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 …
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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 …
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 …
Opening Doors
I was shopping for doors the other day with my husband (I want a back door that lets more sun come into my kitchen!!) and I started thinking about how “open doors” do let us connect to the outside and to so many other things… In a time of such unrest both with COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter protests, it has made me, and I am sure many of us, reflect on what we can do to make a …
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 …
6 Ways to Support Kids’ Mental Health Right Now
I am a big fan of Common Sense Media. I have always found it to be an incredibly useful tool when deciding which family movie to choose. Truth be told, I also use it to read the synopsis of a film I'm too much of a wimp to actually watch. (One word: It.) Commonsense Media is wonderful at providing realistic reviews of movies and other media. Though my kids my groan when they see me researching …
We Made It Through the Rain
14th Annual Golf for Autism Four months ago, I didn’t think our annual Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism was going to happen. At that time, at least in Ohio, golf courses were closed and we were all on lockdown. As we made it through May, we believed we could hold a modified event. One that would be safe for everyone. What did that mean? Instead of our normal morning and …
Keep Kids Happy? Keep Kids Safe? One Parent’s Struggle
I am a Mom. Just an average every day Mom. I have things I think I do pretty darn well and I have things that I have definitely dropped the ball on. That said, I am happy, and I think my kids are happy, and I am elated with the young men I’ve helped to shape. You’ve probably heard it yourself. Parents will say, “I just want my kids to be happy.” Deep down we want them to find love and be …
Autism In a Picture
Many years ago the kids and I walked in a 4th of July parade in our community with the early childhood PTA we belonged to. It was sincerely one of the hottest days of the year and we were all melting by the time it was done. We ended up inviting some of the other members of the PTA who had walked in the parade to come to our house because we had an above ground pool for the kids to cool off. That …
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 …
Communication is Essential
It has always been my belief that communication is the most essential component to life and human relationships. Communication may be conducted in various forms, i.e., via verbal expression, body language, eye contact, sign language, written message, gestures, speech generated devices, text. To express oneself is half of communicating, while the other half is receiving or understanding …
