Many health insurers state that apraxia of speech is a developmental delay and should not be reimbursed. However, the consensus among therapists and physicians is that apraxia of speech is a neurological disorder for which therapy is essential. What do you think? Does your health insurance cover apraxia of speech? Should it be required to cover it? Please share your thoughts below. Bottom Line: …
How Technology is Changing Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and communication skills are integral to independence and well-being. As technology advances, speech therapists are using new and innovative ways to incorporate it into therapy sessions. Read more about three projects that synthesize technological advances and speech therapy. Kaspar the robot: helping children with autism communicate Meet Kaspar: he can be talked to, tickled, stroked, …
Toddlers’ Screen Time Linked to Slower Speech Development, Study Finds
Hand-held screens might delay a child’s ability to form words, based on new research presented at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco. This preliminary study is the first to show how mobile devices impact speech development in children, raising a question that fills the minds of many parents: How much time should my child spend with a mobile device? But for parents …
What About Your Special Needs? Self-Care for Parents of Children With Special Needs
5 Methods of Self-Care to Help Parents of Special Needs Children Recharge, Reset and Rally When my daughter was diagnosed with developmental delays, I fell backward into grief, even as I furiously crossed off action items on a to-do list that rarely included self-care. My seemingly unstoppable tears provided me with something I desperately needed, though: Because it’s hard to talk to …
Parents Misread Early Signs of Autism
Many parents in the U.S. know little about autism and some have never heard of the disorder before, finds a study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Latinos specifically also tend to normalize autism symptoms or view them as a sign of family problems, such as an inattentive parent. The findings may help explain why Latino children with autism are diagnosed an …
The Stuff They Don’t Talk About During Autism Awareness Month
I am not sad because my kid has autism. You know what I'm sad about? It's all the other stuff that comes with the autism that can get bent. The crippling anxiety, the obsessive compulsive disorder, the sensory processing issues, the hyperactivity, and the one that makes life really freaking complicated, the intellectual disability. Ya see, this is the kind of autism that doesn't get talked …
Orange Effect Foundation Awards More Than $20,000 In Grants for Speech Therapy & Devices
CLEVELAND - April 13, 2017 - PRLog -- The Orange Effect Foundation continues to change lives. With more than $60,000 awarded for 620 hours of speech therapy and 5 communication devices, 2016 was a very big year for the foundation. However, if the first quarter of 2017 is any indication, this year will be even bigger. The Orange Effect Foundation is pleased to announce that following the first …
Spring Break for Families of Children with Autism
Spring break means sun, warmth, and freedom, but for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it could mean unstructured time, regression of skills, and an increase in undesirable behaviors. If you're the parent of a child with autism, you know that the "break" in Spring break can be misleading; it's more like overtime for you. Children with autism often thrive in structured …
Books Are Best For Babies
Don’t know what to buy that special little one in your life? New research suggests you should keep it simple and save your money. No need to buy the flashy, expensive toy that’s touted as “educational.” According to the December 23, 2015 online edition of JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at Northern Arizona University found that electronic toys that light up, talk or play music might slow language …
To the Family Just Starting Out With An Apraxia Diagnosis
To the family just starting out with an apraxia diagnosis … breathe. I know it’s hard because I’ve been there. Try not to let your thoughts and fears consume you; remember your child is still your child despite the diagnosis. Many people are unaware of apraxia, which is a neurological motor planning disorder. A child with apraxia knows exactly what he wants to say, but the breakdown between the …
How Having a Son With Autism Changed My Life
Personal insight from an autism professional My son, Sean, was 2 years old when we first noticed something wasn’t quite right. He stopped pointing at things. He lost what little language he had been developing. Looking back, I realize his development hadn’t exactly been “neurotypical” up to that point. But my wife and I didn’t know that then. We also didn’t know our lives …
How My Son’s Speech Therapy Ended Up Helping Me
It was an agonizing, gnawing fear. What if my son didn’t get the help he needed? For months my husband and I had been concerned about our toddler’s lack of speech. People kept telling us to give him time and he would magically start speaking one day. Everyone had a story to this effect about someone they knew who was once speech delayed, but suddenly, abruptly caught up. Other people told us …
