Apraxia Ville – A Review

Apraxia Ville

by Smarty Ears, LLC

Purpose:

Apraxia Ville is designed for use by Speech-Language Pathologists working with children diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech. The app targets consonants and vowels in isolation, at the word level (CV & CVC), and in word sets (CV + CV or CVC + CVC).

Price: $21.99 (just released March 20, 2013)

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

ASHA’s Position on the diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech says it “exists as a distinct diagnostic type of childhood speech sound disorders that warrants research and clinical services.” Furthermore, ASHA highlights three distinctive features SLPs should look for in addition to a comprehensive speech and language evaluation: (1) inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels in repeated productions of syllables/words, (2) irregular co-articulatory transitions between productions, and (3) excess, equal, and/or reduced prosody (intonation). These three features are not always present in every case of CAS occurrence, but help distinguish CAS from other speech sound disorders. Apraxia Ville targets the three main features ASHA mentions exceptionally well. Allow me to explain…

Sunny Articulation and PhonologyTest (SAPT) – A Review

Sunny Articulation and Phonology Test (SAPT)

By Barbara Fernandes at Smarty Ears

A Transition

Sooner or later, change occurs. A change from what is, to what will be.

I will be graduating in 6 short months from graduate school, transitioning from grad student to Speech-Language Pathologist. As my focus shifts, I want my blog to shift as well. What better way to announce the type of shift I’m pursuing than with shifting my medium.

Comfort zones are for the stagnant, and I am anything but. Join me as I step out and venture onward. Take a moment and watch my vlog post (video + blog) as I hope you will be as excited as I am to dabble in this new venture.

Challenge Me

Let me paint a picture: Speech-Language Pathology graduate school is hard. It requires pieces of your mind, heart, soul, and life that you have to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of passion, profession, and income. My father told me today, “Right now, you are getting the education you need that will set the stage for the rest of your life;” I completely agree with him. But I have set things aside in lieu of education, advancement, and academia for the opportunity to succeed.

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” -H. Jackson Browne

Friends are settling into new jobs, getting married, having babies, creating new memories while I press on towards those CCC’s: Certificate of Clinical Competence. I thought I was otherwise competent, but I need a certificate from ASHA before anyone should believe it. Anyway, those “roads” Browne speaks of, I happen to be excited about my journey and thankful to say I haven’t broken down or wandered off too often along the way. Yet there have been difficult challenges along the way which I have learned from; let me take this new year to share…

Essential Social Media Tools for SLPs: Growth Starts Here

PediaStaff recently sponsored both a Learning Lab session and the Social Medial Learning Center booth (Featuring the #SLPeeps!) At both venues, we talked about why it is imperative that SLPs understand and embrace the world of social media that is taking our profession by storm. Whether you want to interact daily or prefer to sit back and listen, social media has become an invaluable resource for communicating with colleagues and staying on top of recent research and trends.

The booth and panel were both quite popular and visitors expressed an interest in learning more that they could take home with them to digest at their leisure. We anticipated that this would be the case, so together with other SLP bloggers and Tweeters, PediaStaff, co-authored and produced a simple e-book that will help us all. We will post the entire PDF next week, but in the meantime, please hop away and support all the fantastic contributors to this fantastic resource!

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“Do you search the internet or do you search people?” – @gregkulowiec

Social networks like Twitter, Pinterest, and blogs make it easier to find information written by professionals while encouraging a love to learn. Although research articles have their necessary place in our profession, the distant, formalized writing style often leaves readers with information, but no connection. Building a Professional Learning Network (PLN) provides unlimited opportunities to connect and network globally with professionals sharing similar interests. Simply check in to see the latest conversations and trends of the profession.

2012 Edublog Awards: Nominations

I continue to share the amazingness of blogs with people who still ask “What’s a blog?”. Here is our opportunity  promote and demonstrate the educational values of these social media. Allow me to nominate the best-of-the-best on the web:

Bloggers for Movember and the #SLPbloggers

The increased awareness for different types of cancers continues to grow. Yet, there can never be too much awareness, especially when it comes to men. The Prostate Cancer Foundation stresses the importance of early detection and screening for men; yet 1 in 6 men will still be diagnosed.

The #SLPeeps at ASHA 2012 – Atlanta or Bust

So what’s been happenin’ in yalls neck o’ the woods? (as we say in the South) I’ve been busy with my new part-time medical internship at the hospital where I live. Loving the hospital setting, doing modified barium swallow studies (MBSSs), and seeing clients for both in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation and assessment. But, I digress…

Before the internet or even in the early 2000s, you had to read the ASHA leader, attend conventions, or call/write/telegram an SLP or AUD friend to find out the latest news. When Twitter launched in 2006, I distinctly remember saying, ” I will never use Twitter; that is for hipsters.”

Well here I am in 2012, using Twitter, and using it daily. Don’t judge me; if anything, you should join the ranks. I mentioned in a previous post  the common practice is to Google therapy ideas to supplement Evidence Based Practice. Well in order for Google to answer these requests, there must be someone to post the answer first. Other, more experienced SLPs have begun answering questions and posting ideas for others to find, such as: @SLPTanya , @Azspeechguy , @speechtechie , @apujo5 , @Speechreka , @ActivityTailor , @mtmarySLP , and many, many more.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in the U.S. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the last year, and it has been an inspiration to watch her live her life and embrace her memories. She is still who she has always been, only now, her memory takes pieces of her yesterdays and tomorrows. I hope you will take time this November to remember those who have lost their lives to Alzheimer’s, those who still battle the disease, and the scientists and researchers still fighting for a cure.

You can find more information about the Force to End Alzheimer’s by searching and using the Twitter hashtag “#ENDALZ” then visit the Alzheimer’s Association’s Website.

I also created a Alzheimer’s Color by Number Sheet to use in the Locked Unit for Dementia Care Patients where myself and 4 other SLPs in-training visit each week. Feel free to download and share

Trends and EasySpeak Magazine

In 2010, Lemke and Dublinske published “Designing ASHA’s future: Trends for the association and the professions“. One of the 19 trends that stood out was the projected Generational Trend; specifically, how Generation Y (aka Millennials, born after 1982) are characterized as digital, “civic,” and connected. So they suggested professionals and ASHA should “relate to Millennials, who are expected to be a major force for social change as they enter their young adult, professional, and family stages of life development.” Talk about pressure on my (Millennial) generation.

I fit right into many of the stereotypes of the Millenial generation – clinging to technology and huddling to stay connected. As I read the article and proceeded to write my topic paper, my mind kept going back to EasySpeak Magazine.