Lauryn is a Pediatric Speech and Language Therapist at Kids Place Central. Lauryn received her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Midwestern University after completing her Bachelors of Art in Psychology from Arizona State University. Originally from Illinois, Lauryn enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and spending time with family. Her favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and Green Bay Packers.
Pediatric Speech Therapy first verbs

How Children Learn Their First Verbs: A Parent’s Guide to Early Language Development

Understanding How Children Learn Their First Verbs Watching your child learn to talk is one of the most exciting parts of parenting. You may hear your child use their first words around 10-16 months. These first words are typically nouns, such as mama, dada, doggy, and ball. Starting as early as 8 months of age,…

Read more
Pediatric Speech TherapyPediatric Occupational Therapy sensory regulation

Why Sensory Regulation is Important for Language Development

Why Sensory Regulation is Important for Language Development in Pediatric Therapy The Role of Sensory Regulation in Pediatric Therapy Sensory regulation is commonly a goal in occupational therapy, but it is also an important concept in speech-language therapy. Occupational therapy assists in the participation and function of “occupations” and daily activities. A child’s job is…

Read more
Pediatric Speech Therapy concerns over the revised developmental checklist

Concerns Over the Revised Developmental Checklist

Concerns Over the Revised Developmental Checklist by Lauryn Bates, M.S., CCC-SLP Kids Place Speech and Language Pathologist Research has indicated that 80% of brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life. The brain is more flexible during this time because it must learn to accommodate new environments, interactions, and experiences. A child is…

Read more
Pediatric Speech Therapy

Debunking Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Myths

Debunking Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Myths by Lauryn Bates, CCC-SLP Kids Place Central Pediatric Speech Therapist The average person speaks approximately 150 words per minute. In a typical day, most of us will express more than 15,000 words for a variety of communicative intents. We use language to maintain social relationships with others as…

Read more
Pediatric Speech Therapy

Strategies to Promote Comprehension and Encourage Language

Strategies to Promote Comprehension and Encourage Language by Lauryn Bates, M.S., CCC-SLP Kids Place Central Pediatric Speech and Language Pathologist Daily routines and activities are the perfect time to help your child learn early language skills. Language refers to the words/signs/gestures that we use and how we use these to express our wants and needs…

Read more