Music & Language: Effectiveness of using Music in Speech Therapy
Music as a tool to support communication and language
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Let’s CHAT About Hyperlexia: Social Narratives – Emotions and Feelings
In addition to teaching about new scenarios or experiences, social narratives can be written to teach about emotions and feelings. Social narratives, written with first-person language, can provide scripts for an “internal monologue” to support problem solving, emotional regulation, processing and understanding.
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If friendship is the heart of love, then this therapy story may melt your heart.
Best friends in so many ways, two of CHAT’s high school students came to speech together every week and worked on social and pragmatic language skills. Then one day, they didn’t want to come to speech together anymore. Dismayed, their CHAT clinician, Sarah, decided to do something about it. After a bit of digging, she
If friendship is the heart of love, then this therapy story may melt your heart. Read More »
Uplifting African American English (AAE)
CHAT uplifts African American English (AAE), a dialect shared by many Black communities in the United States. Complex and systematic, AAE not only reflects the intricacies of human language, but also the ingenuity of the speakers themselves. AAE was first developed by enslaved Africans during the Atlantic slave trade in the 1600s. While European enslavers intentionally grouped people from different African nations – who spoke various languages – to inhibit communication and stifle protest, enslaved Africans successfully merged their diverse languages with English to create a linguistic system that facilitated communication, built solidarity, and ultimately resisted colonial subjugation.
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Social Narratives
Social narratives are written stories that introduce or explain a variety of scenarios while making it personal and relevant to the reader. Social narratives help to shape and provide an “inner monologue” for our HxLs who might otherwise have difficulty finding the language to talk to themselves!
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Introduction to Neurodiversity
Please note that within this blog, CHAT will use identity-first language (i.e. Autistic person, rather than person with Autism), as many activists in the Autism community believe that this language choice reflects Autism’s centrality to their identity and disrupts the negative associations harbored against their diagnosis. We encourage readers to honor the preferences of Autistic individuals in order to use the most affirming language possible. As speech-language pathologists, we are equipped with the tools and training to enhance
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Childhood Apraxia of Speech – Evaluation
How to evaluate and diagnose Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
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Holocaust Remembrance Day
In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are sharing a personal post from our Executive Director, Karine Fiore, for whom this is a deeply personal topic. Please take a look at her moving words and let them inspire you to speak up against injustice. On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest, most
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Written Expectations
Expectations are behaviors or actions that are expected to occur. Written expectations should be constantly available and reviewed for the HxL to refer back to whenever needed.
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Written Schedules
Schedules are a staple of all therapy sessions, but are especially useful for hyperlexic learners (HxLs). Not only are they an effective tool during therapy, but they can be used to inspire positive transitions, increase the likelihood of task completion, and promote positive behaviors across all environments and situations. Schedules can be as broad or precise as the situation requires. Dereon may need a schedule
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Written Supports
As the saying goes, “Write, write, write because [people] with hyperlexia will read, read, read” (Miller, 1993). There are many different ways we can structure our writing to connect with hyperlexic learners and support language growth!
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The World has Lost a Ground-Breaking Pioneer: In Memory of Dr. Darold Treffert
Dr. Darold Treffert died unexpectedly on Monday, December 14th, 2020 at the age of 87. Dr. Treffert’s compassion for children and their families continues to inspire all that knew him. He helped to re-shape how people viewed savants, autistic individuals, and hyperlexic learners by focusing on their strengths and abilities. As Phyllis Kupperman mourns her friend and colleague, she says, “I was always very impressed by the way that he
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Matthew Rushin
As our country continues to amplify the injustice within our criminal legal system, CHAT uplifts youth with communication diagnoses who are funneled into this system—misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and wrongfully convicted. We stand in solidarity with changemakers like Matthew Rushin, a Black autistic college student convicted of a crime he did not commit. A diligent student in Virginia’s Old Dominion University, Rushin spent his time
Choose CHAT on Giving Tuesday
What’s the saying? “Out of the mouth of babes?” Seven-year-old Jimmy took it to a whole new level with the help of a little technology. Please don’t try this at home, but we thought you might find inspiration in the recent breakthrough of one of our kiddos. During his speech teletherapy session, asked to place
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Adolescent Language
Therapy ideas for targeting language in the adolescent population
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Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month! Please note that within this blog we are using the words Native and Indigenous, as is preferred by many Nations. However, individual Nations or people may have different preferred terminology (e.g. First American, Native American, American Indian, etc), and we encourage open discussion to ensure that you are using the most affirming language
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Gestalt Processing
Many Hyperlexic Learners are gestalt processors meaning they “learn in chunks.” See how we can use gestalt processing and memory skills to shape echolalia into functional communication!
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Dyslexia Awareness Month
October marks Dyslexia Awareness Month; yet for our CHAT team, empowering diverse learners is an ongoing commitment. While this month was only recently recognized by Congress in 2015, dyslexia affects as many as 43.5 million Americans, or 15% of the national population! Rather than a vision impairment or intellectual disability, dyslexia is a learning condition
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Let’s CHAT about Hyperlexia: Introduction
Introducing our new Hyperlexia-focused blog series and its writer, Ciara Nally! We will discuss all things hyperlexia, provide tailored therapy activities, and discuss how to support and advocate for your hyperlexic learner!
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CHAT Collaborates with Enlace to Provide Literacy Programs to Little Village Families
Enlace colabora con CHAT para proveer programas de lectura a las familias de La Villita
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Testimonial from Jackson Charter School
At first I was skeptical and didn’t know what to think about transitioning our building to teletherapy for speech services, but I was pretty reluctant about it. Up until that point (approximately 2 years ago), we have always had “in person” speech and other related services. However, once our speech assistant, the students, and I
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Summer Programs
If you’re interested in learning more about our summer programs, be sure to check out our recent summer programs webinar. This informational video will fill you in on everything you need to know about each program. Click here to register!
Hyperlexia Webinar on Social Skills
On May 26th, 2020 we hosted a webinar on social skills and strategies for hyperlexic children. Our Founder, Phyllis Kupperman, and Assistant Director, Ciara Nally, shared so many helpful tips for families and educators to support social skills, building social competency, and supports for pragmatic language. If you missed the first hyperlexia webinar, you can
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Reading Comprehension Strategies for Hyperlexic Children
On May 12th, 2020 we hosted a webinar on reading comprehension strategies for hyperlexic children. Our Founder, Phyllis Kupperman, and Assistant Director, Ciara Nally, shared so many helpful tips for families and educators to support reading comprehension skills — thank you, both! If you missed the first hyperlexia webinar, you can check that out here.
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