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Serving Children Ages Birth Through 3.

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Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida

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Gulf Central Early Steps

Early Steps is a statewide system of early intervention services focused on parent education. Early Steps connects families with professionals who teach them how to improve the development of their children through everyday activities.

Evaluations to determine eligibility are provided at no cost to families regardless of income. Children birth to three years old who are suspected to have a developmental delay or have been diagnosed with a condition likely to lead to developmental delay should be referred to the local Early Steps program.

For children living in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hardee, Highlands or Desoto please call
(941) 487 5400.

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GULF CENTRAL - Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida

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https://earlylearningcoalitionsarasota.org/

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VPK - Specialized Instructional Services
https://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk/vpk-providers/specialized-instructional-services-providers

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEECH SOUNDS BY AGE - Copy

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Are My Child's Language Skills Developing Normally?

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Are My Child's Language Skills Developing Normally?

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Language and communication skills are critical to a child's development. Good communication makes them better able to engage in socialization as well as learn from formal classroom instruction and the environment around them.

Communication involves both speech and language. Speech is the verbal means of communication, and language is using shared rules to put words together to express thoughts and feelings. Since parents are a child's first teacher, knowledge of language development in children improves a parent's ability to interact with their child to stimulate and guide them to understand and communicate with their environment.

There are four main components of language:

Phonology involves the rules about the structure and sequence of speech sounds.

Semantics consists of vocabulary and how concepts are expressed through words.

Grammar involves two parts. The first, syntax, is the rules in which words are arranged into sentences. The second, morphology, is the use of grammatical markers (indicating tense, active or passive voice, etc.).

Pragmatics involves the rules for appropriate and effective communication. Pragmatics involves three skills:

using language for greeting, demanding, etc.

changing language for talking differently depending on who it is you're talking to

following rules such as turn-taking and staying on topic

From birth on, children are programmed to develop speech and language. The first five years are most critical, but language development continues throughout early childhood and into adolescence. During the first five years, stimulation of language development is essential as the brain is developing new nerve cells as well as multiple connections between these cells to serve the function of expressive and receptive language. Lack of stimulation during this time could result in a child making slower progress or end up with poor communication skills. Later, we provide some tips for parents on how to help with language development, but some simple suggestions are to spend lots of time talking, singing, and reading to your child.

In the early stages of language development, the brain is programmed to attend to speech sounds and begin to mimic them. Early on, babies like to make sounds up on their own. Later they attempt to repeat sounds and words they're exposed to from their environment.

Children usually say their first words between nine and 18 months old. The most common first words are either "mama" or "dada." What's interesting is no matter what language children are taught, the first words usually reference either mother or father.

By about 18 months, a child usually has a vocabulary of 50 to 150 words. Children at this age begin to put a couple of words together to form a sentence sometimes referred to as "telegraphic speech," such as "Mommy ball" or "Mommy throw ball." By two-years-old, they can typically use over 300 words and understand about 1,000 words.

Around three years of age, children begin to use language for all kinds of things. They're not only trying to get what they want by asking, but they're also talking about past experiences and even beginning to use it to pretend. By preschool (4 ½) they're beginning to understand and use the rules of language to express possession of something, connect thoughts and quantify. Their language is becoming more like that of adults.

In elementary school, children continue to expand their use of oral language and are also learning to read a write. As children progress through middle school and high school, they continue to expand their vocabulary, refine their grammatical skills and write in more complexities as well as continue to develop reading comprehension skills.

The tables below describe specific skill development for each stage of development through age 8. Below the developmental timeline, you'll find information on how you can stimulate and encourage language development as well as information on how to recognize lagging development and what to do about it.

Things Parents Can Do To Stimulate Language Development

Verbally respond to your baby's vocalizations.

Talk to your baby.

Around six months of age, use shared attention and sign language (gestures). Point and name things that they see. Use an exaggerated voice when you describe things. Use feeling words.

Sing to your child from babyhood until they ask you to stop.

Have older children make up songs.

Use songs to communicate things such as time to go to bed, time to clean up, etc.

Make up songs that are silly or that communicate affirmations related to their positive qualities.

Older Toddler and Preschooler

Initiate conversations with your child related to recent events and what they're doing.

Make up stories along with your child where each contributes. This not only stimulates language, but thinking, creating, and a sense of humor.

Gradually increase the complexity of grammar and vocabulary you use to communicate.

