It has been said that "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". At London Speech, we have worked with hundreds of families over the past twelve years, and can honestly say that we have savored each and every relationship, challenge and triumph.

What’s New:

TV Coverage:

Our third annual "Talk About Fun" Summer Camp was featured on both CFPL "News Now" and Roger’s "Unplugged" broadcasts this summer. The therapeutic camp, designed for 3-10 year old children with speaking, listening, reading, writing or social interaction difficulties, attracted forty children from all parts of south-western Ontario. Our thanks to Stephanie Mandzuk from CFPL TV, and George Sass and Kathy King from Rogers Cablesystems for educating families about this unique summer enrichment opportunity!

Webpage:

London Speech will soon be launching its first interactive webpage, which will include staff bios, frequently asked questions, screening tests, a reading room, a kid’s craft corner and much more! Detailed descriptions of our new and most popular programs will also be posted.

At London Speech, we understand your need for cost-effective, affordable and convenient services, and are proud to offer a variety of innovative speech-language pathology, academic tutoring and rehabilitation programs for children and adults.

Keep an eye out for our webpage-it’s coming soon!

"Talk It Up" Saturday Program:

Modelled after our popular summer camps, Talk It Up is offered year round for children 3-8 years of age. Registrations are being accepted for eight week sessions starting , October 30, 1999.

Kid’s Club Literacy Groups:

Looking for an affordable way to boost your child’s academic skills? Our certified teachers can help. We can develop your child’s reading, writing, oral expression and math skills- critical for school success -using small groups (four or less children)and plenty of individual instruction. One-on-one tutoring is also available at your school, in your home, or at the clinic. Why pay more at a big impersonal learning Centre?

Free Workshops:

Henry Beecher once wrote "The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom". At London Speech we believe in nurturing partnerships with families. To foster this, we offer free public workshops on a regular basis. Upcoming events:

1. "More than just Talking": alerts parent to red flags for preschool speech and language problems, and provides tips on how to help children at home.

Chapter’s Book Store (Fanshawe Rd):

September 30, 1999: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

November 25, 1999: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Chapter’s Book Store (Wellington Rd):

October 27, 1999: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

January 26, 1999: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

2. "Cracking the Code": teaches parents strategies for promoting literacy skills in children grades 1-3.

Held at London Speech office:

September 22, 1999: 6 pm - 8:30 pm

October 20, 1999: 6 pm - 8:30 pm

November 17, 1999: 6 pm - 8:30 pm

Pre-registration is required for all workshops. Please call Bonnie Riddolls at the office to reserve your spot. Registration is limited.

Kid’s Corner: Speech & Language Skills

It is known that a baby’s attachment relationships with parents and care givers play a critical role in their development. When the interactions are harmonious, babies’ emotional awareness, communication abilities, and thinking and relating abilities thrive.

In at recent study at the Toronto Infant-Parent Program, 96 mothers and babies between 10 and 30 months of age were evaluated. Half of the mothers had been referred to a mental health clinic for relationship based emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (e.g. baby had trouble sleeping or soothing, maternal depression, mother reported problems in caring or bonding with the infant). The researchers studied mother-baby interaction patterns, as well as infant thinking and communication skills.

Results indicated that mother-baby interaction characteristics were more important in predicting babies’ preverbal, social and language skills than were mother’s level of education, family income level and level of stress and depression experienced by the mother. The researchers summarized by saying that it is never too early to identify deficits in preverbal and social communication skills. Babies referred for mental health services are at a greater risk for poorer language and communication skills and should be screened for the same, and that the qualities of mother-baby interaction should be examined in all cases when a baby appears to have a language delay.

Source: Barwick et al., Linking Babies’ Attachment Relationships with Emerging Communication and Language Skills, University of Toronto, Feb, 1999

Ask the Expert: Answers to your questions

Question: What is dysphagia?

Answer: Dysphagia is a chewing or swallowing disorder resulting from illness or injury that impairs muscle movement in the mouth and/ or throat. Individuals with dysphagia may have difficulty chewing food or moving it around in the mouth, a delayed or absent swallow reflex, or problems with food "going down the wrong way". Speech-Language Pathologists provide assessment and management services for dysphagic patients.

Lost for Words: Learning Disabilities

If your child is involved in sports and has a learning disability, you will want to heed articles in the recent Journal of the American Medical Association . Researchers found that participation in amateur sports was associated with lower mental function scores. Among amateur soccer players, 39% had impaired planning abilities, and 27% had memory problems. Researchers concluded that "Concussions incurred in amateur soccer may play a fundamental role in the development of cognitive impairment observed in these players". Youth with a history of multiple concussions (i.e. 2 or more), learning disability or a combination of the two are at greatest risk for reduced cognitive performance. In the U.S. there are an estimated 62,816 cases of mild traumatic brain injury each year among high school varsity athletes, with football accounting for 63% of cases. Wrestling and soccer accounted for another 22% of cases.

Source: Journal of American Medical Association, Sept/99

The Tangled Tongue: Stuttering

For children who stutter, the home and school environment are often critical components in treatment. For example, children, parents, teachers and peers can be taught the importance of direct eye contact, turn taking in discussions, not rushing the speaking child and reflective listening. Adults and peers may also be involved in rewarding a child with stickers or praise for using fluency enhancing speech. In stuttering therapy, as in life, it often takes a "whole village" to effect change.

The Hidden Hurt: Traumatic Brain Injury

Researchers from Bethesda Hospital in Victoria Australia studied 130 children, between the ages of 6 and 15 years of age, with mild traumatic head injury to determine long term impact. Most presented with headaches, dizziness and fatigue with no cognitive impairments. For most children, symptoms resolved within three months.

For 17% of the group, there were significant ongoing problems unrelated to the severity of the injury. The existence of pre-existing problems (i.e. history of learning disability, previous head injury, neurological or psychiatric problems, family stressors) rendered this subset of children more vulnerable to the effects of mild head injury. The researchers recommended that these "at risk" kids should be identified in the emergency department and monitored.

Source: The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Aug/99

Thought for the Day:

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage" Anais Nin, Novelist