Max Plansky is a 16 year old boy diagnosed at 6 months of age with a neurological disorder called Cerebral palsy. Max’s vocal folds vibrate and make a sound however he is not able to control the muscles in his face in order to produce speech. He is however able to speak though selection of words and sentences on an electronic device which he chooses through the device which produces a computerized voice known as “Perfect Paul.” Perfect Paul is a … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2016
The Unwanted Side Effects Of Viewing ‘Food Porn’
Food has become a huge trend and the photos splashed all across social media, magazines and TV are more tantalising than ever. Many people will spend an hour getting the perfect photo of their meal before actually eating it. However, how does this actually affect us psychologically? Not something we really tend to think about but research has shown that it can actually impact our weight! So I was surprised when I came across … [Read more...]
Pragmatic Activities for Easter
It is Easter time again and with the kids at home, there is plenty of time to do intensive pragmatic activities in a colourful fun environment. An abundance of Easter chocolates also can work as a nice little reward at the end of jam packed speech practice session. Here are some more, great holiday communication activities to try at home: Gesture to spot the different egg This activity is great for working on ‘Same’ and ‘Different’ concepts … [Read more...]
Can your toddler distinguish between words and drawings? Why it matters for reading
New research has shown that children’s ability to distinguish between short words and simple drawings is an early indicator of their future reading ability. The study tested children aged from three to five without formal reading or writing instruction to assess their ability at understanding that written word, such as dog, has one specific pronunciation (“dog”), as opposed to a simple dog drawing which can be labelled as a dog or puppy or even a … [Read more...]
Easter nutrition tips!
It seems like Christmas has just passed and we’re finally getting on track with healthy dietary patterns when Easter appears out of nowhere – another opportunity for over indulging for 4 or so days! In fact, the indulgences will likely draw out over coming weeks due to the abundance of chocolates received and the need to ‘get them out of the house’ as quick as possible which results in the consumption of copious amounts in short time … [Read more...]
Sugar and Fibre in Cereal
Choosing a nutritious cereal can be tougher than it seems. Many of them are marketed to sound as if they are extremely healthy choices – focusing on the positive aspects only and neglecting the less desirable qualities. Unfortunately, the majority of cereals out there have had sugar added and it’s not always noticeable. Many people are shocked to find out the sugar content of some common, seemingly harmless cereals. Sugar isn’t the only aspect … [Read more...]
World Oral Health Day – Preventing Aspiration Pneumonia Through Oral Health Care
World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated every year on 20 March. It is an international day to celebrate the benefits of a healthy mouth and to promote worldwide awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene. Because 90% of the world’s population will suffer from oral diseases in their lifetime and many of them can be avoided with prevention, detection and treatment programs. Oral health is a key factor in … [Read more...]
Is Fluency Just Stuttering – What Is Cluttering?
When we talk about fluency, most people automatically think of people that stutter. However, fluency refers to the aspect of speech production surrounding the continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort when producing sounds in conversation. However, there are actually two main types of disorders falling under the umbrella term of fluency disorders, including Stuttering and Cluttering. Stuttering is the most common fluency disorder, which is the … [Read more...]
Portion Sizes
It can be difficult to know what portion sizes are appropriate if you have never seen/been told what the measurements are for different foods. The government website ‘Eat for Health’ provides information on what one portion size a range of foods is considered to be. They also outline the number of serves of each food group you are recommended to meet based on age and gender. This can be a useful guide in ensuring people are not significantly … [Read more...]
Types of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
What is Augmentative and Alternative Communication? Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is any type of communication strategy used by individuals with a range of conditions causing them to have significant difficulties with verbal speech. Some individuals even require a range of AAC methods to communicate and others may use AAC in conjunction with verbal speech to achieve efficient communication. One AAC system may not meet all of … [Read more...]
