For some children and adults with autism or other special needs, learning how to read can require time, patience, and support. Many caregivers, including parents and family members, teachers, tutors, and speech-language pathologists, can contribute to teaching children and adults to read. One of the questions that caregivers may ask is, “Where can I find good materials for teaching reading and …
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I Have No Idea what AI Is, But It’s Great
I had the pleasure of hearing it in an-person (wow!) presentation by my super smart friend, Paul Roetzer. Paul is the brains behind the Marketing AI (Artificial Intelligence) Institute. In his presentation, Paul talked about some amazing things you can do with AI. For example, AI can learn when people are more likely to open an email from you based on your previous habits. AI can almost …
Back To School Tips For Special Needs Kids 2021
What will school look like this year? After last year, many parents are wondering what school will look like for our kids this year. I think there will be few virtual options, as many schools have shut their virtual options down. It looks like we will be returning to school in person. It also looks like we are returning to in-person school without masks. Vaccine Info There are some …
Overcoming Obstacles While Traveling With People Who Have ASD
For many people, an out-of-town trip can be refreshing and invigorating. Experiencing a new place together as a family offers the chance to make lasting memories outside your normal routine. But for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), traveling brings a host of unique challenges. New sights and sounds paired with the disruption of their usual daily routine can make it difficult to …
A Golf Social Story
The Orange Effect Foundation just completed their 15th Annual Golf for Autism outing. It was a huge success and one of their two big golf fundraising events that provide funding for children who need speech therapy. I am not a golfer but volunteered to help out for this event – you know, selling raffle tickets, taking pictures, and of course, serving beer – things I know very well how to …
Is it Ever Too Late For Speech Therapy?
This post originally published on the OEF blog on October 4, 2018. Due to its usefulness we are reposting it here for you. Continuing in our series of blog posts answering some of the frequently asked questions that we get here at The Orange Effect Foundation, we have reached out to our experts to find out if you are ever too old to start speech therapy. We started the series last month by …
Four Reasons to Use the 4 Square Writing Approach in Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is such a broad field that it needs to be based on reliable methods combined with creativity. Children struggling with speech delays or any kind of communication issues need their parents and teachers to use innovative methods to help them overcome these issues. This is why speech therapy experts and teachers should always strive to try out new approaches to conducting speech …
Growing Up Without Technology
I’m a Gen Xer. Darn proud of it too. I am one of those who feel that we had the best childhood growing up. I’ll save that tirade for another post though. What I do appreciate, is that there wasn’t any social media when I was growing up. I was reminded of this yesterday, when I got to see a major league baseball game. It was my first time back in a really large crowd since the pandemic hit …
Target Practice
My daughter has come such a long way since first being diagnosed with a speech disorder at age two. She has spoken fluently and in complete sentences for so many years now that I sometimes forget that expressing herself through words can be hard for her. When she was little, this difficulty would manifest itself as tears of frustration when I wasn’t able to understand what she wanted. Now, she …
The Orange Effect Foundation Flips the Script for Kids With Speech Disorders
CLEVELAND - June 21, 2021 - PRLog -- Fully aware that early intervention has the potential to create opportunity and launch futures that are otherwise unattainable, the board of The Orange Effect Foundation has awarded more than $30,000 in grants to needy children across the United States. Funding communication apps, speech devices, and weekly speech therapy for children …
100 Holes of Golf Marathon Raises Money for Children with Autism
Our very own Mike Balzano was interviewed recently by Spectrum News about The Orange Effect Foundation and our unique 100 Holes of Golf Marathon. Mike explains that our mission is "...very simple and direct. The children who get the speech therapy help when they're kids have better confidence, grow, and have a better chance of having a great adult life." Because of his tremendous efforts, the …
Speaking His Mind Without Using His Voice
National Public Radio (NPR) calls them 'driveway moments' and I can personally attest that they're real. Driveway moments stay with you and are often so good you want to talk about them and share them with others. If you're not familiar with the term, driveway moments are stories so compelling that you can't possibly turn off your car radio and get out of your car even though you've arrived home. …
