GENERAL

ASHA
Autism Society Of America
Autism Collaboration
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD)
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
National Information Center For Children And Youth With Disabilities
Pennsylvania's Assistive Technology Lending Library
Pennsylvania’s Assitive Technology Foundation

SPEECH/LANGUAGE

Aphasia Hope Foundation (AHF)
Apraxia Kids
Barkley Augmentative And Alternative Communication Lab
Cherab Foundation
National Aphasia Association
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
National Centers for Stuttering
National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS)
National Cued Speech Association
National Stuttering Association
Speak Easy International Foundation, Inc. (SEIF)
Speech Disorders
The Resource Center for Disability Advocates
The Stuttering Foundation
The Stuttering Homepage

AUDIOLOGY/HEARING

Alexander Graham Bell Association For The Deaf
American Academy Of Audiology
American Acadamy Of Otolaryngology
American Society for Deaf Children
Deaf Linx
National Association For The Deaf
National Center on Deafness (NCOD)
Sign Language Dictionary
Starkey Foundation

Early Intervention

Current ASHA Resources and Activities Related to EI in SLP:
http://www.asha.org/slp/clinical/EarlyIntervention.htm

Fluency

Parent Practice for Easy Talking - lists of suggestions for parents to reduce speaking
rate of children

• Stuttering and Your Child: Help for Parents - video from the SFA: things parents can do to help their child
• Stuttering Prevention: A Manual for Parents - Manual for Parents
• If You Think Your Child Is Stuttering - Discusses the difference between stuttering and normal language development
• Risk Factors - Discusses risk factors for persistence in stuttering
• Preschool Stuttering - Defines stuttering, Reviews types of stuttering
• Information for Parents of Young Children Who Stutter - Overview of definition, cause, therapy, parent suggestions, things to watch for, ISAD paper by Greg Coleman
• Video: Stuttering and your Child: Help for Parents - Provides video example of children stuttering, Parents share their experiences, Experts discuss general stuttering info
• A Message For Parents of Preschool Children Who Stutter - Provides support for parents and shares that stuttering does not need to have a negative effect on their child's life
• Top 10 "To Do" List for Parents of Young Children Who Stutter (Ages 2-6) - addresses importance of education, communication tips, environmental demands
• 7 Ways to Help the Child Who Stutters - focuses on parent/child/family interactions
• 7 Tips for Talking with Your Child
• Ten Suggestions to Caregivers of Children Who Stutter by Gerry Johnson, Discusses the nature of stuttering, differential diagnosis, parents feelings about stuttering and treatment

• Suggestions for Families of Children Who Stutter - Suggestions for reducing stressors a child feels when communicating (includes speaking/listening suggestions, and family routine)
• 101 Ways to Praise a Child - Lists 101 different ways to verbally praise a child (could relate to communication, actions, behaviors, etc)
• Environmental Reorganization for Children Who Stutter by Gerry Johnson, Provides a list of suggestions to help support a healthy home environment
• Parent Information for Preschool Children Who Stutter - from an ISAD paper by Judith Eckhardt, Covers environmental stress and communicative pressure

• Overview of Speech Therapy for Preschool Children who Stutter - Provides an overview of direct and indirect therapy approaches
• Stuttering Therapy for Children - Provides an overview of when to consider therapy, choosing an SLP, therapy expectations
• The Lidcombe Program - Link to Australian Stuttering Research Centre, more specific information and links on Lidcombe
• Special Education Law and Children Who Stutter - Discusses process of screening, evaluating, and qualifying for services in the schools.
• Find a Specialist - List of board-recognized specialists in fluency disorders
• Where Can We Go For Speech Therapy? - Discusses the pros/cons of each therapy setting (schools, private, hospital, university clinic)
• Booklet: Young Children Who Stutter: Information and Support for Parents - Provides helpful advice for parents and family members who are concerned about their children's speech

Frequently Asked Quesitons

Question
I am looking for documentation (or a chart of some type) that PSHA follows which lists the articulation norms of children by letter sound and age.  I've found documentation on the ASHA.org website (members.tripod.com/Caroline_Bowen/acquisition.html) and other states such as Maryland (www.wayland.k12.ma.us/speech/dev_artic_norms.html), but can't locate anything on PSHA's website.  Any information you can send me would be extremely appreciated.  I have a son who is 8.5 years old and is still having trouble with /s/, /z/ and multiple /r/ sounds, but my school district continues to tell me that he will just outgrow it.

Answer
Thank you for your request for information from PSHA. I hope I can provide you with some answers and directions. PSHA does not post developmental norms on their website. As an affiliate of ASHA, I would direct you to their website for norms. There are a variety of ways to approach sound development. We defer to ASHA for evidence based practice information.

The second part of your question concerns eligibility for speech services within your school district. As a parent, you have the right to request a full speech and language evaluation from your school district. There are specific timelines the school must follow once you make that request in writing.  If the school determines your child is not eligible for services, you have the right to request mediation. In Pennsylvania, there is a two prong decision process to determine if your child qualifies for special education (speech therapy services).
First, your child must have a disability according to the definitions outlined in IDEA. Speech problems are considered an eligible disability. Secondly,  does this disability (his articulation errors) interfere with his education. If your child’s intelligibility does not interfere with his educational process, and he can meet PA academic standards for his grade level, then he is not eligible for services according to IDEA. The speech problem must have an educational impact.

You can also seek an outside opinion from a licensed speech language pathologist who is not affiliated with your school district. This information could be presented as part of the IEP process.

Question
I am starting with your organization to try to begin learning how Allstate here in Limerick, PA can cater to the hearing impaired. Our new owner has a hearing impaired family member, and he has asked me to take on this mission, and I am not sure where to begin. He keeps saying he would like to hire a person who knows how to sign and communicate with other hearing impaired clientele.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Answer
If your employer wants to hire an agent with American Sign Language (ASL) skills, (s)he would have to put that qualification into a job description and hope that a person applies for the job.  However, hiring someone to help a very small number of people may not be feasible for your company. Therefore, one option would be for your employer to keep the agents (s)he currently has, and when the need arises for an agent to help a person who communicates using ASL, then an interpreter could be employed (contracted with) through an agency that deals with such things.  For instance, in most areas, there is some referral agency that will get interpreters. For example, if one wanted an interpreter here in Indiana, PA, one would usually go through Westmoreland Deaf and Hearing Services in Greensburg. I am sure you would have access to such an agency in your area.  Or, you could try through the Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard=of=hearing http://www.odhh.state.pa.us/Search/InterpreterSearch.aspx

If your employer did not have in mind persons who use ASL to communicate, and instead was thinking more about persons who have enough hearing loss that they require hearing aids or assistive listening devices to communicate, then I would recommend contacting a local audiologist who works with assistive devices to help you acquire the devices that would be of most assistance (for example, infrared systems for personal FM assistance, etc). 

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