The ABC’s of Stuttering in Children

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development News Parents' Corner Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

What is causing my child to stutter and how long will it last? Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

What Causes Stuttering and Can It Be Fixed?  Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which words, sounds or syllables are repeated or last longer than normal. Stuttering, also called stammering or disfluency, causes a break or a pause in the flow of speech. Young children may stutter when they are first developing their speech and language skills. The stuttering occurs when their speech skills cannot keep up with what they are trying to say. Stumbling over words or speech affects about five percent of children, and generally lasts for several weeks or several years.  Most children outgrow this stuttering phase within their first four years.

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Super Low Cost Speech Therapy Tips and Tricks!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Language Development News Parents' Corner School Speech delay Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques State Resources
Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Speech and language disorders affect children of all races and social-economic groups. If left untreated, speech disorders can affect a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others. Parents are constantly searching for low cost speech therapy tools and ideas. But where do you begin? The Internet is jam-packed with tools, gadgets, whistles and websites that can be confusing and misleading for parents. We have narrowed down a few low cost speech therapy ideas for you to try. Of course, we always recommend that you check in with your pediatrician or licensed speech therapist first before taking on any therapies on your own.

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We’re heading to ASHA 2013 this week! Stop by our booth (#1713) for live Speech Buddy demos.

by Courtenay M. Interviews News
Image Courtesy of asha.org/events/convention/

Image Courtesy of asha.org/events/convention/

Dear ASHA Attendees:

As an SLP and co-founder of Speech Buddies, I’m thrilled to join more than 7,000 of our esteemed colleagues from all over the world for this year’s ASHA 2013 convention in Chicago. Researchers, clinicians, students and parents of children living with speech and language challenges will come to share their work, absorb new information, acquire new skills, and connect with their colleagues. The theme of this year’s convention is Teamwork: how trained professionals working in concert with their peers, parents and teachers can achieve positive outcomes not possible on an individual basis. We applaud ASHA’s focus on this vital theme and we at Speech Buddies have tailored our entire approach to harnessing the power of collaboration.

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We’re Hitting the Road! Follow Us.

by Courtenay M. News
We're hitting the road! Follow Ainoa Moure's journey.

We’re hitting the road! Follow Ainoa’s journey.

Kids are heading back to school across the country and Speech Buddies will be hitting the road this fall to give speech therapists a chance to try our R, S, L, CH and SH tools in person. Over the next few weeks, Ainoa from Speech Buddies will be traveling to schools throughout the Southeast and we’ll be tracking her journey along the way. Want Ainoa to come to your school? Contact us to be added to her schedule!

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Speech Therapy in the Media – Helpful or Hurtful?

by Holly F. News
speech therapy meme

Source: unthinkido.com

 

Speech therapy in the media is rare. How often do you see an SLP on TV or in the movies? How about cartoons? It’s not often, though seeing a character with a speech or language deficit is more common (Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Cindy Brady). The media’s image of speech therapy can definitely have an influence on the patient’s expectations and perceptions of the profession. Take Aflac’s most recent commercial, for example, in which their iconic and loveable duck undergoes speech therapy. While its nice to have attention towards the profession, it begs the question, is this image helpful or hurtful?

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Attend the ASHA Schools Conference 2013 Premier Event for School Based SLPs

by Holly F. News
ASHA schools conference 2013 logo

Source: marketing.asha.org

School based speech and language pathologists have a very unique role. Not only do they support a child’s speech and language development but are immersed in the entire educational experience of a child. This unique role merits its very own annual conference in fact. This year, the annual ASHA schools conference 2013 happens next month in Long Beach, California from July 12-14. If you’re an SLP who likes to catch the rays and surf in California while improving your knowledge base, earn CEUs, network and learn about new cutting edge products, this conference is for you!

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Kick-Start Your Child’s Speech Progress Starting June 24

by Holly F. News
Speech Buddy University Login

Source: speechbuddy.com

Get your summer started off right and your children speaking clearer the the Summer Kick-Start Program from Speech Buddies University. If you’ve found yourself needing some extra guidance when it comes to using Speech Buddies, this program is for you. From your own home computer and with guided instruction you’re sure to see improvements and feel great about using Speech Buddies this summer.

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Using Visual Biofeedback to Improve Treatment for R Productions

by Holly F. News
the letter R
Source: blog.asha.com

“R” can be a tricky sound to master and even trickier to teach. But if only visual biofeedback were around for Elmer Fudd, his ‘r’ sound might have improved, according to some researchers. While you might not have heard of visual biofeedback, the idea makes sense; seeing what you say could help you learn to correct it. While visual biofeedback is just one tool among many that might help SLPs tackle ‘r’ productions, it might just help clinician’s think about new ways of taking on classic childhood speech and language difficulties. Continue reading →

Get Ready for the International Association of Special Education Conference (IASE) Coming July 2013

by Holly F. News
IASE Mexico

Source: isae.org

Finally, the 13th Biennial International Association of Special Education Conference is right around the corner. Educators and professionals from a variety of disciplines, including speech and language therapists, will gather from around the world to share, inform, and exchange new ideas for improving special education on a global scale. This year the conference presenters and attendees will meet and enjoy some summer sun in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the University of British Columbia from July 7 – 11, 2013. Here are all the details:

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Advantages of Early Intervention Found into the School Years

by Holly F. Language Development News

 

Early intervention statistics

Source: friendshipcircle.org

Playing with little ones serves and important purpose in the world of speech and language therapy. “Early intervention” is a support system for children with developmental disabilities or delays and their families. Speech language pathologist might provide early intervention services to a child between the ages of birth-three years, before they qualify for preschool. According to a review of the efficacy of the Early Start Denver  Model for children with autism, early intervention services (at least following this model) could reduce the need for future therapies.

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