Thanks to each one of you who have touched Casey and Alexis’ lives and our heart! We are so thankful for the solid foundation you have given them.Karen
Mother of Alexis and Casey
Tips From Our Experts
ADVANCE FOR SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS AND AUDIOLOGISTS

Vol. 20 • Issue 10 • Page 11
Clinicians in the Classroom

Memory Books for Children with ASD

Hope Brennan, CCC-SLP
Posted on: May 17, 2010


One of the tenets of early intervention is to provide services to the family in the community. Going out into the community can be wrought with uncertainty for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Producing a memory book can give them the courage they need to take the first step in bringing their child into a public setting.

Visual picture systems help students cope with transition difficulties, improve comprehension of oral information, accept established rules, and better regulate their behavior. This contributes favorably to learning readiness skills.

Therapists can photograph an initial outing to provide an organizing aspect for the caregiver and help generate targets for future intervention. They should plan on short, multiple exposures to an event before requiring full participation. For example, a trip to the library might be for the sole purpose of photographing the sequence of events. Photographing other children engaged in the behavior for review lays the foundation for children with ASD to imitate the actions of neurotypical peers. It is surprisingly easy to obtain permission from parents to photograph their child for the stated purpose of teaching another child who is having difficulty.

Read more...
 
Ten Things You Should Know About Speech-Language Pathologists

May is Better Speech & Hearing Month

He or She:
1. teaches children and adults to improve their receptive language skills, that is, the ability to understand language and concepts.
 
2. teaches children and adults expressive communication skills, that is, using words, signs pictures, gestures, augmentative  devices, etc. to communicate wants, needs and ideas.

3. teaches children and adults to improve articulation skills, that is, saying sounds and words more clearly so that others can understand.

4. works on pragmatic language skills with children and adults, that is, improving verbal and nonverbal interaction in social  situations.

5. has knowledge related to the diagnosis and treatment of many communication disorders including autism, apraxia, voice, fluency and feeding disorders, to name a few.

 6.    has education in the area of audiology or hearing as it relates to communication.

7.     has completed a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree, a 2 year  Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders, and has 425 hours of  clinical training.

8.     completes 30 hours of Continuing Education courses every three years to learn about current trends in the field.

9.     is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing  Association (ASHA).

10.   cares very deeply about the people whose lives are touched by  her  work.

Happy Better Hearing and Speech Month from The Communication Department!