Navigating the Early Intervention Program

Here is your Parents’ Guide to Navigating the Illinois Early Intervention Program  Early action yields best results! Each state has an Early Intervention program tailored to providing services and support for babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. These services include, but are not limited to, speech and language (including feeding) therapy, physical…

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The Life of an Amazing Volunteer!

GiGi’s Playhouse is very fortunate to have the dedicated hard work of some amazing volunteers to keep us going strong! One of these volunteers is Lauren Abry. We had one of our GiGi Professionals, Brian Rogala, interview her in our new GiGi Professional space to find out more about her. Here’s how it went: Brian:…

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October Participant Spotlight!

“Cristina has been in the GiGi’s Playhouse Amina Grace Speech & Language Program for only four months.  However, within that short amount of time, her speech and clarity has improved immensely.  Cristina has worked with Taylor on a speech she gave to over 75 people in early October.  We had many people come up to…

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GiGi University in the House!!

Have you even come into the Playhouse on a Monday, Wednesday, or a Friday and seen a group of adults working incredibly hard while having the time of their lives? Working out? Or working incredibly hard in the classroom?  If you answered YES to any of these questions, then you have had the privilege of…

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Why is Speech Therapy Important?

Why is speech therapy important? I get this question quite often. The answer is VERY! The importance and value of speech in all individuals cannot be underestimated. Do you remember playing the game of telephone as a kid? Hoping the message wouldn’t get garbled up along the way? You wanted your message to be clear.…

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One Million Voices? It IS possible!

When I think about reaching one million voices, I literally get sick to my stomach thinking, how are we going to make this happen??? It’s impossible! Then I think back to the very first Playhouse and I remember multiple people asking if they could open one. More than one?? I can’t even handle this one,…

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Back-to-School Speech Tips!

One of the biggest questions parents ask is, “What can I do to help my child’s speech and language development?”. There are many books, apps, and language learning toys that can be recommended; however, the most important way to expand speech and language skills is throughout naturalistic play!! It’s not about the toys you play…

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August 2018 Participant Spotlight!

The Amina Grace Speech and Language Program sees amazing kids and incredible progress every single day. Here’s our spotlight participant for August! “We are forever grateful and apreciative of what GiGi’s Playhouse and the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program have provided to our son, Joey. Since he joined the speech program in June, Joey…

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