From my UNscientific research*, about 10% of parents have been told that their child will not be able to do something. Maybe they were told their child can’t play a particular sport due to a past injury, or that their child cannot participate in an academic completion due to a learning disorder or walk without assistance due to a birth defect. Whatever it is, no matter the issue, parents just …
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Music Therapy Moves Kids With Speech Delays
A German study published in 2010 revealed that music therapy helps facilitate speech development. If the German scientists could have spoke with Aristotle or Plato, they would have been told the exact same thing. Humans have been using music therapy for delayed speech since the time of the great philosophers. The result of music to encourage speech is an increased confidence in communication …
Seeking Balance
February has always been such an interesting month for me. Here in Cleveland it is often the “grayest” month of the year, meaning we don’t get much sunshine! But it is also the month of St. Valentine’s Day! Love is constantly in the air. It makes me reflect on relationships a bit more, including those with my children. What a struggle it is to balance accepting them the way they are with trying …
Caring For Siblings of Sick or Disabled Children
Recently, The New York Times featured an article that discussed the needs of siblings of a special needs or sick child. The author, Dr. Perri Klass, M.D., emphasizes the importance of communication and reminds parents that the illness should not be treated like a mystery. She also provides practical tips such as reminding parents to give one-on-one time to siblings and to maintain normalcy as much …
Recipient Spotlight: Charlotte
Four-year-old Charlotte used a speech-generating device to communicate for two years. Due to decreased fine motor skills resulting from cerebral palsy, the device became a source of extreme frustration. It now took Charlotte almost a full minute to locate and touch the screen on her device just to complete a single word. Charlotte needed a new way to a communicate. A visual tracking system …
Georgia Brothers On the Road to Communication
The Orange Effect Foundation funds speech devices like the ones described here. For more information on what we fund, please visit www.theorangeeffect.org. This article appeared on Dynavoxtech.com Eight-year-old James Ellerbee III likes to go for rides in the country, so much so that his mother likes to call one of his favorite roads “James’ Way.” James is also a fan of survival video games and …
Change and the Autistic Teenager
When my son Joshua was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two, I read every book I could get my hands on… (the internet wasn’t quite that big of a thing yet for resources). One of the things I read was that some Autistic teens get moody, even aggressive, as they start having hormonal changes. I kept this in the back of my mind for many years and knock on wood, at age 16 we still haven’t had …
Making An Impact
Communication is critical in my line of work. If you know me, you might think that's just because I'm in marketing. But really, what career today can you succeed without the ability to communicate? Manufacturers, hair stylists, programmers, lawyers, bus drivers, doctors, educators, fast food workers, financial planners…I could go on. We often take for granted our ability to communicate, don’t …
To Siri, With Love
How One Boy With Autism Became BFF With Apple's Siri In this New York Times article, Judith Newman contemplates the relationship between Siri and her son with autism. She wonders whether Siri's "soothing voice and puckish humor" make her more worthy of his care and affection. …
The Orange Effect Foundation Makes The Season Brighter For Children With Speech Disorders
The holiday season glowed brighter for the 19 families that received Orange Effect Foundation grants in December 2017. Following a thorough review process, more than $56,000 was awarded to families in need to fund speech therapy and to purchase speech technology. Grants were awarded to children in Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, Missouri, …
Making the Best Investments for Your Child
From autism to stutters, there are many reasons why children experience speech difficulties. Support can come in many forms too, from grant-funded speech-easy devices to high-tech speech therapy innovations, but without a solid financial plan in place it can be difficult to cover the expenses of all the treatment that your son or daughter needs. While even considering the notion that we might not …
Living on the Spectrum and on Sesame Street
Julia, a Muppet with autism, was welcomed to Sesame Street in April 2017. She's an old friend of Elmo's but a new addition to the neighborhood. Watch the clip below to see her debut. For more information about why Sesame Street team created a character with autism, be sure to read this Smithsonian Magazine article. Written by Ron Suskind, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who explored life …
