Speech Therapy Blog | SLP Blog for Parents & Teachers

AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK...OR NOT?

by Peter Johansen August 11, 2022

Since we formed SmartFelt Toys a few years ago, A LOT of people have told us: "You should go on Shark Tank!" We hear it everywhere we go; from trade shows to conferences and dinner parties. From parents and educators to Toy Biz Experts and Specialty Toy Store owners. Whatever the reasoning behind it (our inspirational origin story, unique patented, award-winning products or the fact that we are literally a mom and pop shop) the chorus has been a consistent one. "You should go on Shark Tank." ...

#entrepreneur, #PLAYSET, #sensory toys, #slp, #smallbusiness, #smartfelttoys, #speech pathology, #speech therapy, #speechlanguagepathologists, #speechlanguagepathology

THOSE AWARDS JUST KEEP COMING!

by Peter Johansen July 11, 2022

Hi Everybody, Those of you who've followed our company's journey are aware that our first two language-building felt playsets - MY LITTLE HOUSE and MY LITTLE FARM - have won a ton of awards from both mainstream organizations and those dealing with differently-abled kids. You can see most of those awards seals proudly displayed on our website. www.smartfelttoys.com AND NOW... we're honored that our two new products for 2022 are getting a lot of love and recognition from a prestigious source. M...

#autism, #AWARDS, #BINGO, #BOARDGAMES, #classroom, #CREATIVECHILD, #CREATIVECHILDMAGAZINE, #early language, #elementaryschool, #FELT, #kindergarten, #languageservice, #learning environment, #PLAYSET, #sensory toys, #slp, #smallbusiness, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy, #speechlanguagepathologists, #speechlanguagepathology

Voyage LA profile of SmartFelt Founder/Owner Yvonne Johansen

by Peter Johansen January 27, 2022

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yvonne Johansen. Hi Yvonne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? As a Speech Language Pathologist who has been working with little ones for more than three decades, it’s rewarding, a little surprising and very fulfilling to look back at the road I’ve traveled and the journey I’ve taken. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work with children. I enrolled in college not knowing exactly what my role with k...

#autism, #early language, #entrepreneur, #giveback, #languageservice, #sensory toys, #slp, #smallbusiness, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy, #speechlanguagepathologists, #speechlanguagepathology, #speechservices

How to Create a Positive Learning Environment

by Yvonne Johansen October 4, 2021

How to Create a Positive Learning Environment

The debate about the ideal learning environment has been ongoing through the centuries, and the shape and style of classrooms has shifted to meet different needs and follow different visions about learning. What makes this debate exciting is the many learning settings that have developed, from seminars to apprenticeships to mixed-age classrooms and self-paced online courses. There is most likely no single best learning environment, as different elements are conducive to different types of lea...

#classroom, #classroom climate, #classroom vibe, #early language, #elementaryschool, #flexible learning, #kindergarten, #languageservice, #learning environment, #positivelearning, #sensory toys, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy, #speechservices

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS IN A PANDEMIC!

by Peter Johansen December 26, 2020

2020, Good riddance! If you're anything like us, you cannot wait to turn the page on this most heartbreaking, nerve wracking and devastating year anyone under 100 years of age can remember. It was a year of lost loved ones, lost businesses, lost jobs, lost homes and lost faith. Simply horrible. Almost no words to describe the toll this pandemic has taken on us all. Like 300,000 plus other American families, we also lost a parent to this scourge, and were - sadly and helplessly - not able to b...

#autism, #charity, #chelseascharity, #early language, #fosterkids, #giveback, #sensory toys, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy, #togetherwerise

WHAT A CONCEPT!

by Yvonne Johansen June 10, 2020

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I find the most invaluable things I can work on with my early learners are early language concepts!

I know, What a concept, right?

It's so important in the formulation of early language and vocabulary skills that kiddos embrace, learn and understand those concepts because, as we all know, they are the building blocks of effective language and speech.

#autism, #early language, #sensory toys, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy

SIZE DOES MATTER!

by Yvonne Johansen March 7, 2020

SIZE DOES MATTER! Sometimes Necessity actually is the Mother of Invention. I know it certainly was the mother of my invention.For 20 years as an Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), I lugged a therapy bag around from home to home, school to school and clinic to clinic. That trusty bag o' mine would be stuffed to the gills with a variety of tools and toys. Because every kid's needs are different; every session required different go-to resources; games, flash cards, felt boards, tactile toys, mem...

#autism, #early language, #sensory toys, #special needs, #speech pathology, #speech therapy

AUTISM AND THE TIME MACHINE

by Yvonne Johansen January 15, 2020

If memory serves, and more often than not these days it doesn't, I was seeing around six students a day.

So this bright eyed neophyte with what felt like a 3-ton therapy bag, was servicing approximately thirty 0-3 year-olds a week. Yikes!

To be honest, I can't recall any of their names.

Except for one.

Luke.

Luke was my first autistic client.

#autism, #sensory toys, #speech pathology, #speech therapy

Sensory Toys: Put the Batteries Away

by Yvonne Johansen December 30, 2019

Hey there Parents, SLPs and educators - The other day, a good friend of mine (and fellow therapist) and I were talking about great toys that promote early language for her grand daughter. We talked about the onslaught of electronic toys taking over the aisles of toy stores and websites. We remarked that nowadays most toys either speak, sing, belch, squawk, whistle, shriek, move, light up or some combination of all of them. What happened to good old-fashioned sensory toys? Yikes! While toys wi...

#sensory toys, #speech therapy

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