Speech and Language Disorders Blogs This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Strategies for Helping Clients With Autism Learn Empathy
I recently read a book recommended by our elementary school counselor called, “Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me-World.” The premise of the book says society is becoming less empathetic and more self-absorbed. The author, Michele Borba, EdD, calls this the selfie syndrome. Borba describes nine essential empathy habits—emotional literacy, moral identity, perspective taking, moral imagination, self-regulation, kindness, collaboration, moral courage and leadership—which educators and caregivers can develop and nurture in children to instill in them the “empathy advantage.” The book pr...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 6, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Kylie Grace Davis Tags: Uncategorized Autism Spectrum Disorder Early Intervention empathy Executive Functions Language Disorders Source Type: blogs

5 Tips to Help Families With a Diagnosis of Autism
As a speech-language pathologist, you’ll encounter many opportunities to work with people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some families you work with as a speech-language pathologist may be new to their child’s autism spectrum diagnosis, and some may have already had a chance to process it. Either way, these tools can help you navigate the diversity of experiences, abilities and personalities among individuals and families dealing with a diagnosis of autism: 1. Trust your gut! And encourage parents to trust theirs as well. When asked to look back on their early days of parenting their child on the spectrum, most...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 4, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Mallory Griffith Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Early Intervention Language Disorders Schools social skils Source Type: blogs

Mothers ’ Depression, Not SSRI Use, Best Explains Researchers ’ Results
Back in October, researchers published the findings from a study that suggested that mothers who take a common form of antidepressants (SSRIs like Prozac) while pregnant are at greater risk for producing offspring that will later have speech or language problems. However, this month, the researchers got some push back in the journal where the original study was published. And in reviewing the results of the study, it appears the researchers overstated the association and import of the relationship they found. There are a few classes of antidepressants prescribed to treat depression, but by far the most common class is kn...
Source: World of Psychology - March 17, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: Antidepressant Children and Teens Depression General Medications Minding the Media Parenting Psychiatry Research mother ssri use mothers and ssris risks of ssris Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor ssris for depression Source Type: blogs

Two Choices Are Better Than None
We make many little choices every day. Do I have time to stop for coffee on the way to work? Should I wash my hair today or tomorrow? Heels or flats? Ranch or vinaigrette? Imagine if someone else made all of these little choices for you. Would you be happy with their selections? Despite these being relatively small, insignificant choices, limiting them would be demoralizing and confining. It’s important to recognize how having a choice affects our clients with communication disorders. Offering a choice between two options provides a valuable communication-partner strategy with our clients of all ages and abilities. Givin...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 16, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Kylie Grace Davis Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Cognitive Rehabilitation dementia Language Disorders Schools Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

5 Ways to Make Carryover Exercises Easier for Families
Do you ever wonder what happens after you assign practice exercises to families? Do they really get done? Did the training and modeling you showed really carry over? Practicing carryover exercises is tough. Life gets in the way. Even if speech-language pathologists create simple and functional exercises for families’ everyday lives, finding the time to do them can be challenging for parents. This tension between the need to practice and limited time got me thinking about approaching activities for carryover from a different angle. I reviewed research on how children learn and come up with some ideas to make carryover ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 14, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Frida Matute Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

How do Phonological Processes Differ Between Spanish and English?
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on serving bilingual students. Other articles in the series include, “Red Flags for Speech and Language Impairment in Bilingual Children,” and “Tips on Writing Articulation Goals for Second-Language Learners,” In response to previous article I wrote on identifying and treating bilingual students, savvy ASHA readers asked the question: What about Phonology?! There is an easy and more comprehensive answer to this question. If you just need quick information, the links above should suffice. For those of you who desire a deeper answer or who nerd out on phonology (you kno...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 2, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Scott Prath Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Bilingual assessment bilingual service delivery Language Disorders phonology Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

Ready or Not, Here Comes Your Clinical Fellowship
You’ve spent the last six years preparing for your clinical fellowship (CF), but the final phase to becoming a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist can still rack your nerves a little. Most approach the post-graduate experience with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. With plenty of preparation and a few tips, these 36 weeks of your life can also be incredibly exciting. How can you maximize this final phase on your journey to becoming a full-fledged SLP? Choose your adventure Most SLPs are planners, so you likely entered grad school with a clear vision of the direction you wanted to take your caree...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 21, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Rebecca Turley Tags: Speech-Language Pathology clinical fellowship Health Care Schools Source Type: blogs

