Changes in the environment have shaped the development of our brain and the human body. A recent study however suggests that our different languages have also evolved through adaptations to the local environment. Researchers at the University of New Mexico and Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage-CNRS in France undertook a study looking at the relationship between the sound structures of a worldwide sample of human languages and climatic and … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2015
A Sprained Ankle May Have Lifelong Consequences
The key message here is not to ignore a twisted ankle. See your local doctor or a physiotherapist who can properly assess, treat and rehabilitate you and your injury. Everyone has sprained their ankle once, twice or even a few times. We have healed and recovered from the injury, returning to normal everyday activities. What if the consequences of a twisted ankle actually go beyond the week-or-so of tenderness felt by the injured? "...that … [Read more...]
Christmas Holiday Pragmatic Activities
The holiday season is fast approaching, however, just because we take time off from work and school, does not mean we should fall behind on the speech homework. Christmas is a great time to practice all of the little social niceties that people engage in around the holiday season and can be a great way to teach children that struggle with social skills, the appropriate responses to different social scenarios. Opening Presents Many … [Read more...]
Pearson Announces New Editions of Speech and Language Assessments
The Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation second edition is one of the most widely used formal speech assessments and Pearsons has announced that they will be releasing a third edition soon. In conjunction with the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA), the Khan-Lewis Phonological Analysis (KLPA) supplementary assessment will also be released. The updated features for both assessments include a new administered and digital assessment system, … [Read more...]
Music listening habits tell about mental health
A new study reveals how the brain responds differently to different types of music, and reports that males who process negative emotions with music often have negative reactions to aggressive or sad music. Mental health is affected by emotion regulation, and poor emotion regulation has been linked to psychiatric mood disorders including depression. Music therapists are aware of this, and use music as a tool to assist patients in reaching a … [Read more...]
Lift your Christmas spirit with turkey!
Did you know that some of your common Christmas foods could actually assist in boosting your mood? It may not be the socialising alone that’s making you feel jolly - some properties in food can be extremely beneficial to mental health. What is tryptophan? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. An essential amino acid is one that the body cannot produce itself and therefore must obtain through dietary intake. Tryptophan is important for … [Read more...]
How much energy in that takeaway?
It’s tough to lose or maintain weight if you are eating numerous meals out each week, or ordering in. To put this in to perspective, I have outlined the energy/fat/sodium content of some popular meals. Depending on the restaurant, figures could be significantly higher or lower than indicated. It’s common for people to think that Chinese or Thai are light options but this is not always the case! Golden rules to avoid overeating Avoid fried / … [Read more...]
How to protect your voice and hearing over the holidays
Christmas is a noisy time of year, especially if you have kids on holidays and family over during the festive season. With everything happening, it is common to be overwhelmed by all the noise and forget to protect our ears from it all. Excessive noise can be damaging to the ears, so here are a few great ways we can reduce the impact of all the holiday noise. 1. Choose the right Christmas toys Choose toys that have a ‘try me’ option to test and … [Read more...]
Nutrition tips over Christmas
The first and foremost rule on Christmas day is to enjoy yourself! A healthy lifestyle and diet is all about balance and Christmas is one time to reward yourself for a year of hard work. One day of being indulgent won’t significantly impact your weight or health so here are my nutrition tips for this occasion… 1. Do not discuss diets … at all. No one particularly wants to hear about your diet or be made to feel guilty for what they are eating. … [Read more...]
Sesame Street Debuts Its First Autistic Character
Sesame Street has introduced its first character with Autism to help de-stigmatise Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The character's name is Julia and she is part of the new “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children,” initiative. This initiative also includes the launch of a free application, which incorporates a range of multimedia avenues such as storybooks and video to assist families and children who have autism with day-to-day … [Read more...]
