Resources: Top 5 Parent-Friendly Podcast Episodes
Hi my name is Rachel and I’m a podcast junkie. Every day I hop in my car, hit play and start flooding my brain with life hacks, compelling stories, news headlines and daily inspo all while I sit in L.A. traffic (YES, L.A. traffic is as bad as everyone says it is!).
My podcast addiction peaked last October when I was asked to co-host a new speech therapy podcast called “Talking with Tech”. Talking with Tech combines two things that I love most: speech therapy and technology. Not sure what kind of technology I’m talking about? Well there’s an earlier blog post in which I talk all about AAC and how it can transform your child's communication.
Our podcast was originally created to help guide speech therapists working with children who are minimally verbal, but we quickly realized the information was applicable well beyond the scope of speech-language pathologists. Now with 60,000 monthly downloads across 54 countries, we’ve gained a following of dedicated parents interested in helping their child start communicating more effectively.
But I’m not going to lie, sometimes we geek out hard and the discussions get pretty technical. So I’ve included my top 5 favorite parent-friendly podcast episodes below, even explaining (in 30 seconds or less) why you should listen.
1.) Karen Owens
Looking for a super mom to inspire you? Look no further than Karen Owens. She’s the mom to 4 adopted children with complex communication needs, all who are nonverbal and using technology to communicate. In this episode we talk about communication being a basic human right and that simply believing in your child is often the catalyst to inspire communication you might have never thought was possible.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/karen-owens-of-we-speak-podd/id1300126888?i=1000399955106&mt=2
2.) Round Table: When Should We Start Using AAC
Think that technology might prevent your child from talking? Well then watch this video first and foremost. Often, the next question I get from parents: “How young is too young to get started?”. In this episode we talk about the pros and cons of starting AAC with you child (SPOILER ALERT: the earlier you start, the better.), plus specifics on which systems (i.e. pictures, sign language, iPad app) to get started with.
3.) AAC Agreements
I love this episode because it talks about fundamental concepts you need to know when implementing any type of AAC technology with your child. No matter which system your child is using, there are guidelines both you and your speech therapist should be following to ensure your child learns how to become a successful communicator.
4.) Round Table: Modeling
Is your child currently using an iPad or speech-generating device for communication? We can’t simply put a device in front of children and expect them to miraculously start communicating. You may have seen this on an episode of 20/20, but I’m going to give it to you straight: No matter how great your child is at navigating technology, we still need to show them how to use language.
For example, if you want your child to adopt a phrase like “that’s funny,” then they have to first watch adults and peers use the word “funny” in a variety of different contexts before they can start understanding what it means. How do we teach this? We do it through modeling on their device. I’d argue this is the single most important predictor of how well your child will be able to communicate using an AAC device. We’ve dedicated an entire episode to modeling; what it is, how to do it and why it’s so important.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/roundtable-modeling/id1300126888?i=1000410237803&mt=2
5.) Round Table: Core Words
One of the biggest pitfalls I see speech therapists making is placing far too much emphasis on nouns and not enough on core words. Core words are those words that will break your child out of simply saying “I want” and truly give them the capacity to start combining words into sentences on their own. In this episode we review the definition of core words and explain why focusing on these types of vocabulary words will help your child start speaking in sentences.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/roundtable-core-words/id1300126888?i=1000404886659&mt=2
Over to you
Have you listened to the podcast? I’d love for you to send us some love on iTunes. When I’m feeling like a pick-me-up I go and read all of our reviews. It’s also the quickest way for us to reach brand new listeners that can also benefit from the information we share!