The first Monday in August has been a huge day for our family for the past 12 years. It is the day of our annual golf outing fundraiser. It started because our son received early intervention and was starting out in a regular education classroom. At first the goal of the outing was simply to give back, so we paired with the amazing group at Northeast Ohio Easter Seals and all our profits from the …
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Speech Therapy for Toddlers? Really?
I’m no expert in speech therapy, but because of the work we do here at the Orange Effect Foundation, I often get asked a lot of questions that I honestly don’t know the answer to! So I took some of the top questions and posed them to the real experts… speech therapists! Their insight is so valuable and I can’t thank them enough for their time to help out! Today’s question is how can you do speech …
The Orange Effect Foundation Gives Kids a Voice
CLEVELAND - July 5, 2018 - PRLog -- Recognizing that speech therapy, summer speech camp, and speech devices are simply out of reach for many families, the Orange Effect Foundation has stepped in to lend a hand. At a June board meeting, The Orange Effect Foundation awarded over $60,000 in grants to children that need a voice. This quarter, grant awards will fund over 450 hours of speech therapy, …
Changing Lives One Grant At a Time
We just did it again! At a board meeting held this past June, the Orange Effect Foundation became a game changer in the lives of 19 children. Awarding more than $60,000 in grants to children that need a voice, the Orange Effect Foundation funded over 450 hours of speech therapy, three weeks of summer speech camp, and three speech devices. With this latest round of grant awards, the Orange …
Using AAC Technology To Create Inclusion in the Classroom
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices help to create inclusion within a classroom. Learn how these devices empower users to initiate communication, rather than just respond to questions. Stephanie Taymuree has witnessed huge advances in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) during her nearly 40 years as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and special educator, …
Young Adult With Autism Reaches For the Stars
The Cleveland Clinic recently profiled an ambitious teen with autism who continues to defy expectations. At age 3, he could not walk, talk or easily swallow food. His doctors in Israel suggested a lifetime of institutionalization. Not content with that plan his parents pursued other options. Today, this same young man just completed his freshman year of college. Learn more …
Learning About Speech-Language Pathology and Autism
This Autism Speaks article explains how speech-language pathologists can assist children with autism. What is a speech-language pathologist? Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have masters or doctoral training in speech-language pathology. They’ve completed a clinical fellowship and participated in continuing education. They are licensed by the state where they practice or hold teacher …
Placing Family First
I've been lucky at a lot of things in life. Amazing family, the best group of friends, and really great jobs. I went to college to be a social worker and my first few jobs in that field helped define what I was meant to do. They were both challenging and fulfilling. Then came motherhood. By far my favorite job of all. I love every second of it. Then fate kicked in and I was able to help my …
Assistive Technology for Kids With Autism
We fund speech generating devices for children and young adults who are nonverbal or who have limited communication. For many, access to a speech device opens up a world of opportunity and empowerment. Learn more about one mother's journey to empower her son with speech through use of assistive technology. Finding Cooper's Voice: Assistive Technology For Kids With Autism …
Do We Need Speech Therapy Over the Summer?
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start considering your child’s speech needs during that long, 10-week hiatus. I get asked all the time, is it ok if my child goes all summer without speech therapy? My answer—No! While summer brings a necessary respite from intensive study, it is not a time to stop everything. All children, whether they have speech needs or not, regress to …
Conquer the High Cost of Speech Therapy
Families with a speech disordered child often face a financial burden due to the high cost of speech therapy and other needed treatments. In fact, a survey published in Public Health Reports found that 40% of American families with children with special needs report feeling the strain of the financial toll that those healthcare needs cause. The survey further reported that children with …
Pets Can Help Autistic Children Learn to Share and Comfort Others
Neuroscience journalist Maia Szalavitz explores the connection between pets and an autistic's child's ability to bond. As demonstrated in a French study of 40 children with autism and their families, whether and when a family acquires a pet can affect a child's ability to bond with humans. Read more in this article written for TIME Magazine. …
