Summer is coming to an end, and a new school year is right around the corner! To help your child start the year off right try using these tips: Prepare: As your child gets ready to head back to school it is a great time to help prepare him or her for what to expect. Writing a social story about his or her new school schedule might help make things go smoother. An example of a back to school …
Does Sucking on a Pacifier Harm Speech Development?
There is not a clear-cut answer to this question. While the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association takes the position that overuse of pacifiers can negatively impact speech development, results of studies investigating this question have yielded mixed results when comparing the speech skills of pacifier users versus non-pacifier users. What does the research say? Pacifier use has been …
Joshua Pulizzi Gives 10th Annual Speech to Golf Outing Attendees
Joshua Pulizzi, son of Orange Effect Foundation founders, Joe and Pam Pulizzi, has addressed the attendees at every annual golf outing since they began in 2006. Good evening, and thank you for coming out here to support Autism tonight. My name is Joshua Pulizzi. Most children start talking around 6 months. However, I was two years old and I hadn’t said a single word; all that came out of my …
Finding the Right Words
The Orange Effect Foundation supports early speech therapy—and for one family, helps a child find words to express her delight. At 2 years old, Bridey loves to paint and get messy playing outside. Her mom describes her as a free spirit with lots of love and affection to spread around to her three siblings—all under the age of 4. Yet when Bridey was 16 months her mother Kelly noticed she wasn’t …
Learning About Speech Production
What is the typical progression for learning to produce the speech sounds? Children begin developing speech as an infant. By 6 months of age, babies coo and play with their voices producing sounds such as "oo, uh, mm, da, and goo." Children learn speech by imitating the sounds they hear. Caregivers talking about what they are doing during the day, singing songsand reading books expose the child …
Transforming Speech Therapy With New Treatments
By Melissa Pandika Whenever Matt Maxion approached the counter at McDonald’s, he wanted nothing more than to order chicken nuggets. But the bespectacled 7-year-old knew what would happen when he reached the “n” in “nuggets”: the tremulous, uncontrollable stutter that sometimes made his jaw clench and his chest ache as he felt himself shrink with shame. His tongue caught on harsh consonants — …
Orange Effect Foundation Awards New Grants That Will Impact Lives Nationwide
Cleveland, Ohio – The Orange Effect Foundation is pleased to announce it awarded eight more grants that will impact the lives of children and young adults with speech disorders in New Jersey, Texas and Ohio. The Cleveland-based nonprofit just awarded $15,000 in grants for speech therapy and sign language instruction to deserving families following a quarterly board meeting. The recipients will …
Using a Tablet to Communicate
As part of our mission to empower children and young adults with speech disorders, the Orange Effect Foundation funds augmentative and alternative communication. For some, this is a Dynavox communication device. For others, it is simply a tablet loaded with communication applications. Watch Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby learn more about how children with speech disorders use tablets to …
Super Summertime Speech-Building Activities
Summer is here and if you don't have your speech and language materials ready, now is the time to do it. Some children start summer speech services in July, while others might go year-round. It is important to take advantage of the “summer theme” because it helps to build new vocabulary and relate activities the child may be currently participating into their speech and language goals. If they are …
Understanding Apraxia of Speech
The Orange Effect Foundation recently funded sign language education for a child diagnosed with Developmental Apraxia of Speech. Apraxia is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. It is not due to weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles. Severity of apraxia of speech can range from mild to severe. Watch "Independence," a …
Heroes Among Us – Special Needs Dads
My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. --Jim Valvano As we take time this weekend to honor the fathers, grandfathers and wonderful male role models in our lives, let's take a moment to recognize the one particular variety of father that is in a class all his own--the special needs dad. Happy Father's Day! This one's for …
10 Wonderful Ways to Celebrate Pam Kozelka and Help the Orange Effect Foundation
Today, June 8, is the birthday of Orange Effect Foundation founder and executive director, Pam Kozelka. In honor of Pam, here are 10 wonderful ways to help the Orange Effect Foundation continue to help others. 1. Like the Orange Effect Foundation on Facebook. 2. Follow the Orange Effect Foundation on Twitter. 3. Share something that inspires you from the Orange Effect Foundation …
