Esther Nahon

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Esther Nahon, M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD
MINDINSYNC founder | Neuroaffirming educator
📚Language, literacy & learning rooted in connection and care
🔜 Grow Together Deck™ | In the making
👇Resources to eplore in my Linktree

08/21/2026

This sits at the intersection of so many things I care about professionally: speech and language, literacy, social communication, critical thinking, memory and how children actually learn.

The more I learn about learning, the more I realize how connected all of these systems are. A child is rarely just “doing reading” or “working on language.” They’re holding information in mind, connecting it to what they already know, finding words for an idea, listening to someone else and deciding what matters enough to remember.

That’s why the current conversation around EdTech has my attention. Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath’s Senate testimony raised important questions about the rapid expansion of educational technology and student screen exposure. His work, along with Dr. Maryanne Wolf’s research and others studying cognition, literacy and learning, has made me want to understand this more deeply.

We’re seeing concerning trends in literacy, attention, reasoning and problem solving while education has undergone an enormous digital transformation. That doesn’t establish cause and effect, but it should make us curious.

I keep thinking about memory too. Learning isn’t completing something successfully in the moment. What stayed? What can the child retrieve tomorrow? Can they explain it in their own words and use it somewhere else?

Then there’s the human piece. So much language develops between people. So does perspective taking, repairing misunderstandings, learning how to disagree, questioning information and having an idea challenged. I want children who know how to use technology. I also want children who can remember, reason, communicate, connect and think for themselves.

As we head back to school, I hope we keep looking at the evidence and at the children in front of us while staying aligned with what teaching and learning are really about.
Technology will keep changing.
What children need in order to learn should continue to guide what we do with it.

Helping a child doesn’t always mean giving them more help. Sometimes it means figuring out what kind of help the moment ...
08/13/2026

Helping a child doesn’t always mean giving them more help. Sometimes it means figuring out what kind of help the moment actually calls for.

We’ve all crossed that line without realizing it. We explain the homework again, finish the last part of the project, speak for them, make the phone call, or solve the problem because it’s hard to watch a child struggle when we know we could make it easier.

There’s learning science behind stepping in differently. Scaffolding is meant to be responsive and temporary. We model when a skill is new, prompt when a learner is stuck, and gradually pull back support as they’re able to do more independently. The goal isn’t maximum help or minimum help. It’s figuring out what is getting in the way and responding from there.

It isn’t always about the skill. A child may know exactly what to do and still be overwhelmed, frustrated, nervous, or unable to get themselves started. That changes what help looks like.

That’s the thinking behind this Shining Words™ guide:

TEACH when they don’t know how.
NUDGE when they’re stuck.
CONNECT when they need you alongside them.
LET THEM TRY when they have the skill and need the practice.

The phrases here aren’t meant to be scripts. Make them yours. Use the words that feel natural coming from you and fit the child in front of you. What matters is the intention behind them: noticing what the child needs and choosing language that supports without automatically taking over.

That’s what Shining Words is really about, giving adults language to start from, while leaving room for their own voice, their relationship with the child, and the moment they’re actually in.

The next time you hear “I can’t,” “I don’t want to,” or “you do it,” start there: What kind of help does this moment actually need?

Shining Words™ , The Language That Builds Connection

Here’s to making this the kinda chic that fills our schools and learning environments this year. 🤍
08/05/2026

Here’s to making this the kinda chic that fills our schools and learning environments this year. 🤍

07/29/2026

We’ve made incredible progress talking about dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. I think it’s time language disorders become part of that conversation, too.

Can I say something that might be uncomfortable?

I wonder if we’ve become so uncomfortable with the words disorder, and conversations about disability, that we’ve started calling almost every language challenge “a delay.”

I understand why. Those words carry weight. They can feel overwhelming for families, but changing the language doesn’t change a child’s experience, their strengths, or the support they deserve.

Some children truly have speech or language delays. Others have speech or language disorders. Both deserve to be understood because they aren’t the same thing. A delay follows the expected developmental sequence, just more slowly. A disorder involves persistent difficulty developing or using speech and/or language. Children with language disorders can make meaningful progress, but their language differences often continue over time and often require ongoing support.

