Thursday, December 16, 2010

Closed December 16, 2010

Due to the inclement weather, our Charlottesville Clinic will be closed today December 16, 2010. For the latest updates on closings and delays continue to check our blog and Facebook page.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Evans Family Speech & Hearing - Hearing House First Annual Pumpkin Patch


You're invited to

Evans Family Speech & Hearing - Hearing House's
First Annual Pumpkin Patch

Saturday October 23rd from 3 to 5 pm
Bring your little gobblins to pick out a pumpkin from our pumpkin patch, play frightfully fun games, network with other families, and enjoy a boo-fet of snacks and treats.

Costumes are optional.
Siblings and friends are welcome!
1403 Pemberton Road, Richmond, VA 23238

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

In Memoriam

We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Patrick and his family in the loss of his great grandmother, Minerva Savage. We sincerely appreciate all the generous gifts that have been given in Ms. Savage's honor. Our Hearing House families will receive therapy scholarships with funding from these generous gifts.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Friday, September 3, 2010

Vote for us!

Last year we were humbled by being voted "Best Speech & Language Program" by Albemarle Family Magazine. Albemarle Family is now hosting their annual Family Favorites again and we'd be honored if you voted for us as your favorite Speech & Language Program.

The link to vote is www.albemarlefamily.com

The link to the survey is on the right hand side of the page. We are under "educational programs" and since the survey is free text you'll need to type our name "Evans Family Speech & Hearing" in the box labeled "Speech & Language Program."

Thanks for all of the support you give us year round!

Back to School!

We are thrilled about the start of the new school year! We of course are excited about new backpacks, new teachers, new school supplies, and all of the new adventures that are to come. In addition to the typical back to school preparation there are a number of things we consider in preparing our clients with speech, language or hearing impairments for the new school year. Below is a list of a few of the things we consider.


1. An experience book about the first day of school: Who will your child meet on the first day? Will they ride the bus? What will they say to a new friend? Will they be going to the cafeteria for the first time? If your child is still mastering social skills or the language for interacting with peers this is a great way to preteach language, and set your child up for success for the first day. Make a story together in a composition notebook and review it with your child before the first day of school. If you have pictures of the school this would be a great place to include them.

2. Teacher training and education: Since many of our clients are in a full inclusion setting, they may have teachers who have never taught a child with a cochlear implant or hearing aid. Consider meeting with the teachers a few days before school to orient them to the device and basic troubleshooting. Many of our parents have created a "cheat sheet" reference card for teachers about their child's device. Even if your child does not wear amplification, a meeting before the start of school can also help orient the teacher to strategies and techniques you use to help facilitate your child's speech and language. If your child is on an IEP in the public school your team can help with this process.

3. A visit with your child to the classroom before school starts: If this is your child's first school year it may be worth a quick visit to the empty classroom to help your child experience all they will see in the classroom. This will allow the child to get acclimated to the new environment, and will allow you to review the language and vocabulary associated with the classroom.

4. Creating a resume: All of our clients are unique in in their own way, and we know that their hearing impairment or speech/language impairment is just a small part of who they are. Help your child's teacher get to know them better by creating a "resume" about them. Let your child tell about their favorite books, activities, and and games. This could be done on a sheet of paper, or even as an electronic document like a PowerPoint presentation. If your child is older you could include a video of them telling their teacher what helps them learn best.

5. Setting up a communication system: We believe that parents are a child's first and primary teachers of language. For this reason it is essential that a good communication system between home and school is established before the start of school. Consider who will send notes home about the day or any speech/language services your child may have had. It may also be necessary to create a plan for how you will be informed if your child's device malfunctions during the school day. Our families have used everything from email, to sticky notes as a way to keep in touch with schools. Since every school's policies are different, this will be something that is typically done on a school by school basis.


We are looking forward to a great school year, and welcome any suggestions you may have about preparing your child for school. Feel free to post below and share them. Should you need any assistance with preparing your child for school, we are happy to help.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Happy Anniversary!

What a great year! July will mark the 2nd anniversary of the opening of Evans Family Speech & Hearing, LLC, and the first anniversary of our Hearing House Clinic.

It has been an honor to serve each of our families, and we look forward to many more years of first words, first sounds, and triumphs.

With all of our exciting events and activities this summer, we have started this blog to keep our families up to date, and informed. We will also be using this blog to share current research and articles related to listening and talking. You can also look forward to stories and videos from some of our families, other professionals in the field, and monthly posts from Will Hassenger older sibling to 9 year old with bilateral cochlear implants.

If you have any suggestions in regards to content send us an email: info@evansspeechandhearing.com


Be sure to click the "follow our blog link" so you are always sure to be in the loop!

Thanks for all your support!

Christine Evans, Owner/Speech Language Pathologist