June is Aphasia Awareness Month!

Did you know that of the estimated 750,000 strokes that occur each year in the United States, about one third result in aphasia? Aphasia is a communication disorder that occurs after a stroke or other neurological injury that makes it difficult to communicate using language. June is Aphasia Awareness Month, a campaign headed by the National Aphasia Association intended to raise public awareness of aphasia. Read on to learn more about aphasia: what it is, how speech-therapy can help, and what you can do to help a person with aphasia communicate.

May Is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

Each May the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) launches Better Speech and Hearing Month, a public awareness campaign designed to bring attention to communication disorders and spread the word about services that are available for people with speech, language, or hearing issues to improve their communication and overall quality of life. Speech-language pathologists are a key resource in helping people with communication disorders improve their ability to communicate with those around them. But have you ever wondered exactly what a speech-language pathologist does? Some of the answers may surprise you! Here are just a few of the basic issues that speech therapists work with on a daily basis:

Tips to Help Your Child on the Spectrum Enjoy Vacation

It’s World Autism Month! You may have seen communities and individuals around the globe “lighting it up blue” for autism this month to help raise awareness. In support of this campaign, we’ve dedicated our blogs this month to topics in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Over the past weeks, we’ve covered topics like signs and symptoms for early identification and how speech-language therapy can improve communication. Today, we’re going to provide some tips for helping your child on the spectrum enjoy a family vacation.

World Autism Month: How Speech Therapy Can Help

It’s World Autism Month! You may have seen communities and individuals around the globe “lighting it up blue” for autism this month to help raise awareness. In support of this campaign, we’ve dedicated our blogs this month to topics in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Over the past weeks, we’ve discussed some basic facts about autism and signs and symptoms for early identification. Today, we’ll talk about some of the ways speech-language therapy can help a person on the spectrum communicate and live their best life.

April is World Autism Month! Learn the Signs

 

Diagnoses of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) have risen steadily since the 1960s to the current rate of 1 in 68 children in the United States. As diagnoses continue to rise, awareness of early signs and symptoms more important than ever. While there is no “cure” for autism, early intervention, including speech-language therapy, has been shown to significantly improve the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. Take a look below at some of the signs and symptoms of autistic spectrum disorders:

World Autism Day is April 2: Light It Up Blue!

Each April, organizations around the world recognize Autism Awareness Month, to help raise public awareness and increase understanding of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The campaign is kicked off each year on World Autism Day, April 2. Organizations and individuals around the world wear blue, decorate with blue, and use blue lights to raise awareness and show their support for individuals with autism. In honor of this campaign, today we’re going to help raise awareness by providing some facts about this often misunderstood disorder:

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: How Can an SLP Help?

Childhood mispronunciations are a normal part of language development; most parents have fond memories of cute mispronunciations like “effalent” for elephant. But what happens when your child’s speech problems are more severe? Last week we talked about one speech disorder, that can leave a child with speech that is nearly unintelligible: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). In our last blog, we discussed some of the signs and symptoms of apraxia of speech, and the importance of seeking the evaluation of a speech-language pathologist. Today, we’ll talk about how a speech-language pathologist works with a child with apraxia of speech after they’ve been diagnosed.

Does My Child Have Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Mispronouncing words is a typical part of language development. Many parents love that adorable stage where a child might say “p’sketti” for spaghetti or “compooter” for computer. Errors like this are a normal part of learning language and typically nothing to worry about. However, for some children, speech errors may be much more severe and pervasive, making their speech nearly unintelligible. There are a range of issues that can cause speech problems. Today we’ll talk about one of these: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

Encourage Early Literacy for National Reading Month!

 

March is National Reading Month! Did you know that speech-language pathologists can play a key role in helping children learn to read? In fact, recent survey found that over 70% of teachers believed that students who received speech therapy services demonstrated improved reading skills in the classroom (ASHA, National Outcome Measurement System). In support of National Reading Month, today we’re focusing our blog on some of the things you can do at home to help your child develop pre-literacy skills and get ready to read!

Trisomy Awareness Month: Spotlight on Down Syndrome

Did you know that March is Trisomy Awareness Month? In support of this awareness campaign, today we’re focusing our blog on one of the most common trisomy conditions: Down Syndrome.