The way we understand disability also depends on the lens we’re looking through. The medical model focuses on identifying a condition. The social model reminds us that disability is also shaped by the barriers society creates. I don’t think these perspectives have to compete. Together, they challenge us to see the whole child.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that language is simply “talking.” It isn’t. Language shapes how we understand, learn, read, write, solve problems, build relationships, and participate in the world around us.

Words matter because they shape how we understand children. And how we understand children shapes the support we provide.

A diagnosis doesn’t define a child. Understanding them does.

This post is intended for education and awareness. It offers a simplified overview and is not intended to diagnose, label, or define any child. Speech and language disorders should be identified through a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified speech language pathologist and, when appropriate, as part of an interdisciplinary evaluation.

07/21/2026

A little July dump… with a plot twist, stay until the end ✨

07/17/2026

Shining Words didn’t begin as a business plan or a product.

It began with a question. Actually, it began with the same questions I hear over and over again from parents.

“What do I do?”

“What do I say?”

“How should I respond?”

As a speech-language pathologist, so much of my work extends beyond the therapy room. I spend time talking with parents about the moments that happen in and between sessions: the tears before school, the frustration over homework, the friendship struggles, the bedtime worries, the meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere.

Again and again, parents weren’t just asking what strategy to use. They were asking for the words.

And it made me wonder…

As speech-language pathologists, we’re constantly thinking about language. We know how to slow a moment down, build rapport, support regulation, and choose words that help a child feel safe enough to communicate. We know that connection comes before correction, and that the way we respond can change the direction of an interaction.

No one handed us a script. There isn’t a handbook filled with the perfect phrases for every situation.

What we do have is our clinical knowledge, years of experience, careful observation, and countless moments of learning alongside children and families. Over time, we begin to recognize the kinds of language that invite connection instead of resistance, curiosity instead of shame, and confidence instead of fear.

Then I found myself wondering…

What if more adults had access to that way of thinking? Every child needs Shining Words, and every adult deserves a framework for approaching these moments with intention.

What if I could take what I’ve learned over years of listening, supporting, and connecting with children and translate it into something parents, teachers, grandparents, coaches, and caregivers could use in everyday life?

That’s where Shining Words began.

It’s not a collection of perfect phrases. It’s a framework for using language intentionally. It’s about understanding why certain words help children feel seen, safe, and understood, and learning how to respond in ways that strengthen connection and support growth fo

For years, people have said things to me like:“You must have so much patience.”“You were blessed with a gift for working...
07/15/2026

For years, people have said things to me like:

“You must have so much patience.”

“You were blessed with a gift for working with children.”

“The way you speak with kids just comes naturally.”

And while I am truly grateful for those words, there is something I want people to know…

It wasn’t something I was simply born knowing.

Knowing what to say is a skill that develops through experience, reflection, and learning.

It came from years of listening. Years of learning from children and families. Years of noticing what helped a child feel understood, supported, and connected.

I learned that the words we choose are never just words.

They communicate:

“I see you.”

“Your feelings make sense.”

“You don’t have to go through this moment alone.”

That is the power of language.

The words we choose can build trust.

They can strengthen relationships.

They can help children feel seen, safe, and capable.

And the beautiful thing is…

This is a skill we can all learn.

Through practice.

Through reflection.

Through having language to reach for when we need it most.

We discover language that connects, practice it in real moments, and over time, it becomes part of the way we show up for children.

That is the heart behind Shining Words™.

I’ve seen firsthand how a few thoughtful words in a tough moment can help a child feel seen, understood, and connected.

Working with children taught me that connection begins with the words we choose.

Shining Words™ was created for every adult who has a child in their life: parents, teachers, grandparents, caregivers, therapists, coaches, mentors, and anyone who wants to strengthen their connection with children.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing the words, the moments, and the ideas behind Shining Words™.

Shining Words™
The Language That Builds Connection.

07/10/2026

Imagine Netflix made a Netflix documentary about the life of an SLP…

🎬 Season 1: Inside the Therapy Room:

Episode 1: “I Don’t Know.”
(Answers correctly 2 seconds later.)

Episode 2: “Can We Read for 5 Minutes and Then Play a Game?”
(A skilled negotiator.)

