May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

Better Hearing & Speech Month 2018

Each May, Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and role of ASHA members in providing life-altering treatment. 

Week 1: Communication Milestones and Early Identification of Disorders

April Autism Acceptance Month

What is Autism Acceptance Month?

April is Autism Acceptance Month. During Autism Acceptance Month, we focus on sharing positive, respectful, and accurate information about autism and autistic people.

Autism Acceptance Month promotes acceptance and celebration of autistic people as family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, and community members making valuable contributions to our world. Autism is a natural variation of the human experience, and we can all create a world which values, includes, and celebrates all kinds of minds.

In a nutshell, Autism Acceptance Month is about treating autistic people with respect, listening to what we have to say about ourselves, and making us welcome in the world.

You probably know an autistic person already. Get to know us a little bit better.

How did it get started?

Autism Acceptance Month takes place every year during April. The first Autism Acceptance Month celebrations were organized by Paula Durbin Westby in 2011, as a response to traditional “Autism Awareness” campaigns which the Autistic community found harmful and insufficient. “Autism Acceptance” as a concept has a history as long as the Autistic community itself, dating back to Jim Sinclair’s seminal classic “Don’t Mourn For Us” and perhaps most visibly popularized by Estee Klar’s “The Autism Acceptance Project.”

Why acceptance?

Because autistic people are you friends, family members, children, partners, co-workers, fellow-citizens, customers, and neighbors.

Because autism is a natural part of the human experience.

Because autistic rights are human rights.

Because autistic people can speak for ourselves, and we want you to listen to us.

Because we aren’t going anywhere.

Because this is our world too.

Because there are all kinds of minds, and this world is big enough for all of us.

Looking for ways to entertain you kids on the cheap end?

Looking for ways to entertain your kids on the cheap end? Here's

a roundup of free and nearly-free events that your kids are

sure, to love. It includes workshops, summer camps, story

times and more.


01 The Home Depot Kids Workshops 







Bring out the do-it-yourselfer in your child by taking part in the

free Kids Workshops at Home Depot. Workshops take place

the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. - noon at all store

locations. You child will receive a free orange apron, and a

new pin for their apron, each time they complete a project.

Adult participation is required. These events are popular, so

be sure to register ahead of time to guarantee your spot.



02 Lowe's Build & Grow 






Lowe's is another good source for free D-I-Y kids' projects.

Clinics are offered on a bi-weekly basis from 10am-11am, and

all building materials and tools are provided. Spend an hour

with your child, and come away with a cool project that you

built together.



03 Michael's Kids' Club 







Have crafty kiddos? Then, the Kids' Club at Michael's is a

must-do. It features a new craft each Saturday. Just drop in

anytime between 10 am and noon; pay $2; and you're free to

shop while they create. There's also Camp Creativity in the

summer. It runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and

costs $3 per session, less if you buy three sessions at a time.

Check the store calendar for more free Make-It-Take-It events

that you can participate in as a family.












04 Barnes & Noble Storytimes 



Foster a love of books in your child by participating in one of

Barnes & Noble's free story times, which include a story and a

creative activity to go along with it. Themes and times vary

from location to location, so check with your nearest store for

specifics.



05 Pottery Barn Kids In-Store Events 






With a summer reading program, story times, character meet

and-greets and more, there's always something fun (and free)

to do at Pottery Barn Kids. 



06 The Apple Store Youth Workshops and Summer Camp 






Sign your kids up for a free one-hour workshop, where they

can learn how to do things like make movies or record

music. There's also a free three-day summer camp for kids

age 8-12, Choose between coding and robotics, moviemaking

or storytelling. Camp tends to fill up fast. Sign up to be notified

when registration opens, so you don't miss out.



07 Lego Store Free Mini Builds 






Each month, Lego Stores offer a free building event for kids

ages 6-14. Register in advance to claim a spot for your

kids (Registration opens the 15th of the month for the next

month's event). They'll get to build the monthly model, and

take it home with them. That means a free activity and free

Lego bricks!
 Note: You now need to be a Lego VIP member to

participate in the monthly builds. It's free to sign up.



08 Kids Bowl Free 





Register your kids on KidsBowlFree.com, and they'll get two

free games of bowling each day this summer, at participating

bowling alleys. This doesn't include the shoe rental, but some bowling alleys allow you to purchase an unlimited shoe rental pass.



