,
INTERACTION, EYE GAZE,
REQUESTING.
THESE KIDS DON'T HAVE THE
GANG BASEYE
-- THE LANGUAGE
BASE YET, SO WE USE PLA TO
ELICIT THOSE SKILLS.
YOU HAVE 1, 2, AND
3-YEAR-OLDS.
THEY LEARN BY PLAY BECAUSE
IT'S FUN, IT'S SAFE, IT'S
WHAT THEY KNOW.
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH KIDS
THROUGH THE CONCEPT OF PLAY
TO GET THEM LABELLING AND
REQUESTING.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE GET
CHILDREN, AND WE GET THAT
REFERRAL, SOME KIDS HAVE EAR
INFECTIONS, SOME KIDS HAVE
DISABILITIES, SO THEY DON'T
GET TO INTERACT WITH OTHER
CHILDREN APPROPRIATELY.
WE USE PLAY SKILLS TO TEA
THEM CONCEPTS ON, OFF, OVER,
UNDER,IN, OUT.
ALSO SPEECH.
WE WANT TO GET THE KIDS
TALKING, WE WANT THEM SAYING
WORDS, PHRASES, SENTENCES.
WE DO THAT ALL IN THE
CONTEXT OF PLAY.
>> IS THERE A WAY BETWEEN
JUST I'M PLAYING WITH MY KID
AND WE'RE HAVING FUN AND
REALLY MAXIMIZING IT --
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SOME PARENTS SAY, HEY,
DURING THE SESSION, YOU'RE
PLAYING WITH THE KIDS.
ABSOLUTELY.
BUT FOR INSTANCE, LET'S SAY
YOU HAVE A 12-YEAR-OLD
CHILD, AND YOU TICKLE THEIR
FOOT, AND THEY LOOK AT YOU,
AND THEY SAY UNH!
THAT'S A SOUND THAT YOU'RE
ELICITING FROM THE CHILD, SO
YOU WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT.
YOU WANT TO GET THE EYE
GAZE.
YOU WANT THEM TO REQUEST
THAT AGAIN.
KIDS ARE LOOKING AT YOUR
FACIAL EXPENSIONS, IT'S
ATTENTION, IT'S
CONCENTRATION.
WE USE PLAY ALL THE TIME.
>> AND, YOU KNOW, A PARENT
CAN TELL THINGS IN A CHILD
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE --
THERE'S THAT CONNECTION, SO
IF A PARENT IS FEELING A
LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO PLAY
AND WHERE THEIR CHILDREN ARE
IN THATDEVELOPMENTAL-SKILL
PORTION, WHAT DO THEY DO
WITH THAT CONCERN?
>> THE FIRST THING T DO IS
TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN.
WE GET MANY REFERRALS EVERY
MONTH FOR CHILDREN SUSPECTED
OF HAVING SPEECH AND
LANGUA DELAY.
WE'LL DO A COMPLETE
EVALUATION FOR SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE.
WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE
PROBLEMATIC AREAS.
BUT ONCE WE GET THAT CHILD
IN THE OFFICE, WE'RE TRYING
TO ELICIT SOUND AND MEANING.
WHEN YOU HAVE LANGUAGE, YOU
HAVE MEANING.
THE MORE KIDS MAKE SOUNDS
AND VERBALIZE, EXPRESSION,
THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE WORKING
ON THEIR SPEEC SKILLS, TOO.
WE'RE CATCHING TWO BIRDS
WITH ONE STONE.
WE WANT THE KIDS TO MAKE
NOISES AND REQUESTS AND MAKE
THOSE SOUNDS, BECAUSE WE SEE
SO MANY KIDS OFTEN THAT COME
IN AND THEY'RE TALKING, BUT
YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THEM.
THAT'S BECAUSE EARLY ON THEY
DIDN'T WORK ON THEI
ARTICULATION SKILLS.
WE USE BUBBLES, BALLS,
GAMES, TOYS, T ELICIT
SOUNDS, LANGUAGE, SO THOSE
KIDS -- WE CAN TEACH THEM
CONCEPTS.
THAT'S HOW WE DO IT.
>> I'M SURE PROBABLY A LOT
OF PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO
HEAR THAT YOU ARE WORKING
WITH CHILDREN AT SUCH A
YOUNG AGE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> YOU COVER AND TREAT SO
MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS,
AND WE SAY THAT AGE SPAN IS
VERY WIDE OF WHAT YOU
GUYS -- WHAT ARE SOME OF T
CONDITIONS THAT YOU ALSO
TREAT?
>> WE WORK WITH SPEECH
SKILLS, LANGUAGE SKILLS,
VOICE, WHICH IS THE CLARITY
OF YOUR VOICE, HOW IT
SOUNDS, STUTTERING, FLUENCY,
WE WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
TROUBLE OR DIFFICULTY
SWALLOWING, WE ALSO HAVE
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
SERVICES, WE HAD
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS COME
ON THE LAST SHOW, WE WORK
WITH INFANT DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE
ADDING PHYSICAL THERAPY,
TOO, IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
IT'S EXCITING.
WE'RE REALLY GROWING.
>> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
WILL BE VERY SURPRISED WHAT
YOU HANDLE IN YOUR OFFICE.
THE BEST WAY IS TO REACH
OUT, GET EDUCATED, AND SEE
IF THERE IS SOMETHING MORE
BEHIND THAT CONCERN.
EVERY TIME YOU COME TO VISIT
ME, I KNOW ONE OF THE
BIGGEST QUESTIONS YOU GET IS
"WILL MY INSURANCE COVER
THIS?"
>> YES, MOST OF THETIME,
ESPECIALLY WIT AHCCCS
PLANS.
BUT IT CAN BE TRICKY WITH
THE CHANGE IN HEALTHCARE
LANDSCAPE, SO MANY PLANS
HAVE EXCLUSIONS OR
LIMITATIONS, BUT OUR RATES
ARE SO AFFORDABLE, IF IT'S
NO A COVERED SERVICE, AND
OUR RATE $30, AND THE CASH
RATE IS JUST A LITTLE
HIGHER.
>> I'LL LET THEM KNOW HOW TO
REACH OUT AND GET SOME OF
THAT INFORMATION.
KYLE, ANOTHER GREAT TOPIC
FOR US.
IF YOU AT HOME NEED SPEECH
OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY