Joey Summers, the recent winner of a prestigious award for exemplary Ohio special education students, enjoys using his augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to tell jokes and charm his teacher and therapy team. But communication hasn’t always come easy for this bright young man. It took a caring professional team, parental support, and the right AAC device to open up his …
How to Prevent Bullying of Children with Medical Conditions
Bullying can be a serious problem for any child, but for children with a medical challenge the risk is increased. Knowing the facts about bullying is the first step toward preventing victimization of children and teens with medical conditions, and keeping them safe. Aggressive behaviors What exactly is bullying, and how does it affect the children involved? Bullying consists of aggressive …
Children of Color with Autism Face Disparities
African-American children are often diagnosed with autism at older ages than white children, missing years of potential intervention and treatment. Special correspondent John Donvan and producer Karen Zucker meet a black family who struggled to find community and resources for their son with autism, but are now helping others who need answers and support. Source: PBS.org …
Easing a Stutter
Did you know that when people who stutter speak the same material in unison with another speaker, they become more fluent and speak more clearly? This is called the choral effect. In 2016, the Orange Effect Foundation funded a device to assist a teen who has a severe stutter. This device, called a SpeechEasy, mimics the choral effect by allowing the wearer to hear her own voice with a …
Using AAC in the Classroom
Stephanie Taymuree has witnessed huge advances in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) during her nearly 40 years as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and special educator, and her implementation of AAC technology in the classroom is unrivaled. But she still finds it thrilling when a student embraces AAC to express a novel thought or idea. "My very best days are those when an AAC …
App Gives Autistic Teen a Voice
Did you know that an I-Pad app can provide a voice for someone who has difficulty communicating verbally? One specific augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app enables users to modify and personalize it for specific situations, such as ordering lunch at a local sub shop. With this new "voice," users gain independence and self-esteem. Watch as a teen uses an I-Pad app to ensure that his …
Using Animals to Assist With Speech Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy has been gaining strength in popularity and recognition as an effective part of a therapy regime for children who have a wide range of social, language and communication disorders. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is defined by The American Humane Society as: “a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical health-care …
Speech Pathologist Knows Firsthand About Difficulties
BY HEATHER DEROSA As Jessica Clark was learning to talk, her brain would send a message to her mouth to speak, but all that would come out were grunts. When her parents took her to speech therapy and began treatment for speech apraxia, they were told their daughter would always be an introvert and never able to do much. Clark didn’t begin talking until the age of 2, according to …
Thank You for Empowering Children and Young Adults This Year!
2016 has been an exciting year for the Orange Effect Foundation. We awarded our first grants just in time for Christmas 2015 and haven’t looked back! Empowering children and young adults with speech disorders, these grants change lives. Because of our wonderful supporters, this year the Orange Effect Foundation met the needs of 20 children and young adults who face daily challenges …
Gifts That Give Twice
Wouldn't be wonderful to give a gift that gives twice this holiday season? If you're searching for the perfect gifts to give, please consider supporting one of these wonderful artists and entrepreneurs who just so happen to be physically or developmentally challenged. You may also consider supporting a business that empowers the disabled. Whichever you choose, you can be confident that yours will …
Holiday Acts of Kindness For Special Needs Families
Families with special needs children face unique challenges that often make celebrating the holiday season more demanding and more stressful. For example, special needs may find it difficult to accomplish holiday tasks such as Christmas shopping while maintaining the care level required for their child. In addition, the holiday season is a time for family gatherings, which requires balancing the …
Choosing Gifts for Autistic Children
Selecting the perfect gifts for loved ones is difficult, but selecting the perfect present for an autistic child poses a particular set of challenges. One father has taken the time to compile a set of great gift ideas that may help you when choosing the perfect gift for the young boy or girl on your list. You may also want to check out this Special Needs Holiday Gift Guide for more ideas. Do …
