Speech & Language
You’ll find helpful information below for specific disorders categorized generally under Speech and Language Disorders.
Apraxia
Apraxia/Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.
Girl with Apraxia learning to speak
“They say talk is cheap. Not for 7-year-old MacKenzie Winn who works hard for every word. She practiced for 2 1/2 years just to learn to say her name. Bright and loving, MacKenzie never babbled as most babies do. Her parents, who live in Magna, noticed something was wrong at 14 months, and speech therapists diagnosed her at age 2. She has childhood apraxia of speech or CAS. It’s the most severe neurological speech disorder there is, doctors, say.
Interview with Nancy Kaufman on Apraxia
In this episode of the Speech and Language Kids Podcast, Carrie Clark interviews speech-language pathologist Nancy Kaufman about speech therapy for Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Winners of the 2014 National Apraxia Awareness Day Video Contest
The Three winning videos for National Apraxia Awareness Day (May 14th, 2014)
2014 Apraxia Awareness Day Video Contest Winner – Emily Purdy
2014 Apraxia Awareness Day Video Contest Winner – Jennifer Helm
2014 Apraxia Awareness Day Video Contest Winner – The Miesners
A helpful and heartfelt video on Childhood Apraxia of Speech
“Danny Keefe is a 6-year-old optimist with a speech disorder. And he doesn’t care what other people think. In fact, this spunky kindergartner wears a suit, tie, and fedora to school every day. He’s also the water coach for the Bridgewater Badgers, a pee wee football team comprised of a band of boys who have rallied around Danny in the hopes to make his life better.
Auditory Processing Disorder
What is Auditory Processing Disorder? (CAPD)
Auditory Processing Disorder, alternatively known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is a disorder impacting an individuals’ ability to process auditory information. When someone hears speech, the sound is transformed through the ear to neural impulses that travel through the brain to the speech and language processing centers of the brain. Individuals can have difficulty with each or all of the three steps of this process. If a problem exists within the ear, the individual will present with a hearing impairment or in some cases with deafness. If a problem exists in the speech or language processing centers of the brain, the individual will present with a speech and language impairment.
Some individuals present with difficulties that occur as the auditory signal is sent from the ear to the language centers of the brain. This would present as an Auditory Processing Disorder. The analogy, I use is that a mother and father are talking to each other on cell phones. They are speaking clearly and have no problem with hearing, but there is static on the cell phone. This static is constantly changing (as if you were on a cell phone in a car) so that the message is at times clear and at other times is distorted or lost.
If an individual presents with these difficulties, there are a number of things that can be done to try to train the brain to process in the information more clearly, to modify the environment, and/or to provide tools to amplify the important sound signals over distracting sounds in the environment.
An excellent resource on Auditory Processing Disorders is the book “Like Sound Through Water.” by Karen Foli. The compelling book provides one mother’s story of the process of trying to sort out what is wrong with her son, and of pursuing treatment for him.
Differently Wired - Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory Processing Disorders are often a hidden disability, literally hidden because you can not see them. At DeMarle INC we screen for APDs and then refer to Audiologists who can diagnose the Disorder if it is present. This is important because these disorders can be successfully addressed in a school or work setting.
Information on Auditory Processing Disorders: What does it mean to have APD?
Auditory Processing Disorder is a neurological condition that impacts the way the brain is able to process what is heard. Somewhere between the sounds that are heard and how the brain remembers or understands those sounds, the information is jumbled or even lost. Hearing is not usually affected in people with APD.
Learn how APD can be so frustrating in the video below.
Journey of Sound to the Brain
Learn how sounds make their way from the source to your brain.
Stuttering
Stuttering Myths, Beliefs and Straight Talk for Teens - Tartamudeando mitos, creencias y conversaciones directas para adolescentes
One of the most frustrating aspects of stuttering is that it is a variable disorder. In other words, sometimes you may stutter quite a bit and other times you may not. Because it is so variable and complex, stuttering is often misunderstood. This leads many people to believe myths about stuttering. This brochure discusses some common myths and “debunks” them with straight talk about stuttering.
Uno de los aspectos más frustrantes del tartamudeo es que es un trastorno variable. En otras palabras, a veces puedes tartamudear un poco y otras veces no. Debido a que es tan variable y complejo, la tartamudez es a menudo mal entendida. Esto lleva a muchas personas a creer en mitos sobre el tartamudeo. Este folleto discute algunos mitos comunes y los “difunde” con una charla directa sobre el tartamudeo.
Differently Wired - Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory Processing Disorders are often a hidden disability, literally hidden because you can not see them. At DeMarle INC we screen for APDs and then refer to Audiologists who can diagnose the Disorder if it is present. This is important because these disorders can be successfully addressed in a school or work setting.
Stuttering Foundation - Fundación Americana de la Tartamudez
The Stuttering Foundation a great resource for parents, teachers, and individuals with fluency issues.
La Fundación Americana de la Tartamudez ofrece información, servicios y apoyo a las personas que tartamudean y sus familiares, a la vez que ayuda a financiar investigaciones sobre las causas de la tartamudez.
Stuttering Foundation Podcasts - Fundación Poderosos Tartamudez
Listen in to some of the Stuttering Foundation’s past podcasts! What is your favorite podcast?
Escucha algunos de los podcasts anteriores de la Fundación Stuttering. ¿Cuál es tu podcast favorito?
Stuttering Video: Stuttering For Kids, By Kids
Meet Swish and his young friends! They talk about stuttering, dealing with teasing, what helps, and how to teach others about stuttering. Cartoon animation and real children come together to help other kids who stutter in this lively and engaging 12-minute film.
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