American Speech-Language Hearing Association Conference 2017

This past week our office was closed on Thursday and Friday.

The therapists took a trip to Los Angeles, California to attend the yearly ASHA conference.

The ASHA Convention is the strongest educational program for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, speech and hearing scientists, and related professionals.

Make sure to ask your therapist how the conference was!

"This was my first time at ASHA and I had an awesome experience! I am excited to apply everything I learned from the conference into therapy.  It was amazing to be surrounded by thousands of people who share the same passion as me."  

- Adina (SLPA)

Identify the Signs of Communication Disorders

Do you know the common sings of communication disorders? 

Early intervention is always best! Which is why ASHA partnered with Read Aloud 15 MINUTES to create age specific flyers on common signs of communication disorders. 

Here are few common signs of a communication disorder:

• Struggles to say sounds or words
• Repetition of words or parts of words
• Says words in wrong order
• Struggles with using words and understanding others

Early detection signs are commonly categorized for age specific development. Please use these resources to target your child's specific age range to determine any delays in reaching milestones. 

Signs of Speech & Language Disorders

Resource for Parents with Young Children

Screen Time

As technology continues to grow, there is a common concern of language development in young children who spend ample amount of time on tablets. 

A study from the University of Toronto found that every 30 minutes of daily screen usage increases a child's risk of developing speech and language delays by 49% for ages 6 months to 2 years. They specifically found that there were difficulties with expressive language. However, the author cautions that their study does show a direct correlation between device use and language difficulties but there needs to be more research completed in order to signify the correlation. 

So how much screen time should you allow your child to have?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children younger than 18 months. Children learn language by exposure, and birth to 2 or 3 year range is a time of massive advances in language development. 

Of course, Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) is an exception as it is vital in the development of language for non-verbal users. 

9 Tips for Communicating Better With People With Autism

Asha.org recently just put out a new infographic regarding tips to help improve communication for those with Autism. 

It's a must read for everyone! 

Better Hearing & Speech Month 2017

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Communication: The Key to Connection. 

Approximately 46 million Americans experience some form of communication disorder. Communication disorders can compromise physical and emotional health.

Better Hearing and Speech Month is working to raise awareness about communication disorders and resources available. 

Click here to find out how you can get involved!

So what exactly does an SLP do?

I was able to attend the ASHA Convention a few weeks ago in Denver and completely enjoyed myself!  You may be thinking what is ASHA?

Well it's our national research and credentialing association (see two posts below for more info).  Each year they host a 3-4 day convention where speech-language pathologists (SLPs) gather from across the nation to learn all about the latest research and approaches of our field.  There were around 14,000 SLPs in Denver this year and it was quite the event! While there were many fantastic classes I attended, it was the diversity of topics offered that I was so impressed with.  Our field is so vast and many out there don't know all of the areas of speech-language pathology.  This handout by Super Duper (http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/162%20SLPs.pdf) is a great resource of information and also where I got the information below.  Here are some of the different areas of SLP:

Speech Disorders 

• Articulation - the way we say our speech sounds 

• Phonology - the speech patterns we use 

• Apraxia - difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds 

• Fluency - stuttering 

• Voice - problems with the way the voice sounds, such as hoarseness 

Language Disorders 

• Receptive Language - difficulty understanding language 

• Expressive Language - difficulty using language 

• Pragmatic Language - social communication; the way we speak to each other 

Other Disorders 

• Deafness/Hearing Loss - loss of hearing; therapy includes developing lip-reading, speech, and/or alternative communication systems 

• Oral-Motor Disorders - weak tongue and/or lip muscles 

• Swallowing/Feeding Disorders - difficulty chewing and/or swallowing

Pretty cool right?  Well, I like to think so.  :)  We have an amazing field and I'm grateful to be a part of it.  Ok, enough sappiness about my love of SLP, it's Friday everyone---go enjoy your weekend!

---Cassee