Provide children with expanded information about events, as well as things they see and how they feel.

Read interactively to engage their participation. Ask questions, use dramatic inflections, let them guess what will happen next, point to pictures and describe them, and ask your child to do the same. Learn More About Interactive Reading.

Keep the conversations going.

Have family meetings.

Have dinner together at the table and encourage conversation. =You can use "Thorns & Roses" by each family member sharing one thing that went wrong and one thing that well during the day.

When you go out to dinner, keep the electronics at home or turned off.

After seeing a movie or TV show together, talk about what happened.

Encourage reading. When they finish a book, ask about their thoughts and feelings.

Recognizing Problems

Check out the timelines and look for delays. Remember that there is quite a range of time for the achievement of each milestone. If you feel there is a delay, discuss it with your child's primary care physician.

Look for poor eye contact and lack of attention and focus.

Listen to how they pronounce words. Are they hard to understand?

Can they understand simple directions?

Are they having trouble with basic social skills?

Does your child not seem to be interested in having you read to them?

Do they repeat what you say or say the same thing over and over?

Do they lack empathy for the feelings of others?

Do they avoid conversations?

Are they only interested in talking or reading about one subject?

Is your preschooler not engaging in fantasy play? Do they lack a sense of humor?

Recommended Books for Parents

Beyond Baby Talk: From Speaking to Spelling: A Guide to Language and Literacy Development for Parents and Caregivers Language is about so much more than just words, and healthy communication is the foundation of your child's ability to succeed emotionally, socially, and academically. The first eight years of life are a critical period of language and literacy development, and as a parent, you are your child's primary role model as he or she begins to acquire speaking, reading, and writing skills. And yet, you may be uncertain of what constitutes typical language progress and of what activities and practices will enhance your child's learning experiences the most. Fully revised and updated for our modern times, Beyond Baby Talk is here to guide you through the easiest and most engaging ways to instill strong communication skills in your child, and to provide fun for you both along the way.

The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems Your definitive guide for helping your speech-impaired child and co-written by two in-the-trenches experts. When a child has communication problems-diagnosed or not-parents are first looking for a place to go for help. The Parent's Guide to Speech and Language Problems is a one-stop resource, offering not just the most up-to-date medical information, but also advice and encouragement from a mom who's been there.

Author Debbie Feit has two children with speech problems and knows what it takes to survive and thrive day-to-day as a family. No other book on the market can match this one for its combination of clinical research and real-world, hands-on parenting solutions.

More Articles on Language Development

For more information check out these articles from the American Speech and Hearing Association:

Language Development Time Lines:
Birth to 6 Months

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Look Who's Talking! All About Child Language Development

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Language and communication skills are critical to a child's development. Good communication makes them better able to engage in socialization as well as learn from formal classroom instruction and the environment around them. Communication involves both speech and language. Speech is the verbal means of communication, and language is using shared rules to put words together to express thoughts and feelings.

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As toddlers and preschoolers become increasingly verbal, they may begin to stumble over their words-raising concerns about stuttering. As a parent, how do you know when disfluencies are a normal part of development and when to be more concerned? Read on.

What are Typical Disfluencies?

It is not uncommon for young children to have disfluencies in their speech (e.g., word or phrase repetitions). In fact, about 5% of all children are likely to be disfluent at some point in their development, usually between ages 2 ½ and 5. It is also very typical for a child to go back and forth between periods of fluency and disfluency. Sometimes, this can occur for no apparent reason, but often this happens when a child is excited, tired, or feels rushed to speak.

Learning language rules:

During this time, children are expanding their vocabularies rapidly and learning complex language rules. These rules allow children to change simple messages ("Mommy juice") into longer, more complicated sentences that require more motor coordination to produce smoothly ("Mommy put the juice in the blue cup"). It's only natural that there may be some disruptions along the way.

Is It Truly Stuttering?

For most toddlers and preschoolers, most disfluencies go away on their own after a short period of time. In other cases, disfluencies persist and the signs of stuttering become more obvious. Getting professional help early offers the best chances for reducing stuttering. But how can parents tell the difference between typical disfluency that will go away and the early signs of non-typical disfluencies that may indicate stuttering?

Here are some ways to differentiate typical disfluency from stuttering:

​

If your child is truly stuttering, he or she may hold out the first sound in a word, saying "Ssssssssometimes we stay home," or repeat the sound, as in "Look at the b-b-b-baby!" In addition, children who stutter often develop other mannerisms such as eye blinking, tense mouth, looking to the side, and avoiding eye contact.

