I am proud to inform you that I now have a Speech and Language license for the glorious State of New Mexico !

I just read in The Stuttering Foundation Winter 2012 issue that my favorite comedian Rowan Atkinson is a person who stutters.  Stuttering is still a factor in his life.  He says that "it comes and goes.  I find when I play a character other than myself, the stammering disappears.  That may have been some of the inspiration for pursuing the career I did."  His character, Mr. Bean, existed for ten years before he even gave him a name.  Mr. Bean was rated the highest-rated comedy on British TV in the 1990's. Be sure to watch Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie and Mr. Bean's Holiday.  We own many of the Mr. Bean shows and think they are very funny.  My favorite is the one where Mr. Bean decides to paint his own apartment.  My husband Alex likes the episode where Mr. Bean attends a military open house and decides to park his car in the best spot. Namaste

I raised my hand to touch the bulky piece of beige plastic that curled around and inside my left ear.  It felt like an alien implant, this hearing-aid that my parents had had me fitted for earlier that morning.  For days I'd fought them over the necessity of this strange device.  Did they want me to become Super Nerd at school?
     Upon arriving home from the hearing-aid clinic, I went straight back to the backyard to show my dog what my parents had done to me.  More than an hour later I entered the house, as I had hundreds of times before, and shut the back door behind me with a casual shove.
     That's when I heard it: I heard the back door slam for the very first time in my life.  I was twelve years old.
     Thank you Melanie for allowing us to share this here at www.openbooktherapy.com blog.  We feel honored.  Namaste

According to the National Stroke Association, about 790,000 Americans have a stroke each year.  Strokes can occur quickly.  Knowing the symptoms and how to respond can better the chances of recovery.  Know the 6 signs of stroke.  1.  Sudden vision changes. 2. Numbness, weakness, tingling, especially on one side of the body. 3.  Difficulty speaking or understanding what is spoken to you. 4.  Confusion.  5.  Difficulty with balance or with walking.  6.  Headache   You can make a difference by decreasing the risk of stroke.  Do not smoke, cut down on your smoking or quit smoking.  Know what your cholesterol and blood pressure levels are and manage them.  Reduce the amount of salt you eat and add whole grains, lean protein, eat more vegetables (juice your veggies, steam, bake them but add variety to your produce).  Reduce or limit alcohol intake.  Exercise 2 1/2  hours or more a week.  By knowing the symptoms and responding to those symptoms, you can limit long-term damage.  If you suddenly experience them or see them in a friend, call 911 right away. Namaste

More children qualify for NO-COST and LOW-COST medical, dental and vision care coverage programs.  Healthy Families Medical for Children is provided by the State of California.  Call 1 - 888-747-1222 for more information about the program benefits and costs, or request an application.  Call toll-free today.  "How can i Get My Child to Talk More?"  I often hear parents ask how they can help their child talk more often.  I would like to provide a few suggestions and situations to increase conversation and turn taking that parents and family members can use at home.  Talk about familiar routines, toys and what other children are doing.  Create communication opportunities.  East a desired food in front of a child without offering any to him/her.  WAIT for the child to respond.  Activate a wind up toy, let it deactivate, and hand it to him/her.  Again, WAIT for a response.  Look through a few magazines or books with the child.  Point to various objects and label them.  WAIT for your child to imitate your pointing and labeling.  Too often we adults do things for our children without giving them an opportunity to ask or make a comment.   Take the time to allow them to speak  and be heard.  Play physical games with hugging and rocking to increase turn taking.  Also take turns while singing songs.  The above situations are engineered to give your child a reason to communicate.  Play chase, catch, make jello, play BINGO, pretend to go to  a store, cook a pretend meal, pretend to eat a meal.  These are a few communicative temptations based on Wetherby and Prizant, two top researchers for children with language needs.  Namaste & Happy New Year to You All. Kathleen

"LSVT LOUD" is a global standard for Speech Treatment for people with Parkinson's disease (PD).  Over 6,000 "LSVT LOUD" Certified Clinicians are in nearly 50 countries.  There are over 1,000 "LSVT BIG" Certified Clinicians in 7 countries.  These therapists have gone on to successfully treat thousands of individuals with PD and other neurological disorders.  Successful communication builds confidence and motivation while facing the challenges of living with neurological disorders.  I am proud to help individuals with PD and other neurological disorders improve their communication and enhance their quality of life.  Thank you Dr. Lorraine Ramig, Namaste.

