What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 10am - 2pm

Zoah Speech, 3265 W. Carefree Circle, Colorado Springs, CO (2026)

08/13/2024

☀️ Last month, Rachel joined our team and we are SO lucky to have her! She is calm, patient, smart, fun, and passionate about topics like:

- AAC
- Gestalt Language Processing
- Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy
- Child-Led Learning
- Speech Sound Development

I’ll let her tell you a bit more about herself!

👋🏼 “I’m originally from Michigan and received my masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Central Michigan University.

Since then, I’ve made Colorado Springs my home and have loved every minute! In my free time, I try to get outside as much as possible, whether that be running, backpacking, or sitting by the river with a good book.

I am passionate about play-based speech therapy, gestalt language processing, and AAC. I am so excited to work (and play!) with my Zoah Speech families.”

🗓️ Rachel has one or two more after-school slots available, so reach out today if you would like to get on her schedule!!
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☀️ Zoah Speech & Outreach
⛰️ Colorado Springs, CO.
📧 [email protected]

08/11/2023

👩🏻‍💻 Here's a brief summary of what we know about autism and echolalia:

- Differences in communication, including echolalia, are among the earliest characteristics of autism - which often emerge by 18 months old (Zeidan et al., 2022)

- An estimated 75% of autistic* children use echolalia at some point (van Santen et al., 2013)

- Early researchers believed that echolalia was a problematic behavior to be extinguished (e.g., Kanner, 1943; Lovaas et al., 1974)

- Thankfully, research in the 1980s and beyond prompted a shift in these views (e.g., Charlop, 1983; Elsabbagh et al., 2012; Prizant, 1983; Prizant & Duchan, 1981)

- Now, we know echolalia is a stage of normal language development in autism (Blanc, 2012; Roberts, 2014; Sterponi & Shankey, 2014; Stiegler, 2015)

- Ann Peters (1983) offered the term "gestalt language processing" to explain this 'other' style of learning language

- Gestalt language processors develop language through 4 stages (Prizant, 1983). Leaders in our field highlighted this progression as natural, not 'pathological, by calling it "Natural Language Acquisition” (NLA; Blanc, 2012)

- Marge Blanc dedicated decades of her career to picking up where Prizant left off with several articles, educational courses, and a renowned book on the clinical application of NLA.

- Based on what we know now, speech pathologists should investigate and honor any possible communicative function of echolalia (Blanc, 2012; Blanc, 2022; Yu & Sterponi, 2023)

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☝🏾Is this a full thesis? Of course not, it’s a social media post! 😂 there’s more research out there.

❔ Do we know everything about this topic yet? Of course not, there’s always more to learn.

🫶🏻 But I am so grateful for researchers and practitioners like Ann Peters, Barry Prizant, , & for leading the way to better therapy.

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🤗 *If you’re new here, I say “autistic” because many autistic adults have shared that they prefer this term over “person with autism”. This is a personal preference and each individual should be allowed to make a choice about how they would like to be referred to.

07/01/2023

✨ Meet our new speech-language pathologist, Gaby!

☀️ Not only does she have a sunshine personality, but she's also passionate about providing neuro-affirming, play-based speech therapy for:

* Early language learners
* Gestalt language processors
* Children with speech sound disorders - especially Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

🙌🏽 … Talk about a perfect fit!

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I’ll let her introduce herself:

👋🏻 “I'm a Colorado native and recently earned my master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). I've always loved working with children, especially exploring different learning styles to support each child’s unique path to communication. I love spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, reading, attending live music events, and traveling. My family is Polish, so we try and visit our relatives overseas as often as we can. I am so excited to work with Zoah Speech & Outreach, and I can't wait to learn and grow alongside your child!”

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✨ Gaby is accepting new clients in July 2023. She has a few more spots open on her caseload, so reach out today to schedule an evaluation!

[email protected]
(719) 300-4622
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06/27/2023

🔟
What if you had to go a whole week using only 10 words?

❔ Which 10 words would you choose?

❎ You probably wouldn’t have colors, numbers, or shapes on that list.

❎ You probably wouldn’t have “please” or “thank you” on that list.

❎ You probably wouldn’t have a bunch of random nouns on that list.

💥 You would want POWER WORDS! That means you’d want words like:

Yes
No
Stop
Go
In
Out
Up
Down
Open
Help
On
Off
Eat
Play
All Done

✅ When a child is learning to speak, we have to keep in mind that the words we teach may be the only ones they have for a while…

🤗 Make sure they’re powerful ones!
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06/01/2023

🏔️ HEY, Colorado Springs families:

💬 Do you have a toddler who is just learning to talk?

❔ Need a few tips for how to support their communication in everyday life?

☀️ Join our First Words summer program! We’ll meet at a new park each week on Wednesdays from June 14 - July 26 @ 1:30-2:30pm.

🙌🏽 Sessions will be led by a speech-language pathologist, and all children are welcome - regardless of neurotype or skill level!