Risk Factors for Stuttering:

There are other risk factors that can help predict whether fluency problems will continue for longer than a few months.

Family history is the biggest predictor of whether a child is likely to stutter.

Gender. Young boys are twice as likely as young girls to stutter, and elementary school-age boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to stutter than girls.

Age of onset. Children that start having difficulties at age 4 are more likely to have a persistent stutter than those who begin stuttering at a younger age.

Co-existing speech and/or language disorders increase the likelihood a child may stutter.

Getting Help:

If you are concerned about your child's speech, talk with your pediatrician about getting a speech and language evaluation. A complete evaluation from a certified speech-language pathologist can help you to better determine if the stuttering is likely to persist.

Speech-language pathologists will help parents determine the best course of action (e.g., closely monitoring the child's fluency, enrolling in treatment services, and/or parent education). The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers a searchable database of these professionals. In addition, a list of clinicians who specialize in stuttering can be found here.

Treatment Approaches for Stuttering:

Early treatment for stuttering is very important, as it is more likely to be eliminated when a child is young (before entering elementary school). There are two main treatment approaches for stuttering:

Indirect treatment is when the speech-language pathologist helps the child's parents on how to modify their own communication styles. Indirect approaches are effective at reducing or even eliminating stuttering in many young children.

Direct treatment involves the speech-language pathologist working with the children themselves either one-on-one or in small groups, giving them specific speech strategies for easing into words and reducing tension during stuttering events. In addition, direct treatment may involve helping the child to differentiate between smooth (fluent) and bumpy (stuttered) speech.

After age 7, it becomes unlikely that stuttering will go away completely. Still, after age 7, treatment can be very effective at helping a child effectively manage stuttering-helping develop skills necessary to handle difficult situations (e.g., teasing and bullying) and participate fully in school and activities. For older children, speech treatment is still beneficial, encouraged, and effective in helping to reduce the severity and impact of stuttering.​

What Parents Can Do:

Here are some ways parents can help:

Reduce communication stress. There are different techniques to put less pressure on a child in a speaking situation. Rephrasing questions as comments (using " You played outside today at school. It must have been fun!" instead of "What did you do at school?") is one effective approach. Parents can also do their best to reduce situations that trigger their child's stuttering.

Talk about it. When children are aware of their stuttering, it is best to be open and talk about it in a positive way. Let them know it is okay to have "bumpy speech." If a child does not seem to be aware of the problem, there is no need to bring it up until you are seeing a speech-language pathologist.

Practice patience. Give children time to finish what they are saying. Don't rush or interrupt them. Don't tell them to "slow down" or "think about what you want to say." Phrases such as those are generally not helpful to children who stutter.

Model good speech habits. While telling a child how to talk is generally not helpful, parents can model speech habits that help with stuttering, such as slowing down their own speed when they talk, putting in more pauses between sentences, and speaking in a relaxed manner.

Seek a professional. There are many ways to find a speech-language pathologist. A child's pediatrician can provide a recommendation. Children younger than 3 can receive a free evaluation through their local Early Intervention Program. If a child is older than 3, parents can contact their local public school for a free evaluation. Parents also have the option to seek out a private speech-language pathologist with a child at any age. A searchable database of these professionals is available here. A list of stuttering specialists is available here. ​

Follow Your Instincts:

If you continue to have concerns about your child's speech, ask for a reevaluation or referral for additional formal testing.

Additional Information & Resources:

Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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stutter~ stuttering~ preschool language~ stumble over words~ toddler language~ trouble talking~ getting words out~ stumble over words~ speech development~ slp~ speech therapist~ disfluency~ disfluencies in children's speech~ is it stuttering~ genetics

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Stuttering in Toddlers & Preschoolers: What's Typical, What's Not?

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As toddlers and preschoolers become increasingly verbal, they may begin to stumble over their words-raising concerns about stuttering. As a parent, how do you know when disfluencies are a normal part of development and when to be more concerned? Read on. It is not uncommon for young children to have disfluencies in their speech (e.g., word or phrase repetitions).

