The Orange Effect Foundation supports early speech therapy—and for one family, helps a child find words to express her delight. This post originally published on the OEF blog on August 4, 2016. Due to its popularity and valuable information we are reposting it here for you. At two years old, Bridey loves to paint and get messy playing outside. Her mom describes her as a free spirit with …
Can You Understand Your Child’s Speech?
This post originally published on the OEF blog on March 21,2019. Due to it's popularity and valuable information we are reposting it here for you. It’s common for most children to make some mistakes as they learn to say new words. Different sounds are mastered at different ages. Consistent, correct sound production will vary from child to child. When mistakes continue past a certain age, …
Screen Time Delays Speech in Children
This post originally published on the OEF blog on May 18, 2017. Due to it's popularity and valuable information we are reposting it here for you. 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 …
What Do You Do If Someone Teases You For a Speech Disorder?
People are teased for lots of reasons, none of them compassionate. Sometimes it’s for things they can (we assume) control. We justify it by saying they could change their behavior or haircut or style of dress. Or we blame it on how they respond to teasing: if they took it with a sense of humor or didn’t overreact, the teasing would stop. All but the least empathetic of us, however, find it …
10 Most Common Speech-Language Disorders
As you get to know more about the field of speech-language pathology you’ll increasingly realize why SLPs are required to earn at least a master’s degree. This stuff is serious – and there’s nothing easy about it. In 2016 the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reported that 7.7% of American children have been diagnosed with a speech or swallowing disorder. That …
The Challenges of Remote Learning for Children Who Stutter
Virtual learning presents a host of problems for educators and students alike. However, these challenges are compounded for children with communication disorders such as a stutter. The New York Times recently addressed this topic and offered some useful suggestions for everyone in the online classroom. For example, experts suggest waiting seven seconds after asking a question to give children time …
How to Write Excellent Speech Therapy Goals
The goals of speech therapy are what drives the child's progress and determine the course of therapy. With this being said, it is quite clear that writing great speech therapy goals matters more than people think. The goals are important for each participant in the therapy as you all get a chance to measure the success and exude motivation when the set objectives are achieved. But what if …
What to Know About Stuttering
After 13-year-old Brayden Harrington's brave speech during the 2020 Democratic National Convention, The New York Times printed this helpful article about stuttering. Learn more about this challenging disorder and ways to overcome it. Read the article here: What to Know About Stuttering …
It’s Never Too Late
Tips to Engage Teens in Speech Therapy This article, by Kim Swon-Lewis, MEd, CCC-SLP, first appeared in Medbridge Education. When I pull up to pick up my teen from school, I’m a little shocked by the scene. The vast majority of peers stand solitary, their faces buried in their phones. It’s not just the students either. Recently, at a conference, while waiting for the speaker to begin, most …
The Kids Are Not All Right
Richard Engel writes, "Kids with special needs are not OK right now. Neither are parents. Let's drop the act that this pandemic affects us all equally." I second that. Checking in my my friends who have special needs kids, it's clear that they're operating in a different stratosphere. It's one thing to keep your preschooler occupied 24-7, but it's another thing entirely to keep your special …
Speech Therapy Tips For Parents to Use at Home
Reid Health System recently shared some helpful advice for parents who wish to practice speech therapy at home. The full article can be read here. Some of their suggestions are: Practice. If your child has trouble saying a certain sound “f” for example encourage him or her to just make that sound all by itself. Once that comes more easily you can incorporate it into syllables like …
Some Autistic People Can’t Tolerate Face Masks
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in sweeping changes to the way we live. While all of this takes considerable adjustment, change is especially challenging for individuals with autism. One challenge involves the use of face masks. For a multitude of reasons, wearing a face mask can be particularly difficult for an individual with neurology that makes them more sensitive to touch and texture. …
