Leaving on a Jet Plane

One week from today I will be leaving for Orlando for the AG Bell convention.  I have been going to this convention for years now and it never disappoints.  It is 4 days long and every time I am mentally and physically exhausted.  Imagine sitting in a college course for 4 straight days where you are interested in every single thing that is being said.  I'm not complaining at all....just saying that it always shocks me how tired learning more about what you love can be.

I also have to tell that I get a little star struck with some of the famous professionals that will be there.  One year when the convention was in Anaheim, CA I actually met Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, and Paul Rudd at a party in LA.  I talked to those movie stars no problem, but was nervous to talk to "famous" speech-pathologists that most of you all wouldn't know if they sat down on your couch right now.  Weird...I know.

Here is a link to AG Bell's website.  There is a wealth of information on their site and they offer scholarships to families to help offset the costs incurred by families of children with hearing loss.

www.agbell.org

If you or your child has a hearing loss I strongly encourage you to become a member of AG Bell. You can try out the membership for free for 6 months.

I just LOVE pictures of implants and hearing aids on kids.  Probably another weird thing about me to most, but I just do!

The Tube

I get asked lots of questions about children watching TV in my practice.  I have to say that the children that I have worked with over the years who had the best attention spans, imaginations, and play skills were children that I knew watched little or no TV in their early years.


Here is the American Academy of Pediatrics statement about TV for children under 2.

"Pediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. Although certain television programs may be promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant caregivers (eg, child care providers) for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Therefore, exposing such young children to television programs should be discouraged."


I am not trying to preach.  Any of you that know me know I am pretty much an "everything in moderation" person...unless you are talking about shoes...


But I do think there is something to be said for kids that watch the same movies and play the same video games every day.  How do we expect these kids to play imaginatively when their lives are programmed?  Of course they fall apart when their scheduled is changed.  They are used to pressing A and B happening.  


Here is another site I found about recommendations for older kids.  


http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_TV.htm


I would love to hear any ideas from you all for ways to incorporate TV in a healthy way into your home.