Research tells us that, when given meaningful activities in which they can participate, individuals with dementia are more cognitively stimulated. Meaningful activities also help to alleviate anxiety and depression, and promote positive social interactions. All of these factors lead to an improved quality of life for the individual with dementia and, as a result, their caregivers.
Who remembers this scene from what may arguably be one of the best teen movies of the late 90s? Julia Stiles (Kat) slams her head on a light fixture at a party and sustains what Heath Ledger (Patrick) determines is a concussion. Humor ensues.
This is a pretty common portrayal of concussions. While some of it might be true (funny things people say, etc.), what is not discussed nearly enough is the fact that concussions are actually BRAIN INJURIES. REAL BRAIN INJURIES.
When it comes to our younger kiddos (and often older ones, too), sitting at a table and skill-drilling them isn’t perhaps the best or most realistic idea. For our late talkers, speech-language therapy is almost always play-based. From the outside, play-based therapy literally looks like the speech-language pathologist just playing with the child. This often times shocks parents- how can you be making any therapeutic gains with a late talker if you’re not “doing” therapy!?
Rest easy, friends. Play lends itself extremely well to therapy for our littlest clients, and is the much-preferred model of therapy for this age for a number of reasons.
If hand dryers and DJs are that loud, what else in our everyday lives are really loud? And how long can we be exposed to these sounds before our hearing is impacted?
We know that language skills are important for kindergarten, but why are these skills so important? Research has long shown a connection between language and literacy, but what specifically do the researchers talk about? In particular, what do they have to say about language and emergent literacy in kindergarten?
If you follow my Facebook page, you’ll know that July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month. You’ll also know that I am not an expert in craniofacial conditions. However, I wanted to continue to shed light on this very important topic. I got to thinking about the things I know, craniofacial conditions, and how they might somehow align, and I wasn’t really sure what to write.
…and then I watched Stranger Things.
A few years ago, I was listening to the radio on my commute. I used to live in California, so my commute to anywhere was very long. As I listened, a segment I realized that they must have been speaking directly to me. The segment titled “Nice Kids Finish First: Study Finds Social Skills Can Predict Future Success” went on to summarize a recent study (then, in 2015). That story stuck with me, and when I thought about what article to study for this week’s Research Rumination, it came back to me.
Core boards are the perfect way to model language for students. They help teach pronouns, verbs, adjectives and can help with increasing mean length of utterance (MLU).
There is a lot of debate about what is appropriate and what is not when it comes to how much exposure children have to technology. I thought I’d break down the current findings and medical recommendations for you so, when deciding screen time boundaries for your child, you have good information. I’m going to focus primarily on children 2 and under for this post (hence the “bambinos” in the title).
What role does voice play in our identity? Moreso, how does it play into our gender identities? Speech-language pathologists have the unique skill set to help trans folks work on a voice that best matches their needs. But what makes a voice traditionally “masculine” or “feminine?”