Quick background. Over the weekend of November 13-15, 77 people took on the challenge of staying silent for 24 straight hours. They did this in support of the Orange Effect Foundation. This organization gives grants to kids who need speech therapy or a tablet device in order to communicate. In all cases, the grant recipients' families are unable to afford the needed resources and insurance is not …
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Orange Effect Foundation’s Things We Are Thankful For in 2020
There are many people to thank for the success we have here at OEF. I think it is best to just show you by the numbers. 10 Board Members - Each bringing a valuable set of strengths to the whole. They are the champions of the cause. 1 Program Director - There’s always the person behind the scenes who doesn’t get near enough credit. Sometimes they don’t even give themself enough …
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 …
My Top 5 Speech and Development Toys for Toddlers
The holiday season is quickly approaching and if you’re like me you may be doing your shopping online this year. That could be due to the pandemic, or time restraints that come with working and parenting, or simply because it is easier. That said, I am also a huge proponent of shopping local. So while the links below are to Amazon, please consider seeing if your local community toy store has …
Speech Therapy for Those Who Speak English as a Second Language
Languages across the world have unique phonemic systems. For individuals learning English as a second language, it is common for the phonemic system of their first language to influence the production of sounds in English. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has excellent resources for working with speech language clients for whom English is not their first language. ASHA …
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 …
Orange Effect Foundation Grants Thirty Thousand Dollars for Speech Therapy
CLEVELAND - Sept. 23, 2020 - PRLog -- The Orange Effect Foundation is proud to announce that in September, the board of directors awarded $30,000 to needy children to fund speech therapy and speech devices. In the United States, one in nine children needs speech therapy. Unfortunately, many go without because their families simply cannot afford to pay. As board member …
Silence For Speech
Can You Go 24 Hours Without Talking? Here at the Orange Effect Foundation we know that some people go their whole lives without being able to verbally communicate. Our mission is to provide early intervention for children who have speech issues and help them communicate. One in nine children need some form or speech therapy. Often families cannot afford it, and insurance coverage is …
Navigating Our New Normal
I had (socially distanced) coffee with a mom last month who reached out because she couldn’t decide if in person or remote learning would be best for her autistic daughter. As we got to talking she mentioned that they had to stop speech therapy because of the pandemic. I was surprised her SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) hadn’t offered online sessions. The mom admitted that she didn’t really …
The Story of Adam (A “Typical” Kid)
It makes sense why I talk about Joshua all the time here on the Orange Effect Foundation blog. After all, he is the reason the foundation even exists. If you need some quick background, check out this post. Rarely however do I talk about Adam. That’s a shame because he played such an integral role in Joshua’s success. Additionally, he’s a really cool kid. Joshua is older than Adam by …
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 …
