I truly believe that family is a top priority. Many friends will tell you stories of my “family first” mentality. For me, my family includes my girlfriends. They are my rocks. They have gotten me through so much it’s truly indescribable. I think of them as heroes. They work hard, play harder, and parent like the amazing women that they are. So, as Mother’s Day approaches they are on my mind. They …
Blog
The Importance of Teaching Responsibility to Children Living with Speech Difficulties
Speech and language problems are commonplace in the approximately 1.5 million children in the USA that are on the autism spectrum according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As parents, we inherently want what is best for our children, which includes teaching them responsibility and helping them to utilize their potential to the fullest. While taking responsibility does …
Spring Break Speech and Language Opportunities
As spring break approaches, parents frequently ask what they can do on their various trips so their children don’t fall behind and they can help maintain progress in speech. Without their house full of toys, they are often at a loss on how to play and incorporate speech and language practice. The short answer is, pretty much everything involves language and ordinary activities can easily be turned …
Orange Effect Foundation Awards $50,000 to Kids in Need
CLEVELAND - April 8, 2019 - PRLog -- The Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) is proud to announce that more than $50,000 in grants was awarded to children in need during the first quarter 2019 grant cycle. Grants awarded nationwide will pay for summer speech camps, speech therapy, and speech generating devices. OEF empowers children and young adults with speech disorders to …
Do You Have Any Regrets? My Story With an Autistic Son.
I love connecting with parents. I have a soft spot for parents who recently had a child diagnosed with a special need. I tell them to focus on the special, and not on the need. The question I get asked the most is if I have any regrets, or anything I would do differently. I know why they ask and I don’t mind at all. Why reinvent the wheel they are thinking. Tell me how to fix this ASAP. …
An Open Letter To My Child’s Speech Therapist
Dear Speech Therapist, You met my daughter, a little pixie of a girl, almost four years ago. She had round cheeks and two tiny, wispy pigtails that you tell me you remember like it was yesterday. Although my little girl had recently turned three years old, she had less than 25 words in her vocabulary when you met. You and my daughter clicked almost instantly and began building the foundation …
The Orange Effect Foundation is Expanding!
As we begin our fourth year of independent operations, we are overwhelmed by the need for speech therapy and speech generating devices. Research shows that children with any speech delay or disorder have a higher chance of success with early intervention. Yet, every day we see children denied health insurance benefits that would help them achieve their therapy goals. At our first quarter …
Can You Understand Your Child’s Speech?
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, that’s when it's considered a speech sound disorder. Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (pronouncing sounds correctly) …
Orange Effect Golf for Autism
I’m beyond excited to announce the 13th Annual Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) Golf for Autism on August 5, 2019 at Elyria Country Club in Elyria, Ohio. The Golf for Autism is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Over the past dozen years, people like you have helped us raise over a quarter of a million dollars to help children with speech delays and developmental issues get the speech therapy and …
Exciting Developments in Accessibility Technology for People with Speech Impairments
In the United States, 20-30% of children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are unable to communicate their wants, needs and thoughts verbally according to the Center of Disease Control (CDC). Smart tech can help these children become more independent at home and even at school. What is very exciting about smart tech is that it has potential to help people even if they are …
Help! My Child Isn’t Motivated for Speech Therapy!
We started speech therapy for our son when he was two years old. Because he was autistic, and loved his routines and familiarity, we found someone who was willing to complete the sessions in our home. Still, it took months before he would participate in the activities or cooperate at all as he always had his own agenda! I’ve run into other parents who have had similar experiences, but many go …
Shaping Their Voices
When Jacksonville, Florida’s Oak Hill Academy opened in 2016, some of its students ventured into a beautiful new world of communication. Though primarily non-verbal, these students are shaping their unique voices with their families, teachers and therapists leading the way. And Tobii Dynavox Indi speech tablets with Snap + Core First symbol-based AAC software are the main tools moving them along. …
