Screen time is time spent in front of a screen (e.g. television, phone, ipad/tablet, computer, video game device)

An excess amount of screen time can increase the risk of:
• Inconsistent sleep – may have trouble falling asleep or maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
• Problems with behaviour and attention – excessive screen time can lead to difficulties in school, attention problems, hyperactivity and behavioural issues.

Language Development
Children learn to talk and communicate through interactions with other people. The first several years of life are crucial for your child’s language development. It is when their brain is the most receptive to learning new language. The research has shown that increasing screen time can have an impact on speech and language acquisition and may also be linked to attention problems, short-term memory problems, and reading problems. All of which can play into your child’s ability to learn language as well.

Educational Videos
Of course there are educational videos such as those that teach language skills (e.g. sign language, vocabulary) however videos do not replace face-to-face interactions where they learn non-verbal body language and appropriate social skills.

Instead of Screen Time you can:
• Sing songs (i.e. nursery rhymes)
• Read a book
• Play with your child’s favourite toy, board game, puzzle
• Make a craft project, colour a picture
• Play in the yard, go to the park, go for a walk, ride bikes
• Go for a car ride and talk about what you see
• Go to the library and look for books on a topic that interests your child
• Teach your child a new skill
• Have a playdate
• Cook something in the kitchen together or plant some seeds in the garden

Written by Senali Alahakone – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic.

As you know, due to COVID-19, we now offer telehealth sessions which can either be requested by the clinician or by the parent. Here at DeSilva Kids Clinic, we use Zoom to deliver our sessions.

Here are some tips to get the best out of your telehealth session:
• Familiarise yourself and your child with the software by downloading it and practicing using it with the video on. This will reduce anxiety and will not overwhelm both you and your child.
• Remove distractions from the environment. This means placing the device (that will be used for Telehealth) in a location where there are minimal distractions (i.e. a quiet room).
• Get actively involved in sessions. This provides a great opportunity for parents to engage in therapy and will provide parents with valuable skills to implement activities as well as learn how to best support your child at home.
• Prepare any required resources and have materials ready prior to the session. If there are any required resources or materials to be ready prior to the session, the clinician will let you know prior to the session.
• Ask questions – don’t be afraid to ask questions from your clinician. Your clinician is there to guide you and answer any questions you may have.

Senali Alahakone – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Stay Informed:
– Ensure to access RELIABLE and ACCURATE information
– Some reliable sources include: www.health.gov.au, www. healthdirect.gov.au, or the Coronavirus information line 1800 020 080

Staying Healthy and Calm:
– Maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep regime
– Talk to loved ones about worries and concerns
– Engage in hobbies and enjoyable activities
– Avoid or reduce the use of alcohol or tobacco
– Limit media exposure – excess media exposure to coverage of stressful events can result in negative mental health outcomes

Helping Children and Adolescents:
– Provide age appropriate and accurate information – correct misinformation or misunderstandings
– Encourage children to share their concerns
– Children model their parents’ behaviour. The way you behave can have a significant influence on children
– Model health-promoting behaviours – washing hands with soap and water, wearing face masks
– Educate the entire family about good health habits
– Include children in family discussions and plans in an age-appropriate way
– Address misconceptions that may result in stigmatising people or groups of people in the community

If quarantining or self-isolating:
– Maintain a normal daily routine – make time for some exercise
– Stay connected with family and friends using social media and over the phone
– Use your time purposefully, e.g., working from home or getting work sent to you
– Take advantage of the time to do things that you have wanted to do like reading a book or learning a new skill

When to seek help:
– It is normal and understandable to experience emotional distress during these times
– If experiencing SEVERE emotional distress or mental health issues, you can speak with your GP or mental health practitioner

Written by Marisa Donnoli – Psychologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Dialogic reading involves having a discussion or dialogue with your child about the storybook you are reading. The parent and child engage in a conversation about the book.

Often times, adults read as the child listens to the storybook. Dialogic reading allows the child to become the storyteller. The adult listens, asks questions, and becomes the audience for the child. The child becomes actively involved in the book reading experience.

The two strategies in dialogic reading are PEER and CROWD.

PEER (prompt, evaluate, expand, repeat) can be used by parents to encourage more meaningful responses to questions.
• Prompt the child to say something about the book.
Parent: Who ate through one apple?
Child: The caterpillar.

• Evaluate the child’s response.
Parent thinks to self, “That’s correct, it was a caterpillar…but we can add more to that response”.

• Expand the child’s response
Parent: “Yes, it was the very hungry caterpillar”.

• Repeat the prompt.
Parent: Who ate through one apple?
Child: The very hungry caterpillar.

CROWD (completion, recall, open-ended, wh- questions, distancing) can be used by parents to remember the types of questions to ask.
• Completion question
Parent: “On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries, but ________”.
Child: He was still hungry.

• Recall question
Parent: “What happened to the caterpillar when he came out of the cocoon?”
Child: “He became a butterfly”.

• Open-ended question
Parent: “Why did the caterpillar have a stomach ache?”
Child: “He ate too much. He felt sick.”

• Wh– question
Parent: “What was the last thing the hungry caterpillar ate?”
Child: “A leaf”.

• Distancing question
Parent: “When was the last time you had a stomach ache?”
Child: “I had a stomach ache _____”

Written by Sumeyya Yilmaz – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Reading is a great way to support your child’s language development. Reading will help improve both their receptive and expressive language skills. Studies have reported that reading to your child as early as eight months old can have significant impact on early language development.

Tips for reading with your child:

• It is ok to read the story again and again. Repetition will help your child learn language.
• Choose books with rhymes or songs. Clap along to the rhythm and help your child clap along.
• Talk about the objects and actions in the picture (e.g. “Look the boy is diving into the deep water!”)
• You can expand language (e.g. if your child says “tree”, you can respond by saying “yes that is a big, green tree”)
• Model language by commenting more and questioning less, so that it does not feel like a test.
• Relate the story’s events to the child’s interests, hobbies and daily activities (e.g. “That boy is riding a blue bike like yours”).
• Discuss the story with your child. (“Why do you think the monkey stole the key?”)
• Help your child become aware of letter sounds. (While pointing to a picture of a snake, ask: “What sound does a snake make?”) As your child develops, ask more complex questions. (While pointing to a picture of a ball, ask: “What sound does ‘ball’ start with?”)
• Play sound games with your child. List words that rhyme (“ball,” “tall”) or start with the same sound (“mummy,” “mix”).

Written by Senali Alahakone – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic