Baby's First Year · Parenting

Early Abilities programs have moved to Surrey Place

Looking for support for your child's speech and language development? Does your newborn baby need a hearing screen? Do you have a child with permanent hearing loss, low vision or blindness? As of April 2022, the Toronto Preschool Speech and Language, Blind-Low Early Intervention and Infant Hearing Programs have moved from Early Abilities at Toronto… Continue reading Early Abilities programs have moved to Surrey Place

Baby's First Year · Parenting

Have you heard? Hearing is key to communication!

Did you know that audiologists are key members of the speech and communication team? That's because hearing is a critical part of your baby's health and development! Before they can say sounds and words, babies need to hear those sounds and words to learn what they mean. An undetected hearing loss can impact their development… Continue reading Have you heard? Hearing is key to communication!

Baby's First Year · Parenting

May is Speech and Hearing Month – It’s Time to be a Detective

May is Speech and Hearing Month. Now more than ever, it's time for us as caregivers to be detectives about how the pandemic and its restrictions may be affecting the development of our children's communication. Every May, Speech-Language Pathologists celebrate Speech and Hearing Month and spend time discussing the importance of early identification and intervention,… Continue reading May is Speech and Hearing Month – It’s Time to be a Detective

Baby's First Year · Parenting

How do babies communicate when they are too young to talk?

When I mention "communication", a lot of parents think I only mean talking. But there are so many ways that you and your baby communicate that don't involve any words at all – through gestures, body movements, touch, and facial expressions. These forms of (non-verbal) communication are important stepping stones to talking. How your baby… Continue reading How do babies communicate when they are too young to talk?

Baby's First Year

BabyTalkTO: Texts to support baby’s communication development

A common growth and development milestone many new parents and caregivers ask about is baby's communication. Many turn to the web to find out what to expect as baby grows. Knowing where to get reliable information is key to learning how to support baby's development. Communication starts from birth, with crying and eye contact, then… Continue reading BabyTalkTO: Texts to support baby’s communication development

Baby's First Year · Parenting

Baby’s speech, hearing & vision: Don’t wait and see

Did you know that approximately 1 in 10 children require support developing typical speech and language skills? It is important to know that milestones as early as 6 months of age can begin to impact a child's speech and language development. In the past, it was common for parents and some professional to take a… Continue reading Baby’s speech, hearing & vision: Don’t wait and see

Baby's First Year · Parenting

Speech, hearing & vision: The importance of early detection

Speech, hearing and vision are important parts of your child's development. Babies begin to explore the environment around them through the sights and sounds they are exposed to. Through exploration, a baby's brain begins to make connections that helps them learn to communicate. May is Speech, Hearing and Vision month. But what happens if your… Continue reading Speech, hearing & vision: The importance of early detection