Providing speech, language, and social communication services to children of all ages for
15 years! We specialize in physically-supportive services to children with autism diagnoses, and others who benefit from sensorimotor supports.

CDC News

NLA Forum Update

We're getting nice feedback — and this summer we'll be able to share more readily. Check out our NLA Forum page for more information.

Interested in joining our CDC team?!

We are now hiring! We want to add two Speech-Language Pathology Assistants to our team! Interested in applying? For more information, click here.

And to our SLPAs who are moving on in their journeys, we'd like to say...

For more interesting articles and updates, please visit the CDC Facebook page!

Indy, here we come!

The Autism Society of America Convention with be in Indianapolis on July 23-26, 2014. Join Marge and Kristin Lee — "and the world can be yours," ... "till the cows come home."

Does echolalia communicate? You bet it does! (and we bet you're laughing too).

Tweet! Tweet!

We are very excited to announce that CDC now has a Twitter! If you'd like to welcome us, please follow or tweet at us (our Twitter handle is @ComDvlpCntr).

NLA Forum

Many of you downloaded the form for scoring language samples with Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) protocol!

We hope you are finding success in identifying some "gestalts" (stage 1), "mitigations" (stage 2), and isolated words and combinations (stage 3) among your kids' language.

We've received some requests for an interactive forum, which we hope to accomplish by this summer. In the meantime, please continue to send your questions to our email address: communicationdevelopmentcenter@gmail.com.

If you haven't read an article on echolalia...

Check this out!

Marge describes echolalia as "the language 'soup' from which useful phrases will be extracted," and offers this encouragement: "Echolalia signals a delay, not a disorder." Click the link below and read it for yourself!

Echolalia on the Spectrum: The Natural Path to Self-Generated Language

"Use Your Words!"

"Use Your Words!" ... That's what we remind our kids!

Good advice? Well, sometimes...
Check out our articles page to read more

ORDER the CDC book now!

Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: The Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language is ready to be sent your way!

Reviews are starting to come in!
Check out the new book page for the latest.

Order your copy today!
$29.95 plus shipping and handling.

Here's what SLPs are saying:

"Marge's work will revolutionize your thinking about your child's language and help you understand the depth of meaning behind it!"
-- Megan Snow, M.S., CCC-SLP

"It has been a joy to share Natural Language Acquistion with parents, and witness their excitement the first time they participate in a meaningful and reciprocal conversation with their child with ASD. This book empowers parents and SLPs to fully appreciate and honor the language their children have, provides strategies and tools to facilitate further language development, and provides opportunities for families to experience mutually fulfilling and exciting communicative interactions."
-- Jessica Schmidt, M.S., CCC-SLP

There are two ways to order:

For orders in the United States, please click here:

For international orders:
Please send your name, billing address, and address to: communicationdevelopmentcenter@gmail.com

articles by Marge Blanc

Bringing It Home: Physical Supports for Speech at Home and in Other Environments

It's All Gibberish to Me: Redefining "Non-verbal"

More Than Words (Parts 1-6)

Click here for more articles by Marge Blanc

 

Welcome to CDC!

We are a small, non-profit clinic on the
west side of Madison, WI, specializing in communication services for children who benefit from play and physical activity to support their interactions and language: children with challenges associated with autism, dyspraxia, and sensorimotor coordination. Please browse our site to learn more about us!

For some of the latest thinking on ASD and child development, please like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!

Calendar

May 30 - spring semester ends
June 16 - summer session starts
August 8 - summer session ends
September 2 - fall semester starts

Kid Quotes

A Dinosaur! by Benjamin!





Our kids say the best things!
(C=Child, A=Adult)


Remember last summer?

C: And I got paint on the b-ball hoop. A lot of it.
A: You did?
C: Yeah, on the top, and on the sides. And the paint is so dry.
A: Yeah, it's been drying for awhile.
C: Yeah, since August. I would like to do that again this summer.
A: Well, we will have to ask Marge. I don't know if she wants these walls painted or not.



And this is what it could look like again!


[C looking at 'deflated soccer ball']
c:what's that called?
A: Now that it's squished, that's called a bean bag chair.
[C sits on it and starts laughing]
C: It's a giggle ball!



[A1 didn't know words to a favorite song]
A2:Should I help her out?
C: Yes!!!!



[little acrobat falls off of the platform swing and yells]
C: Ahh!
A: Oh, are you ok?
[c moves onto pogo swing]
C: OshKosh B'gosh!

C: You know what I know?
A: What do you know?
C: A secret. I've known it for a long time.
A:What does that mean?
C: I was always afraid of the basement.
A: Me too.
C: Was it dark and weird?
A: It was, and it made weird noises.



[A and C pretend playing with dolls]
A: ok, I'm ready to go!
C: Huh uh! No, don't wear that!



[While playing basketball]
C: Ok, you be the Badgers, and you be michigan.
A1: I'm wearing blue for Michigan.
A2: Are the Gophers from Michigan?
[All Badgers laugh]
C: And now you're going to be old lady number 2!



"I went on my sweng woblwobl said ellen and Bryn."

We'd love to include other favorite quotes from your kids, so when you have one, send it to us!

Here's one from a mom:

C: What does wydonch mean?
[A silently ponders what she has just said that might elicit this question]
A: Oh, what I said was "whydonch you put that on the table so you don't lose it?"