Is Hollywood Getting it Right?
It's April already! Did you know that April is Autism Awareness Month? Not Autism Information month, or How to Live with Autism month, but Awareness month. The Autism Society, established in Bethesda Maryland in 1964 as a leading source of information, research, and...
The Importance of Self-Determination for Students with Disabilities
Recently, I was in a brick and mortar high school classroom for an extended meeting to support a student with special education needs. As these things go, there is always plenty of time to look around and observe and learn. As this is late in the school year, almost...
Language = Literacy = Freedom
Did you know.... only 13% of adults in the US are classified as 'proficient' in reading and writing?Recent studies have found that 50% of our population cannot read with the fluency, accuracy, and comprehension necessary to decipher an 8th grade level book - let alone...
Communication for All
Every May is the 'Better Hearing & Speech Month' as celebrated by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. The theme for 2018 is 'Communication for all'. Our ability to comprehend our world and communicate with everyone around us is dependent on our...
Happy National Occupational Therapy Month!
April is "National Occupational Therapy Month", a time dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of occupational therapy and celebrating the professionals who provide it. Occupational Therapists' focus on helping individuals develop, and maintain the skills...
Echolalia & Autism: A Stepping Stone to Meaningful Speech.
"The opposite of talking isn't listening. The opposite of talking is waiting" - Fran Lebowitz Echolalia, a loaded term for sure, for many parents. It can reflect an impressive capacity for auditory memory and recall, but also, the challenge for reciprocal...
Top 5 Tips for enjoying the Holidays with a Special Needs Child
I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. Henry David Thoreau As the cooler weather and bright colors of fall surround us, we are reminded that it's okay to slow down, to take our time and to shift toward longer evenings at home and more...
Speech & Auditory Benefits | Adding them to your insurance, and receiving the most out of your care.
Our ability to perceive, express, and connect as humans, is tied to our communication skills; communication through active listening, and expression/speech "is essential to learning, working, and social interaction as well as achieving and maintaining independence"...
To Screen or Not to Screen
Sometimes nothing seems easier at the end of a long, hard day than popping in a movie for the kids, and basking in the peace &...
Learning More Than One Language
I am often asked about the implications or effects of learning a second language on typical language development. I want to share this information published by the American Speech Language Hearing Association on the advantages, process and realities of learning more...