Stuttering is an interruption in the forward flow of speech. It is thought to be caused by a number of factors including genetics, the environment and a neurological component. There are five developmental levels of stuttering and it is important to distinguish among them. Normal Disfluency Age range: 18 months - 6 years old Types of disfluencies include: Interjections (I want, uh, cookies) Revisions (I want----I see the dog) Word Repetitions (Look look over here!) Phrase rep

Why would I opt for online speech therapy? Isn't that just going to add more screen time to their day? First, I completely agree... kids are engaging in enormous amounts of screen time... so how do we manage this? How much is too much? Do I not simplify my life with online learning because I am worried about screen time? 1. Quality This days we can find anything from services to goods to information online. The internet and the ease it brings to our lives isn't going way. M

Many school districts are contracting with telepractice companies across the nation to serve our students in their academic settings! Thank you Presence Learning for allowing us to share this video! At Best Speech Therapy, PLLC, we offer live, online speech therapy to private clients to address articulation, fluency, voice, and language goals. We serve adults and children in English and Spanish. Schedule an appointment online Now! #bestspeech, #speech, #speechtherapy, #telepr

An inclusive team environment starts by recognizing that everyone communicates differently. Here are some tips for Coaches to create an inclusive team culture. 1. Commit to Awareness and Understanding Commit to learning and understanding your players' communication styles. Consider that someone on your team may be hard of hearing, have ADHD, Autism, or other Sensory challenges. Seek to understand and put yourself in their shoes. 2. Ask Questions The only way to really know ho

Many people with Parkinson's Disease experience difficulty with speech clarity and volume. It is not unusual for Parkinson's patients to experience voice dysfunctions and difficulty articulating speech. Sometimes voice changes are the first signs of Parkinson's Disease which can be easily misdiagnosed with other illnesses. Speech impairments can lead to social and emotional isolation and reducing quality of life. The SPEAK OUT! program is designed to increase loudness, decrea

"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people" - Jim Rohn As I worked with one of my young clients I made the mistake of saying "Practice makes Perfect" whooaah... My client was quick to correct me "practice makes progress". Growing up I was always taught to find perfection. Image and perfection were so im

Many people who have suffered from a stroke or brain injury may be familiar with the term Aphasia but have a hard time understanding what that means for communicating with their loved one. Aphasia is a language based deficit which impacts the person's ability to understand and/or express their thoughts effectively. Aphasia does not affect intelligence. People with Aphasia still have the ability to think and make decisions, but their inability to communicate their feelings, th

My child uses baby talk and it's sooo cute. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. But her teachers are saying she's hard to understand and it can hinder her reading skills. Is that true? Yes... a child who is showing difficulty with pronunciation can indicate that they may develop challenges with learning to read as well as reading comprehension. For younger children, a good rule of thumb to use when concerned about your child's speech is to determine if they can be u

Our speech pathologists and their assistants partner with you to facilitate communication with your loved one. For our adult clients, the team may include the client, the client's caregiver, the SLP, and other professionals. Other professionals include the client's physicians, physical, and occupational therapists, and any other professionals who are assisting with the client's goal to get healthy and regain their independence. A team approach is an effective way to make inf

"My baby is 12 months old and he still has not said his first word. What should I do? This is a question often asked by parents. Just because your child hasn't said his first word by his birthday doesn't mean that they are delayed, but it is something to keep an eye on. Below are some ways that parents can encourage children to use language. 1. Don't anticipate your child's needs. Try to let them communicate what they want by using words. 2. Speak slowly and use short phrases

"It is surprising to notice that even from the earliest age, man finds the greatest satisfaction in feeling independent. The exalting feeling of being sufficient to oneself comes as a revelation." - Maria Montessori It sounded like a good idea 4 months ago. People were surprised that we would let a 12 year old and a 7 year old fly alone to visit their aunt and uncle. But I was confident. Naturally, as it got closer, I got more nervous. But a little background about us... we

Why should you try online Speech Therapy for you or your loved one? In this blog post we’ll tell you why you should schedule speech therapy via telepractice. 1. Convenience Easy and Simple! Speech therapy at your fingertips! All you need is computer, laptop, or tablet, a camera and microphone! These days, cameras and microphones are almost always integrated on a computer, laptop, or tablet. You can attend a session from anywhere as long as you have access to the internet. 2.

Speech therapy for articulation involves a lot of work because it's about unlearning bad habits, retraining new habits, and then generalizing those skills to your child's everyday conversation. Traditional speech therapy works for the majority of children who have trouble producing their speech sounds correctly. It's been used since the 1970's and there is plenty of research to back it up. But sometimes traditional speech therapy isn't enough... there are other things that c