Episode 3: “Can I Tell You Something?”
(A 20-minute story that started with breakfast.)

Episode 4: “I Didn’t Bring a Pencil.”
(Every. Single. Week.)

Episode 5: “My Hand Hurts. I Can’t Write Today.”
(A remarkable recovery when it’s game time.)

Episode 6: “My Mom Wrote It.”
(The honesty is unmatched.)

Episode 7: “Wait… I Remember!”
(Three seconds later… a miracle.)

Episode 8: “Can I Go to the Bathroom?”
(Right when the work begins.)

Episode 9: “Can We Just Play Today?”
(Asked while already playing.)

Episode 10: “I’m Not Doing That.”
(Five minutes later… does it.)

🎬 Plot Twist: The best therapy never looked like therapy.

SLPs… what episode did I miss? 🍿😂

For the past two years, I’ve been quietly building something.Not another strategy.Not another curriculum.I’ve been colle...
07/02/2026

For the past two years, I’ve been quietly building something.

Not another strategy.
Not another curriculum.

I’ve been collecting words we often search for in the moments that matter most.

The kind of words that help a child feel seen.
The kind of words that make a hard moment feel a little less lonely. The kind of words that stay with us long after childhood.

As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve spent almost twenty years helping children find their words. Somewhere along the way, I realized something…

Sometimes it’s the adults who need the words first, because sometimes in the moments that matter most, we don’t always know what to say.

That’s how Shining Words™ began.

Shining Words™ is built on one simple belief:
The right words don’t fix children.
They connect with them, and connection is where growth begins.

Every phrase in Shining Words™ is written to help parents, teachers, therapists, grandparents, coaches, and every caring adult respond with language that builds confidence, belonging, resilience, curiosity, and hope.

This first collection is just the beginning.

My hope is that Shining Words™ becomes a library of phrases children carry with them for a lifetime and that together, we create a world where the words we choose help children feel safe, understood, and empowered.

When we choose words with intention, we don’t just help children grow. We grow together. ☀️

Welcome to Shining Words™.

The Language That Builds Connection.

💛 You’re meeting Shining Words™ at the very beginning, and that makes you part of its story.

This logo and brand identity are the very first version of a dream that’s still growing. I’d love for you to grow with me.

✨ When you see Shining Words™, what does it make you feel?

✨ What words come to mind?

✨ And what is one phrase someone said to you as a child that you’ve carried with you ever since?

If you’re here at the beginning, thank you. I’d love for you to follow along as Shining Words™ comes to life one phrase, one conversation, and one child at a time. I can’t wait to see where we grow together. ☀️

Some of the students who need the most support are the ones we don’t immediately flag.Not because they aren’t struggling...
07/01/2026

Some of the students who need the most support are the ones we don’t immediately flag.

Not because they aren’t struggling, but because their struggle doesn’t “look” like what we’ve been trained to notice.

I’ve sat in countless meetings where we talk about referrals, supports, next steps… and I keep coming back to how easy it is to focus on what’s visible: behavior, disruption, urgency in the room.

Those things matter. They absolutely deserve attention and support, but there’s another group that often requires a different kind of noticing.

The student who is quiet but not truly accessing the work.
The student who follows routines but is working far beyond their peers to keep up.
The student who looks “independent,” but only because they’ve become experts at compensating.

And the reality is compensation can look like success on the surface.

Copying classmates instead of understanding.
Staying silent to avoid mistakes.
Avoiding reading aloud.
Staying under the radar because it feels safer than being wrong.

None of these are red flags in the traditional sense, but they are data points.

And that’s really the shift.

Not rushing to label.
Not rushing to decide.
Slowing down long enough to collect enough information to understand what’s actually going on underneath what we see.

Behavior is only one piece of the picture, and silence is not the absence of need.

When we widen what we’re looking for, we find more accurate understanding. That’s what allows us to support students earlier, more precisely, and more fairly.

The goal is never to over-identify.
It’s to make sure we’re not under-seeing the children who have learned how to hide in plain sight.

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Long Beach, NY
11561

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Monday 8:30am - 8pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 8pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 8pm
Thursday 8:30am - 8pm
Friday 8:30am - 2pm
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