09 Free Museum Admission 


If you're a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch customer, be sure

to take advantage of their Museums on Us program. Just flash your credit/debit card and I.D. at the admission counter to get free admission to hundreds of museums on the first full weekend of every month. The list of participating locations includes children's museums, history museums, botanical gardens and more. Use this program to cover your adult admissions, so you only have to pay for your kids. Some of these museums already offer free admission for kids, making for a totally free outing once a month.

Sources: https://www.thebalance.com/free-and-nearly-free-kids-events-1388453

Summer Camp - What is coming up the summer of 2018

Here is a link for printable instructions for a camp for your kiddo along how to register, location, etc:

http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/ParksAndRecreation/Programs/SpecializedPrograms/SpecializedSummerCampBrochure2018.pdf

How Speech Therapy Works?

How Speech Therapy Works

SLPs ( Speech-Language Pathologist) figure out what kind of language problem a child or adult has. They determine what’s causing it and decide on the best treatment. SLPs may help kids build skills by working with them one-on-one, in small groups, or in the classroom.

If your child has trouble reading and spelling, speech therapy may not seem like the obvious answer. Many people think that speech therapists only work with people who have trouble making certain sounds (articulation) or who have stutters or lisps.

Speech therapists do handle those speech issues. But they also help kids with other kinds of problems with spoken and written language, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and auditory processing disorder. In fact, a speech therapist is more accurately called a speech-language pathologist.

Different Focuses:

SLP can help with -

• Articulation problems: Not speaking clearly and making errors in sounds.
• Fluency problems: Trouble with the flow of speech, such as stuttering.
• Resonance or voice problems: Trouble with voice pitch, volume and quality.
• Oral feeding problems: Difficulty with eating, swallowing and drooling.

SLP can help treat - 

• Receptive language problems: Trouble understanding (receiving) language.
• Expressive language problems: Trouble speaking (expressing) language.
• Pragmatic language problems: Trouble using language in socially appropriate ways.

SLPs use strategies tailored for each child’s particular challenge. Strategies might include:

• Language intervention activities: These activities build skills in a variety of ways, including modeling and giving kids feedback. The therapist might use pictures and books or play-based therapy. She may also use language drills to practice skills.
• Articulation therapy: The SLP models the sounds the child has difficulty with. This might include demonstrating how to move the tongue to create specific sounds.
• Feeding and swallowing therapy: The SLP teaches the child exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. This might include facial massage and various tongue, lip and jaw exercises. She might also use different food textures to encourage awareness during eating and swallowing.

The Benefits of Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can help kids learn to speak more clearly. This helps them feel more confident and less frustrated about speaking to others. Kids who have language issues can benefit socially, emotionally and academically from speech therapy.

For kids with reading issues such as dyslexia, speech therapy can help them hear and distinguish specific sounds in words: the word bat breaks down into b, a, and t sounds. This can improve reading comprehension skills and encourage kids to read.

Speech therapy is especially beneficial when kids begin early in life. In one study, 70 percent of preschool kids with language issues who went through speech therapy showed improvement in language skills.

Results You Can Expect From Speech Therapy

Your child’s work with a speech therapist may last for months or even for a few years. It depends on your child’s needs. You will probably see improvement in your child’s issues. Remember, though, that therapy can’t “cure” your child. The underlying speech or language issue will still be there.

The therapist should give you and your child strategies to deal with obstacles more effectively. She will likely give you activities to practice at home to reinforce the skills your child is learning. Kids who make the most progress tend to be those whose get involved in their treatment.

It’s important that the speech therapist and your child are a good match. The speech therapist should have experience working with kids with your child’s specific issue. Speech therapy is just one way to help a child with learning issues related to language and speech.

Key Takeaways

• Speech therapy isn’t a quick fix. It takes hard work over many months or even years.

• It’s helpful if the speech therapist has experience working with kids with your child’s issue.

• Your involvement—like practicing exercises at home—can make speech therapy more effective.

Sources: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-speech-therapy?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkNfSBRCSARIsAL-u3X-m2ENYuDwF_WTWFVQPTG9ovENZRQlrmYfQ6xC7kwg-AU4V-QNRgswaAmLOEALw_wcB

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)