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Using Visuals to Help Your Child Understand Expectations

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Using Visuals to Help Your Child Understand Expectations

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Help Your Child Stop Hitting and Pushing

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Help Your Child Stop Hitting and Pushing

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Help Your Child Transition Smoothly Between Places and Activities

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Help Your Child Transition Smoothly Between Places and Activities

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Teach Your Child to Appropriately Get Your Attention

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Teach Your Child to Appropriately Get Your Attention

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Understand the Meaning of Your Child's Challenging Behavior

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Understand the Meaning of Your Child's Challenging Behavior

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Sensory Processing Issues: Strategies You Can Try at Home

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How can you help your child with sensory processing issues at home? Here are tips and strategies to help kids cope with sensory challenges at home.

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https://www.thefloridacenter.org/

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Child-centered, Family-focused

Forty Carrots Family Center provides mental health services for the entire family. Our individual and family offerings are devoted to promoting healthy family relationships.

Through child and family centered approaches, we offer support to young children, adolescents and families as they encounter life's challenges. We offer general and specialized therapeutic services to meet your family's need; including play therapy, infant mental health and family therapy.

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Child & Family Therapy - Forty Carrots Family Center

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CHILD + FAMILY THERAPY Good Beginnings That Last A Lifetime MAKE AN APPOINTMENT Counseling + Consultations still available Counseling sessions and parent consultations are still available during the COVID-19 crisis over the phone or through video conferencing. Please do not hesitate to call for support and resources during this difficult time.

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Parenting Matters - Support and training for parents

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Our parenting education programs help you discover fun ways to foster your child's learning and strengthen your parent/child bond. These programs include in-home parenting services, community-based groups, classes, and workshops.

All of our programs are offered at little or no cost in both the daytime and evenings, often with free childcare.

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Our parenting education programs help you discover fun ways to foster your child's learning and strengthen your parent/child bond. These programs include in-home parenting services, community-based groups, classes, and workshops. All of our programs are offered at little or no cost in both the daytime and evenings, often with free childcare.

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http://www.childrenfirst.net/programs-for-children/

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Gardiner Scholarship | Special Needs Scholarship | Step Up For Students

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Learn more about the Gardiner Scholarship and the Special Needs Scholarship Program offered by Step Up For Students.

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CARD - Center for Autism and Related Disabilities

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CARD - Center for Autism and Related Disabilities

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Who do we serve?

CARD serves individuals of any age with...

Current diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or prior diagnosis of Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett's Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Related Disabilities - deaf-blind (hearing and vision impaired), hearing impaired or vision impaired with other disabling conditions

Family members, friends and professionals.
Referrals are accepted from parents, legal guardians, medical professionals, schools and community agencies. Consent to obtain and review records will be necessary.

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CARD serves individuals of any age with... Current diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or prior diagnosis of Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett's Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder Related Disabilities - deaf-blind (hearing and vision impaired), hearing impaired or vision impaired with other disabling conditions Family members, friends and professionals.

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APD - Agency for Persons with Disabilities

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APD - Agency for Persons with Disabilities

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https://apd.myflorida.com/region/suncoast/

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Help for students who run, bolt or wander off from a safe environment.

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Sertoma - Community based affordable Speech Therapy

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Sertoma Kids Speech Therapy is an outpatient speech program located at 2750 Stickney Point Rd, Suite 210, in Sarasota, Florida. We provide outpatient speech and language therapy to children of all ages.

Through the generous funding provided by the Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota sertomasarasota.org and other corporate sponsors and donors, we offer quality therapy at an affordable cost for all families, regardless of their ability to pay.

Speech therapy sessions range from 30 to 45 minutes in length and are in either small group settings or one-on-one, depending on the needs of the individual child. Parents are encouraged to attend the sessions to learn skills and techniques that will benefit their child, as participation at home is an essential part of the progress that can be made with each child.

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Sertoma Kids Speech Therapy is an outpatient speech program located at 2750 Stickney Point Rd, Suite 210, in Sarasota, Florida. We provide outpatient speech and language therapy to children of all ages. Through the generous funding provided by the Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota sertomasarasota.org and other corporate sponsors and donors, we offer quality therapy at an affordable cost for all families, regardless of their ability to pay.

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Sertoma - Community based affordable Speech Therapy

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Speech Clinic

Sertoma Speech Clinic of Venice is a not-for-profit center established to provide exceptional care to children who are challenged with communication impairment.

The clinic is located in Children First at 800 Gulf Coast Blvd. in Venice. Appointment times are flexible and can be scheduled to meet most needs.

Services are offered at a minimal cost to clients based on a sliding scale.