How and Why to Involve Parents of Adult Clients
I’ve been working with adults with developmental disabilities for as long as I’ve been practicing as a speech-language pathologist, which is more than 15 years. I treated many adults with complex communication needs and other significant speech and language difficulties. I recommended communication systems and trained these adults to use their systems efficiently with all communication partners. Throughout these experiences, I found parent involvement significantly different from working with children or teens. Why is this? I discovered a variety of reasons including the older age of parents who perhaps moved away or l...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 16, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Rebecca Eisenberg Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

Using a Child ’ s Interests to Teach Goals in Early Intervention
As speech-language pathologists, we use specific activities with our early-intervention clients to address each goal. Even if we bring a variety of items into the session, we still control the activity. However, if you’ve spent time with a toddler, you know this kind of structure isn’t really their thing. Child-directed treatment allows the child to play as he normally would, and SLPs join in with goal-oriented tasks. You let the child’s interests dictate the activities during your session. Below, I share reasons why I find this a good way to approach treatment. Children often feel more involved when they choose an ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 14, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Julie Erdmann Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Early Intervention Language Disorders Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

10 Tips for Empowering People With Dementia Through Art
The number of people worldwide living with dementia—more than 47 million people—is projected to nearly triple to 135.5 million by 2050. As the leading cause of disability and dependency among older adults, dementia is considered one of the leading public health challenges. Researchers around the globe are working to identify effective treatments to stop, slow and prevent the disease. Among those myriad studies, several are finding art therapy to be a powerful tool for helping to enhance cognitive performance, self-expression, social interaction and quality of life in people with dementia. Activities such as playing mu...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 9, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Mandie Oslund Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Cognitive Rehabilitation dementia Source Type: blogs

7 Online Tools To Help Students Improve Their Writing Skills
Writing is a multilayered and difficult skill to master. Many students struggle with getting their writing to express what they mean, so they get frustrated. The key to improving writing skills involves practice, practice and more practice. I’ve found seven online tools that are useful to help high school or college students hone writing skills and make them more effective writers. Australian Help: I ask all my students to bookmark this comprehensive resource. Whatever causes them issues, they can probably find answers here. The site offers a detailed grammar guide, a guide on listing citations and assistance on writin...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 24, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Mary Walton Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Language Disorders Schools writing skills Source Type: blogs

Using Materials Already in the Home: Reduce, Reuse, Replay
I pulled up to the house at 10:14 on a warm Thursday morning. While I organized my materials in my car, I saw a little face staring at me from a window. I could see the mother holding her son’s arm out to encourage him to wave. This is when I decide to leave my giant bag of therapy materials behind to bake in the afternoon sun. Although I still frequently decide to bring the big bag into sessions, I’m happy to report that I’m learning to arrive with just my clipboard. When I started working in early intervention, I wanted to make sure I kept my clients interested and engaged throughout each session. I aspired to writ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 12, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Gregory Johnson Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Early Intervention Language Disorders private practice Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

2 Strategies to Increase Parent Participation in Early Childhood Intervention
Most speech-language pathologists agree that increasing family participation in treatment increases children’s success in communication. The tricky part is how. Obviously, the same approach may not work with every family, but I find two strategies—both backed by research—consistently succeed in increasing family participation. For those of us working with young clients, we know our intervention work best when parents participate and actively helping a child reach his goals. My colleagues and I find these approaches so effective they also result in fewer cancelations or missed appointments. Give the why. When we share...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 10, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Scott Prath Tags: Speech-Language Pathology bilingual service delivery Early Intervention Language Disorders Source Type: blogs

AAC and the Emergent Communicator: There Are No Shortcuts
I’ve experienced this many times. We place a high-tech, speech-generating device (SGD) in front of our nonverbal students who are also emergent communicators and… wham! Everyone expects them to start spontaneously producing sentences and participating in everything from social conversations with peers to answering questions related to rigorous academic content. If these things don’t happen as fast as everyone hoped they would, frustration occurs. Let’s backtrack for a moment. SGDs are wonderful, but devices make up only one piece of the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) puzzle. They can’t replace t...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 5, 2017 Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Karen Krogg Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Language Disorders Schools Speech Disorders Technology Source Type: blogs