Episode 134: They Say Autism, But it Doesn’t Seem Right with Marci Melzer
This podcast episode provides practical tips for parents to minimize tech time and engage children in meaningful activities that contribute to language acquisition and essential life skills.
In this segment, Marci Melzer, a seasoned speech therapist, addresses the challenges parents encounter in raising children in the digital age, particularly focusing on late speech development and the emergence of "virtual autism." Listen in as she and DJ discuss the crucial role of parents as primary language facilitators and as they critique the automatic labeling of late-talking children as autistic. Stay tuned to hear Marci advocate for creating a connected community around children, stressing the importance of exposure to peers and familiar adults to enhance language development and social skills.
Marci Melzer is what you might call an "old school" speech pathologist with more than 3 decades of research and development experience from her therapy practice. Marci has personally worked with thousands of clients in medical, educational, clinical, and natural environments, and thousands more have benefitted from her teachings in the 5.5 years she has been coaching online. Over the years, Marci has learned exactly what parents need to facilitate the kind of improvement they want... FUNctional speech that a child can use with everyone.
TIMESTAMPS
• [2:34] Marci categorizes late-talking children as "virtual autism" due to over-diagnosis and lack of speech therapy.
• [10:58] Marci argues that today's children are "parented by tech" due to increased screen time and decreased parental involvement.
• [12:44] “Technology is not teaching children important life skills, such as taking turns in talking and learning about the value of hard work and budgeting.”
• [18:12] DJ & Marci discuss the importance of giving parents the responsibility to teach their children, rather than relying on schools to provide the necessary support.
For more information on the Imperfect Heroes podcast, visit: https://www.imperfectheroespodcast.com/
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DJ Stutz -
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Marci Melter -
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