Children who have communication delays are eligible to receive therapy by

a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist.

Call today!

​

Arrange for a free speech consultation for your child!

For further information, or to make an appointment, please call the Sertoma Speech Clinic

(941) 882-0170 or

contact us by e-mail: SertomaSpeech@gmail.com

Please help us support the Speech clinic by donating with the Giving Challenge (full letter)

Hello, the Sertoma Club of Venice Speech Clinic is reaching out to our friends outside of the Club.

The funds raised during this event will be used for an exterior sign, expanding interior space (both clients and visitors), more testing equipment, marketing brochures and expanding counselor's hours.

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Starting on April 28 at noon to April 29 noon, donors will be able to go on line, use their credit cards and donate from $25 to $100 towards the Speech Clinic. Why is this special? The Patterson Foundation will match every dollar given with another dollar so a $100 donation is now $200. And, within the rules of the IRS, your donation is tax deductible. Why is it large? There are over 700 non-profits from three counties participating in the Giving Challenge. Two years ago, over $11 million was raised during the Giving Challenge and we expect more donations this year making this one of the largest fund-raisers in the United States for a 24-hour period.

​

All you would need to do, after noon on April 28, is use your computer, in the search engine type in "Giving Challenge", go to Sertoma Club of Venice and make your donation. If you have any questions or comments, now or during the Giving Challenge, please contact us at SertomaSpeechClinic@gmail.com. Again, thank you for your continued support of the Sertoma Speech Clinic.

Sertoma Club of Venice

Over the years, Sertomans have sponsored thousands of speech and hearing clinics for children throughout the world.

​

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The Sertoma Club of Venice was chartered in 1976 as part of Sertoma International, a leading nonprofit civic service organization founded in 1912. Sertomans band together to foster friendships, to identify needs and to provide help directly to their communities. The Sertoma Club of Venice is made up of professional men and women dedicated to serving that purpose. Its primary philanthropy is the Sertoma Speech Clinic of Venice, which is operated solely by the fund-raising efforts of members. Since opening, the clinic has served thousands local children.

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Speech Clinic Sertoma Speech Clinic of Venice is a not-for-profit center established to provide exceptional care to children who are challenged with communication impairment. The clinic is located in Children First at 800 Gulf Coast Blvd. in Venice. Appointment times are flexible and can be scheduled to meet most needs.

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Simply call 211 to speak to someone now, or search by location for online resources and more contact information.

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Simply call 211 to speak to someone now, or search by location for online resources and more contact information.

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Please refresh this page to search multiple locations.

Contact 211@uww.unitedway.org to update search results.

Thousands of staff and volunteers across the country make sure 211 is available 24/7 to help you or someone you care about. Each one of us has our own story, and our own reason for doing this important work.

More Resources

Get connected with confidential help now. Call 211

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Simply call 211 to speak to someone now, or search by location for online resources and more contact information. There were no results for your search.Call 211 to be connected directly to a 211 near you. Your search is too broad.Please search an address, zip code or county name.

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100 Day Kit for Young Children

Knowledge is power, particularly in the days after an autism diagnosis. The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit helps families of children ages four and under make the best possible use of the 100 days following the diagnosis. A 100 Day Kit for school age children is also available.

This kit will help you learn more about autism and how to access the services that your child needs. It contains information and advice collected from trusted experts on autism, autistics and parents.
The 100 Day Kit is divided into the following sections:

What is autism?

Core signs and symptoms

Understanding your child's behavior

Responding to the diagnosis

How is autism treated?

Getting help

Living with autism

A week-by-week plan for the next 100 days

Glossary

Through a generous partnership with FedEx, after calling an Autism Response Team coordinator and providing them with your information, you can pick up a complimentary printed copy of the 100 Day Kit at a FedEx Office location near you!
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100 Day Kit for Young Children | Autism Speaks

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Click here to download the Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit for Young Children - a guide to support families in the days following a child's autism diagnosis

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Notice of Procedural Safeguards-Approved 2021

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Notice of Procedural Safeguards_Approved 2021 -H.Creole

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https://elkstherapy.com/services

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Can't Sit Still - Classroom Strategies For Sitting Still with ADHD

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How do I get this student to sit still?". This is the question I am asked most often. Teachers report having to constantly redirect certain learners to sit still, sit down, sit up, and remain in your seat to prevent distracting and disrupting the entire class.