Beyond Traditional Articulation Therapy Seminar: Coming to Massachusetts

by Holly F. News

 

Beyond Traditional Articulation Therapy

Source: pesi.com

New technology is abundant, from QR code readers to iPad apps, developments in technology are advancing all aspects of life and now speech therapy techniques too. If you want to move your patients and practice beyond traditional articulation therapy new, effective, evidence-based tools for your treatment arsenal are easier than you think. If you are looking for Easy-to-Use, Effective, Technology-Based Methods for the 21st Century please join Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP, national speaker, expert and clinical founder of Speech Buddies this summer. CMI Education Institute and PESI Healthcare are bringing this engaging seminar to Taunton and Woburn Massachusetts this summer, and you’re invited! If you can’t make it, join the broadcast from your home or work computer and watch it live.

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SLPs: Make Your Mark on Better Hearing and Speech Month in May

by Holly F. News
better hearing and speech month

Source: asha.org

May might welcome spring flowers but it also ushers in Better Hearing and Speech Month. Every May for the past 75 years, speech pathologists and audiologists are tasked with advocacy and education. This is our time to get the word out!  This month aims to raise awareness about communication disorders and promote treatment for those suffering from communication impairments. Gather your craft materials, color printers and social media to support communication disorders this month.

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New Study Finds How Many Children Affected by Learning Disabilities

by Holly F. News

 

learning disabilities infographic

Source: parents.com

It seems that these days a speech pathologist’s caseload is maxed in most institutions, filled with individuals and small groups of children who require expert intervention for communication. Just how exactly are the numbers of children who could benefit from speech therapy trending? A new review article from academics at UCL and Goldsmiths published in Science, provides some answers.

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Technology Makes Life-Changing Advances for People Using Sign Language

by Holly F. News

 

sign language interpreted by glove

Source: languagemadesimple.com

Speech therapy is a broad field that treats a variety of patients, disorders and modes of communication. A communication modality can be any number of means a person uses to express himself or herself. According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), speech language pathologists now encounter many clients whose primary mode of communication is through American Sign Language. This can become a challenge, however, when SLPs are not fluent in sign language themselves. It’s a challenging problem across many areas of life, in fact, for persons who use American Sign Language to communicate with people who are not signers. Until now there has been little a person could do to ease the burden of such a communication breakdown, but thanks to modern technology, life changing advances are improving the way people who use sign language are able to communicate.

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Your Toddler Already Knows Grammar Better than a Chimp

by Holly F. News

 

boy and chimp

Source: staticflickr.com

A toddler has a lot of information to take in, making toddler language development complex. Information comes at them quickly and constantly like new vocabulary words, longer sentences and questions. Often times we think they are just imitating songs or phrases they’ve heard but as it turns out, toddlers at the age of two are understanding basic grammar rules, which is more than famed Chimpanzee, Nim Chimpanszy could do. This is according to a new study from researchers out of the University of Pennsylvania whose research continues to contribute to the field of language acquisition, ultimately helping to improve the evidence based practices and assessment of speech therapy clients.

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Can We Simulate the Autism Experience?

by Holly F. News
child in multi sensory room

Source: ttlc.org

You might have seen a child toe-walking, or covering their ears with their hands. But instead of just observing, have you ever wondered what it might be like to experience the world like a child with autism? Autism, a disorder of neural development, affects the way a child’s brain processes information and can have serious effects on communication, social interaction, and repetitive, stereotypic movements. It is a mysterious disorder in that scientists have yet to identify the cause, but the number of children diagnosed continues to rise. What is perhaps the most enigmatic about autism spectrum disorders, however, is the sensory abnormalities described and observed by some in nearly 90% of the autism population. For the normal brain, this can be difficult to imagine. But now, thanks to developers at the Vancouver Hacking Health hackathon, a simulation of the autism experience might provide typical brains with a taste of the autism experience.

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No Danger Here, Will Robinson – Robot Therapist Shows Promise in Speech Therapy

by Holly F. News
robots as study buddy for children

Source: dailyinfographic.com

Could a robot deliver speech therapy? It might sound a little like science fiction, but robot-delivered speech therapy is possible and could soon become a reality in clinical practice. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, are among the first to investigate the potential of humanoid therapists for rehabilitation patients in speech and physical therapy.

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April is Autism Awareness Month – Light it Up Blue

by Holly F. News
Autism Awareness Month 2013

Source: autismsciencefoundation.org

If you’ve seen a blue puzzle piece logo on Facebook or a post about the Empire State Building going blue, you’ve probably heard the slogan, “Light it Up Blue.” This isn’t just a friendly decoration to ring in spring. Light it Up Blue is the call to action for organizations and individuals around the world to get involved in World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. Autism is a developmental disorder which interferes with social, behavioral and communication skills. World Autism Awareness Day began six years ago when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously chose that date as an annual day to “highlight the need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder so they can lead fill and meaningful lives.”

 

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Study Finds New Predictors of Speech and Language Development in Children with Autism

by Holly F. News
autism stats

Source: executivehm.com

 

With two percent of U.S. school kids – or about a million children –diagnosed with some sort of autism, speech pathologists are feeling the need for more research in effective speech therapy, early identification and language outcomes.  A new study aims to shed light on the later by highlighting predictors of speech and language development in children with autism.

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Stuttering Treatment Can Improve Speech for Children with Down Syndrome

by Holly F. News

 

Boy with Down Sydrome in Speech Therapy

Source: thelancet.com

Down Syndrome is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder and impacts a child’s development with regards to language, cognition and motor skills. Children with Down Syndrome routinely receive and benefit from speech-therapy for improvement of articulation, development of syntax, grammar and semantics. What most people don’t know is that many children and adults with Down Syndrome struggle to communicate due to disfluency, or a stutter. Though the two terms, stuttering and Down Syndrome might not seem to go together often, it occurs is as many as 45% of adults and 50% of children. Though research regarding best practices for treatment have been largely limited, a new study from the University of Alberta aims to change that.

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