People with Parkinson's Disease or PD may have twice the risk of developing melanoma.  Recent research from twelve different studies during 1965 to 2010, indicated that men with PD were twice as likely as those without PD to have melanoma.  Women with PD were one - and- a - half times as likely to be diagnosed compared to women without PD.  I find this interesting.  My Grandma Hurd had PD and suffered with skin cancer during her later years.  The above research, supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently appeared in the Jun7th issue of Neurology.  You can find this at www.neurology.org .  I also want to mention that I will be attending the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD Training this week on Thursday and Friday here in Sunnyvale, CA.  LSVT LOUD Training  and certification workshop focuses on the study and treatment of VOICE in neurological disorders, the concepts, methods with hands-on practice.  Prognosis and assessment measures for PD.  Dr. Lorraine O.  Ramig is Professor with the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences at the University of Colorado-Boulder.  She is a Senior Scientist with the National Center for Voice and Speech, Denver Center for Performing Arts, Adjunct Professor with Columbia University, New York, NY.  I am so excited to see and hear her !  I graduated from CU-Boulder in 1990 and 1992.  I moved from Boulder in 1993 after finishing my Clinical Fellowship Year at Mercy Medical Center in Denver. I am thrilled to learn how I can be more helpful for those with PD. Namaste. Kathleen

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?  ASD is a wide range of complex, varying neurodevelopment disorders that are characterized by social impairments, communication challenges and difficulties, restricted, repetitive and sterotyped patterns of behavior.  Scientists have identified a number of genes associated with this disorder and environmental factors play a significant role.  "Genetics are part of the story but only a part of the story," says Neil Risch a genetic epidemiologist at UCSF.  In the latest study, researchers used records from the California Department of Developmental Services to identify children labeled with autism.  They conducted their own exams and ultimately built a database of 192 twin pairs in which at least one twin has the disorder. I look forward to reading the latest research on the heritability of autism and how the environment places a part of this. Please consider joining me on October 1st, 2011 as we learn from several speakers presenting current Autism Interventions for parents, educators, physicians and healthcare professionals. It takes a village to raise a child, be an active member of this village and learn as much as you can.  Namaste

2 in 1,000 infants are identified with a hearing loss.  Signs of hearing loss in infants and young children may include: when a child does not turn his/her head toward the source of sound by 4 months of age, when by 12 months of age, child does not say single words such as "mama" or "dada", when someone calls the child's name and the child does not turn his/her head to find the speaker, when the child may hear some sounds but not other sounds.  Intervention is most successful when a child is identified during the first few months of age or before 12 months of age.  Namaste

National Stuttering Awareness Week is an observance around the world for people who stutter.  It was established in 1988 in response to the advocacy of the members of the National Stuttering Association. The NSA has headquarters in New York City.  It was founded by Bob Goldman and Michael Sugarman as the National Stuttering Project in CA in 1977.  The NSA sponsors regional workshops, youth and family events, and educational seminars for speech-language pathologists.  It also publishes newsletters Letting Go, Stutter Buddies and more. I would like to mention a few of the fabulous people I have had splendid conversations with, again this is only a few  Fred Murray, Mel Hoffman and John Ahlbach.Colin Firth was named Honorary Chairman of National Stuttering Awareness Week by The Stuttering Foundation.  The Stuttering Foundation and ASHA have joined forces to promote National Stuttering Awareness Week.  The Stuttering Foundation provides free online resources, services and support.  They are the first and the largest nonprofit charitable organization in the world working toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering.  They also offer training programs on stuttering to SLP's . Let's all celebrate National Stuttering Awareness Week!  Namaste

Please check him out. Namaste

Welcome to my first blog.  I am excited to advocate, educate and share helpful current information.  Stuttering and having an accent by no means defines who you are as a person.  It is my goal that through this blog we will connect with others, provide support, describe various examples of determination, look at current research, give and receive encouragement and have fun! Thanks for joining.  Namaste