Speech+and+Language+Impairment

 __ Speech and Language Impairments Information and Resources __
====**Definition**: Disabled-World.com defines Speech and Language Impairments as an "impairment of speech or sound production, fluency, voice or language which significantly affects a child’s educational performance or their social, emotional or vocational development." A child with a speech or language impairment can ====

experience stuttering, problems with articulating words.
or they may have a lisp or voice impairment. It is also common that children with hearing loss or children with selective mutism have difficulty with their speech. ====**Prevalence**: According to the NIDCD between 6 and 8 million people in the United States have some form of language impairment. The prevalence of speech sound disorder in young children is 8 to 9 percent. By the first grade, roughly 5 percent of children have noticeable speech disorders; the majority of these speech disorders have no known cause. ==== ====**Preventatives**: Research suggests that the first 6 months are the most crucial to a child's development of language skills. For a person to become fully competent in any language, exposure must begin as early as possible, preferably before school age. ==== ====**Cause**: While the genetic origin of SLI has not been proven yet, studies show that fifty to seventy-percent of children with SLI have at least one family member who also has SLI. Researchers are studying twins in search of a genetic link. British researchers, in 2001, successfully found the chromosome that affected fifteen of thirty-seven members of a London family with profound speech and language impairments. ====

 The National Speech/Language Therapy Center treats children with a variety of speech, language and cognitive disorders or difficulties. They are located in Bethesda Maryland and offer a variety of services such as group therapy, tutoring services, speech therapy evaluations and screenings.
 * Disability Specific Information || National Speech/Language Therapy Center

 American Speech Language Hearing Association The American Speech Language Hearing Association has a lot of helpful information for parents such as upcoming events and conferences (such as the ASHA convention) and also current research. The website also has a section for SLP's looking for jobs and employers that want to post job offers.

 National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education has an extensive amount of research and information for parents to use. It also has a section for blog posts for parents to interact with each other and talk about specific topics.

 Helpful books specific to Speech and Language Impairment: 1. The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet by Dr. Marilyn C. Agin <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2. The Parents Guide to Speech and Language Problems by Debbie Feit <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3. It Takes Two To Talk: A Practical Guide For Parents of Children With Language Delays by Lain Witzman <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 4. Quick Children's Speech Therapy At Home: How To Help Your Child Speak Correctly in 5 Minutes A Day by Jane Bishop <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 5. Let's Talk Together - Home Activities for Early Speech & Language Development by Cory Poland <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 6. Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems by Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">The Maryland Disability Law Center is a non-profit law firm that aims to protect and advance the rights of Marylanders with disabilities. MDLC uses an variety of advocacy strategies such as abuse and neglect investigations, <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">technical assistance, community outreach and advocacy training.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Education and Services || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Maryland Disability Law Center

