The Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) recently awarded $24,289 to 11 children and young adults across the United States with speech disorders. This quarter’s grants were awarded after a thorough review process by dedicated members of the Orange Effect Board of Directors. “We’re delighted to announce the recent allocation of grant funds by the Orange Effect Foundation to support children and …
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Navigating the Holidays with an Autistic Child: A Guide to Creating Joyful Moments
The holiday season is a time filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments. For families with autistic children, it can also bring unique challenges. Understanding and addressing these challenges can make the holidays a more enjoyable and inclusive experience for everyone involved. In this blog post, we'll explore some tips and strategies for navigating the holidays with an autistic …
Why and How Tech Could Be the Future of Speech Language Therapy
Communication is an essential part of the human experience. Being unable to do so rids a person of passing on information, expressing their ideas and feelings, and understanding others' thoughts. Unfortunately, Medical News Today's article on communication disorders reveals that about 5–10% of Americans experience difficulties communicating that prevent them from receiving, processing, sending, …
Grateful Hearts, Shared Stories: The Orange Effect Foundation’s Impact
At the Orange Effect Foundation, we find it easy to be grateful, and we have 388 compelling reasons for it. Since December 2015, we’ve had the privilege of touching the lives of 388 children across the country. We provided them with 100 speech devices and an impressive 7,248 hours of speech therapy. Our impact is undeniable, and it’s all thanks to our generous sponsors and individual donors! In …
Hard Work Can Pay Off
You’ve heard the expression, ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. But you’ve probably also heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Put those two things together and you have quite a conundrum. For the past few years we ran a fundraising campaign asking people not to talk for 24 or 12 …
What’s in a Name?
“Being autistic” vs “having autism” and why it even matters to me In this week's blog, we share the insights of late-diagnosed autistic writer Melanie Deziel who says, "I found this thing, and I thought it was pretty interesting. Maybe you will too." Have you ever contemplated the intricacies of language and its profound connection with identity, all while sipping your morning coffee? If …
Part Two: “Meditation and Mindfulness: Practical Techniques for Kids with Speech Disorders”
Welcome back to Part Two of our exploration into the world of meditation and mindfulness for children with speech disorders. In this installment, we'll delve into the practical aspects of meditation and mindfulness and how to introduce these practices to children. You'll discover that meditation is not about sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop in silence but can be incorporated seamlessly into a …
Part One: “The Power of Meditation and Mindfulness for Children with Speech Disorders”
Welcome to Part One of our series on how meditation and mindfulness can make a profound difference in the lives of children with speech disorders. In this installment, we'll explore the impact of anxiety in children with speech and communication challenges and how meditation plays a vital role in reducing anxiety and promoting better communication. Join us on this journey to discover how these …
Ultrasound Speech Therapy
The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center explains how Ultrasound could help school-aged children, aged 8 and older, who are still struggling with the 'r' and 's' sounds. Ultrasound Speech Therapy Tackles "R" and "S" Difficulties Does your child struggle with producing the “r” sound? Do they have a slushy “s” sound? If this is true for your child who is 8 years of age or older, they have what …
Artistic Expressions by Persons with Autism
As a university professor in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders, I conduct various research studies. For several years, I included the study of people with autism who are visual artists in my research agenda. Cleveland State University funded my research with a Faculty Scholarship Initiative grant, and I was able to travel to interview working artists and see exhibitions of artwork, …
Orange Effect Team Member Spotlight: Krissy Leskovec
We're thrilled to introduce Krissy Leskovec, the Program Director at Orange Effect Foundation. Krissy's strong commitment and deep passion for making a positive difference in the lives of kids with speech difficulties have played a crucial role in the foundation's achievements. Today, we're taking a break from our usual topics to let Krissy guide us through some fantastic places to explore and …
Keeping a New Year’s Resolution: Does it Count if You are Having Fun?
In 2022, I was looking for a way to become more involved in Cleveland’s arts and cultural scene, probably as a volunteer. I was also considering how to keep a New Year’s resolution that I had been recycling for a few years, that being to experience more live performances of classical music and to learn more about different styles of music. My good friend had been volunteering at the Maltz …
