:Speech and Language with Mrs. Bacon

I just read about a great resource available from Autism Asperger Publishing Company.  It’s called “The 2009 Hidden Curriculum One-A-Day Calendar:  Items for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations” by Brenda Smith Myles with Megan Duncan.  It gives a daily practical tip for handling everyday social situations.  Although I have not personally used the calendar it looks like a great resource for homes and classrooms as a way to incoporate social skills instruction.

Here is a link to find the calendar on the web:

2 Comments

The Stuttering Foundation is a great resource for free online resources, services and support to those who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering.   The Stuttering Foundation is the first and the largest nonprofit charitable organization in the world working towards the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering.  Their website provides facts on stuttering; specific information for parents, children, teenagers, speech-language pathologists, teachers, and employers; helpful brochures and materials, and access to their newsletter.  Of specific interest for parents the website currently is posting “7 Tips for Talking with Your Child” and “How to Decide If Your Child is Stuttering.”  They even offer streaming videos you can view to gain more information.  You can find the Stuttering Foundation at www.stutteringhelp.org. 

No Comments

Courtesy of “Articulation and Language Activities:  Materials for Clinicians, Teachers and Parents” by JoAnn H. Jeffries

To practice adjectives or to elicit spontaneous speech from your child to practice speech sounds, try the following activity.

Read aloud the words below.  Ask your child to tell you what color(s) each object is.

1. strawberry
2. coffee
3. snow
4. carrot
5. pumpkin
6. elephant
7. plum
8. sun
9. American flag
10. autumn leaves
11. zebra
12. stop light
13. mud
14. skunk
15. grass
16. banana

No Comments

Occasionally I like to honor students who are showing “greatness” when they are at speech or language therapy with me.  The award I use in my room is called the Speech Star Award and is presented to students who meet the following criteria:  they have achieved 100% on a skill they have been practicing; they return homework in a timely manner consistently; they show exemplary character while in my room.  The student receiving the award gets an award certificate, a newsletter written about their achievements at speech or language therapy, community cash to share with their class and compliments written by their fellow ‘speech-mates.’   A small ceremony takes place when the chosen student is announced during their speech therapy session and all of their ‘prizes’ are posted for a week for others to view.  Now that the 1^st quarter has ended and the students have our speech routine under their belts I will be watching for any Speech Stars deserving of this award.

No Comments

Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, is featured in a video from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).  In the video, Lee Woodruff, whose life was turned upside down when her husband suffered a severe head injury while covering the war in Iraq, talks about the importance of speech-language pathologists to her husband’s recovery and how the work of audiologists has helped her daughter who has a hearing loss. Click on the link below to view the video or visit the ASHA website at www.asha.org.

http://www.asha.org/NR/rdonlyres/ED9D0056-EF4E-4457-B5D6-3AA018D88749/0/LeeWoodruff.html

No Comments

Since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has celebrated Better Hearing and Speech Month each May to raise public awareness of speech and language disorders that affect 14 million Americans.Speech and language disorders can take many forms and can limit academic achievement, social adjustment, and career advancement.   An individual may be born with a speech or language disorder, or it may be caused by accidental injury or illness.

Fortunately, most people with speech and language problems can be helped.  Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, speech-language pathologists can teach people with speech and language problems strategies to help them cope. People may not fully regain their capacity to speak and understand, but a speech-language pathologist can help them live more independently.

Speech-language pathologists are the professionals who treat all types of speech, language, and related disorders. They hold at least a master’s degree and are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Speech-language pathologists work in schools, private practice, hospitals, clinics, and other health and education settings.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 127,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language, and hearing scientists.

To learn more speech and language information including normal development or characteristics of a disorder you can visit ASHA’s website at www.asha.org/public/speech/.

No Comments