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✨ HURRY, ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT ✨

Enroll today at www.zoahspeech.com/book-online

🔗 link in bio!
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05/24/2023

✨ LET'S BUST THIS MYTH ONCE & FOR ALL:

Nonverbal communication does NOT prevent a child from speaking!!!!!!!!

🧠 In fact, it does the opposite. It grows many of the same centers of the brain used for spoken language.

When a child has difficulty communicating using "mouth words", our job is two-fold:

1️⃣ To give the child an immediate way to communicate NOW, however that looks.

2️⃣ To create an environment that allows the language centers of their brain to grow and develop.

🤙🏾 Using signs, gestures, gestures, high-tech AAC devices, and other non-speaking forms of communication IS communication, and DOES promote language growth. If a child is ever going to develop oral speech, these methods can only HELP...

✨ Think about it this way:

⌨️ Let's say you can't speak, but you CAN type what you want to say using a keyboard. In that case, would it make any sense to withhold a keyboard from you because it may "keep you from speaking?"

❎ NOPE! That'd be down-right silly!

Communication takes many forms. Let's promote and honor them all. 🤗
...

05/17/2023

🧠 Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs) use language that’s tied to an episodic memory - a memorable moment in their lives.

🗺️📍 EXAMPLE:
Milo says, "We found the buried treasure!" every time he feels excited.

❔🤔 WHY?
Milo remembers the TV characters shouted that line when they were excited, so he shouts it when he's excited, too.

❎ Milo doesn't use that script / gestalt because of its literal meaning - it's tied to the memory it originated in.

🎶 It’s also very likely that he will use the same voice, melody, and intonation that the characters used when they said it – it’s all part of the experience of “excitement!”

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🤗 Did this example help? Feel free to save and share!

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☀️ Zoah Speech & Outreach works with GLPs across Colorado Springs 🏔️

Accepting new clients in July 2023

www.zoahspeech.com

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🔍 Need to find GLP / NLA trained clinician in your state? Check out the Meaningful Speech directory at www.meaningfulspeechregistry.com
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05/17/2023

👶🏻 I used to think that having a baby would get in the way of my work…

That it would take away from what I could offer the children and families that I serve.

☀️ But if this past 7 weeks has shown me anything, it’s that becoming a mother is revolutionary - and I KNOW that my own experience with parenthood is going to make me an even better clinician.

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💕 MOMS: I see you! More than ever before, I see all that you do and I understand the heart you have for your children… how it breaks when they’re struggling or hurting, and how it soars when they’re happy and well.

🙌🏽 You are your child’s greatest advocate.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day, and felt how loved you are!
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05/04/2023

🚽 Imagine if the WHOOSH sound of a public toilet flushing was amplified x5 in your ears.

🚿 Imagine if taking a shower felt being stung by a bunch of bees.

👕 Imagine if the fabric of your shirt made your skin crawl.

🩰 Imagine if you couldn’t sense your feet unless you were walking on your toes.

✏️ Imagine if you couldn’t feel your pencil on the paper until it broke through the paper.

🥕 Imagine if the texture of anything crunchy made you gag.

💥 Imagine if you accidentally crashed into other people all the time when you meant to walk by them.

😴 Imagine if you couldn’t always feel when you were hungry, hot, cold, tired, or needing to use the restroom.

💡 Imagine if the lights in the grocery store or your classroom gave you an instant migraine.

…

Now think of how isolating it would feel for these things to be true in your life, but not experienced by others around you.

Think of how invalidating it must feel to be told that your experiences aren’t real, that it doesn’t hurt, that it’s actually delicious, that you are too sensitive, that you’re embarrassing your mom, that you’re being purposefully destructive, that you’re too old to struggle with potty training…

This is the reality of our kids with sensory processing disorders. It's a neurological problem - not a choice or "behavior."

We DON’T know how it feels for them… so we need to trust their responses.

❔So, as speech therapists, what can we do?

1) Collaborate with/refer to OT!
2) Ensure the child feels safe and regulated before you expect any constructive learning to happen.
3) Teach the child the language they need to self-advocate.

❤

* These are just examples - no one’s experience with SPD is exactly like another’s. Hypo-/Hypersensitivity is always specific to the individual!
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04/29/2023

👉🏾 SWIPE FOR THE SECRET SAUCE!

Yep, it’s ✨parents.✨

Well, at least that’s what we have seen in our practice – and in the buckets of literature out there on parent coaching.

⌚️ Children may spend about an hour each week with their speech therapist, but the rest of their time is spent with their parents and community members.

🙌🏼 We always get a LOT more bang for our buck when we invest in educating parents, teaching new strategies, and empowering them to teach their child with confidence!

SO… Who else puts parent coaching at the center of their practice? Drop a 🙋🏻‍♀️ in the comments!

💕 If you’re a parent of a child in speech therapy, tell us something you have learned that set you up for success!
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Zoah Speech

08/13/2024

08/11/2023

07/01/2023

06/27/2023

06/01/2023

05/24/2023

05/17/2023

05/17/2023

05/04/2023

04/29/2023

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 2pm