Angela Haas

But it's still an important step toward grasping the rhythms of conversation, says Angela Haas, a speech-language pathologist at the Children's Hospital in Denver. So encourage the back-and-forth: Imitate her or say something short and upbeat, like "Hi, sweetie! Then stop and wait.

Instead of vocalizing, "she might wave her arms or kick her legs or smile -- that's a way of replying," Haas says. Keep the flow rolling by acknowledging and encouraging her until she signals she's had enough. (She'll fidget and look away.) Even if the "talk" lasts only a minute, she'll have learned a little about the fine art of conversation. And you'll have learned something, too: "Babies are clear communicators, if you take the time to stop and watch," Haas says.

Michelle S. Bourgeois - Dr. Heidi Brady - Angela Haas
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Angela Haas, MA, CCC-SLP has 15 years of experience as a member and current director of the Feeding and Swallowing Program at The Children's Hospital - Denver, Colorado. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her graduate degree at The University of Colorado- Boulder. She has co-authored a chapter "Oral Motor Skills and Swallowing" in "Failure to Thrive and Pediatric Undernutrition" (Kessler and Dawson), Brooks Publishing, 1999. She had presented at ASHA and CSHA on feeding treatment models and has provided numerous feeding and swallowing workshops over the past 9 years nationally and locally. She is an expert consultant for Gerber Products Company, a legal expert witness in food product litigation, and is currently an expert consultant on pediatric feeding and feeding products for RAM/Intertek, Inc., a consumer product safety corporation.

She is also mom to Ethan, age 5, and Ella age 3, and lives in the Denver area.

Other highlights of the Institute were "Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing for the SLP," by Angela Haas, of the Children's Hospital of Denver; "Exploration in Culturally Competent Practices: Linking with Families," with Janet Beatty and Clara Pérez-Méndez, a self-reflective half-day workshop on working with families from diverse backgrounds; "Storybook Journey," an inspiring look at the literacy journey with young children by Sue McCord; and "Alumni Exchange," a time for alums to exchange ideas and share experiences related to what is working best for them in their current practices.