What does it really mean to be a neurodiversity-affirming SLP?
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
3M ago
Neurodiversity! You've probably heard the term before. If you've talked to me in the past five years or so, you've likely heard quite a lot about it. I am a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist. But what does "neurodiversity-affirming" really mean? The term neurodiversity was first coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998. The definition from the Oxford English Dictionary is as follows: the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioural traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. “Neurodivergent” applies to not on ..read more
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Connections Between Music and Language
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
5M ago
Coming from a background in music, I often have had a deep interest and passion for the intersection of music and language. Music is universal afterall, and contains similar features to language such as stress, pitch and rhythm, as well as storytelling and expressive elements. Furthermore, there are structural rules that govern both music and language such as sentence and chord structure, and both music and language vary cross-culturally.  Music can be a powerful tool for those living with varying communication disorders and abilities. Results from one study show that singing influenc ..read more
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Autism Acceptance Month: Understanding Autism in girls
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
6M ago
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has long been associated with stereotypical traits that predominantly manifest in boys. However, recent research has shed light on the unique ways autism presents in girls, challenging traditional assumptions and highlighting the importance of adopting a neurodiversity affirming lens. One of the key distinctions in autism presentation between genders lies in social communication. While boys with autism often display more overt difficulties in social interactions, such as lack of eye contact and difficulty understanding social cues, girls may demonstrate more ..read more
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ADHD and me; Embracing Neurodiversity Later in Life
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
7M ago
In November 2023 I was diagnosed with ADHD, it’s been a game changer. What came as an unplanned and unexpected diagnosis has since made my world make sense. I’ve been having sessions with a Psychiatrist since the death of my daughter in 2020. Having spent over 3 years working together, my Psychiatrist suggested she complete an ADHD assessment with me. I was open to this and a little amused, in my line of work, I had sometimes pondered and compared myself to individuals with Autism (I have some funny quirks with food textures, facial tics, visual stims) but never considered ADHD. My Psychia ..read more
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Visual Support Tools
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
I was recently watching a video series on visual supports offered by Autism Community Training (ACT). The presenter, Dr. Brenda Fosset, BCBA-D had a lot of great information on why and how to implement different kinds of visual support tools in a variety of situations. Visual support tools like visual schedules are commonly used to help reduce unpredictability by letting individuals know what to expect during their day (Fosset, 2017). Visual support tools can have many other benefits such as helping organize an individual's environment or increasing independence during certain activities or r ..read more
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How to Identify and Support Gestalt Language Learners
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
It can be concerning as a parent or caregiver when you notice your child seems to be learning and producing language in a different way than other children. But did you know that there are different types of language learners? O’Grady (2014) has identified two types of language learners, Analytic and Gestalt. Analytic learners are more common and tend to fit with most people’s understanding of how children learn language. Gestalt learners are less common and may need support in different ways, however, they are just as capable! Keep reading to find out more about the different types and some ..read more
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What to expect when you’re expecting speech sounds
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
It is always exciting when your baby starts to make sounds. Little coos and bubbly belly laughs can bring a smile to your face. Piercing screams are sending you a message. As a child’s speech mechanism continues to develop, they start to babble using various sounds. Then, they start to use jargon – seeming to carry on whole conversations on their own, sounding intent and adult-like without actually using words. Once they start using words, you might hear their own versions (“ba” for bottle, “mama” for mom). But when do we expect that they will have all their sounds? What speech errors will the ..read more
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Exploring the Fallacies of Bilingualism
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
Our community can be seen as a kaleidoscope that is constantly changing colours and becoming more and more diverse. Just consider some quick statistics-47% being bilingual and a further 17 % being multilingual (taken from Google) These statistics further suggest that many children are being raised in bilingual homes. Unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions around bilingualism and language development and so I thought it would be helpful for this blog to have a look at some common myths that exist. Myth 1: Speaking 2 or more languages to a child can ‘confuse’ them so it is better to on ..read more
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May is Speech and Hearing Month!
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
May is an important month for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and individuals with communication disorders as it marks the annual celebration of Speech and Hearing Month. This occasion provides an opportunity to raise awareness regarding speech, language, and hearing health, as well as provide education on how SLPs can be of service to the public. A few of the ways SLPs make a significant impact on the lives of people of all ages is as follows: Enhancing Communication Skills: One of the primary roles of SLPs is to assess and treat communication disorders. They work with individuals facin ..read more
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From Textbooks to Placement
Speech Ease
by SpeechEase Team
1y ago
The past year I have been an online grad student at UBC due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Although being able to wear a house robe whilst attending all my online lectures was terrific, I think it is fair to say that having an in-person graduate school experience would have been far more ideal. One can only learn so much from a textbook and slides (and from a robot dysphasia patient lovingly named Mr. Gus Shultz). *see photo* Before commencing my placement at Speech Ease, I experienced the highest degree of imposters syndrome. How do I apply what I have learned from the textbooks to real-life c ..read more
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