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 5 links to local service providers/educational programs: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 1. Communication In-Roads <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Communication In-Roads provides several different services such as free screening, evaluations, family training, home programs, tutoring and many more. They provide services for treatment of developmental delays, speech and language delays, articulation disorders, fluency disorders, Autism etc.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2. Stepping Stone Therapy <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Stepping Stone Therapy is a service that provides Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Play Therapy, Social Skills Groups and Summer Tutoring. They have a multi-disciplinary approach therefore they treat children that demonstrate poor fine and gross motor development, emotional disabilities, reading disabilities etc.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3. National Speech/Language Therapy Center <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">The National Speech/Language Therapy Center provides several services such as Marching Ahead to Progress (MAP), which is a computer program that designs home programs and teaches parents, educators and other professionals how to instruct children with special needs. Through group therapy, speech therapy, evaluations and screenings the areas of specialty are articulation, ADD/ADHD, Stuttering, Language Delay, Memory Skills etc.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 4. The Vines <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">The Vines specifically provides Speech Therapy for children under the age of six and specializes in children with severe Speech and Language Impairments and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, such as Autism. The Vines uses a variety of therapeutic, evidence based methods that are altered to the individual child.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 5. Maryland Speech Language and Hearing Association <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">The Maryland Speech Language and Hearing Association is an organization that has an immense amount of information for parents and caregivers with their membership. Specifically there is a Professional Services Directory that provides contact information for professionals in the speech-language-hearing field. || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 1. Speech Pathways <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Speech Pathways is a foundation that provides parent and family support. They support the advocacy of independence through listening and talking and have created a Maryland chapter that is lead by the Alexander Graham Bell Association. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2.Aphasia Support Group <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This is an ongoing support group that is located in Rockville, Maryland that is open to adults with Aphasia, which is a language disorder. The fee is $120 for six sessions. Contact Number: 240-864-6000 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3. ASHA <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">ASHA holds annual conventions from Nov. 17th to Nov. 20th in Philadelphia. The convention helps professional focus on ways to improve the lives of the people they work with. The conventions are also a great way for professionals to socialize and share their experiences. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">4. Help Me Speak <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Help Me Speak is a Speech-Language Therapy clinic located in Howard County Maryland. The provide Speech, Language, and Oral Motor therapy to people of all ages. Contact Number: 410-442-9791 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">5. Greater Baltimore Medical Center <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">The Greater Baltimore Medical Center provides services for speech, language, and cognitive disorders. Contact Number: 443-849-2087 || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 1. I Click I Talk <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> IClick is a software that can be downloaded onto a personal computer. It is a communication device that comes with pictures and audio sounds. Also, you can add your own picture and sounds! Depending on the package, IClick is either $19.99 or $49.99. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2. Wheel of Action <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This game is a speech therapy game. This game helps children produce sentences, interact socially, help with problem solving skills and much more. This game can be played at different levels of difficulty. This game is $19.95. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3. Guess Who Board Game <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> This game is a childhood game that everyone loves and can be used to help your child. It can help in developing deductive reasoning and a wide range of receptive and and expressive language skills. This game is $17.99. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 4. Custom Playing Cards <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">These cards are great for children because it is a fun way to help a child. These games can be made for your child to help them in whatever area they need. These cards are $10 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 5. Language Activity Sheets <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This website has over 400 work sheets and activities in more than 20 areas. No matter where your child is having difficulty, there will be a worksheet that can help. The worksheets are pdfs. || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 1.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This website has information on different types of school funding for a child with a speech or language impairment. There is also information on how to manage your funds and success stories. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2.ABC for Life Lessons <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">ABC stands for Academic Behavioral Consultant and this website is an educational advocacy working with children and teens who have special needs. This organization works with schools and families for the child to succeed. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3.Special Education Resources. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This website has different resources for children with special needs. The resources are not only nationwide resources and links but, there are resources for every state. This can be beneficial to you and your family and for a friend who lives somewhere else. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> 4.Respite Care <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Respite Care provides relief to families who have children with special needs. It is a short term program and it can take place inside our outside the home. This programs gives both the child with special needs and their family a break from their every day routine. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;"> *5.Social Security Benefits <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">This website has information on Social Security and Supplementary Security Income disability programs. This website gives information on how to apply for benefits or if you are already getting the benefits. Also, there is also information on different programs that is set up through the Social Security Administration. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Local Support Groups and Educational Conferences || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">5 links to local support groups/educational conferences:
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Recreational and Community Based Resources ** || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">5 links to local recreational activities:
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Funding/Legal Advocacy ** || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">5 links to funding agencies:
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Total Quality of Wiki ** || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 115%;">Purpose of Wiki Page and how it is set up : The purpose of this Wiki Page is to give parents information on Speech and Language Impairments. Finding out that your child has a disability can be very stressful and this website is to help relieve some of that stress. There are a number of books and links that can be found here; these websites are resources for you, the parent to help you through this rough time. The wiki is split up into different categories. They categories are: Disability Specific Information, Education and Services, Local Support Groups and Educational Conferences, Recreational and Community Based Resources and Funding/Legal Advocacy. Each group has specific websites that go with that the heading. Just remember everything will be okay :) ||