What was your favorite thing that happened today? Who is your favorite singer? What is your favorite book? Do you have a favorite sport? I have a favorite time of the year, do you? My babysitter used to show me her favorite thimble. FAVORITE is one of my favorite words and it is powerful. I use it all the time and you should too. It's one of ...

Hands have fingers, thumbs, nails, joints, skin, bones, muscles, and tendons. They are flexible and can be molded, folded, and wrapped. Use yours. I learned early in my career that one of the most meaningful things one person can do to assure sincerity, acceptance, and understanding is through the power of touch. Not a slap. Not a high-five. A ...

Liang Chow is the awesome coach for Golden Olympic Gymnast, Gabby Douglas. In a Time Magazine interview ''Chow admits that when Douglas first entered his gym, in October 2010, he could see her talent but wasn't sure he wanted to take her on.'' He also stated, ''Chow began by playing on Douglas' strengths: her lean physique and natural grace, which ...

In honor of April as Autism Awareness Month, I thought it appropriate to inform all SLPs about the colors of the Autism Awareness Ribbon. This ribbon is unique, and there is meaning behind the puzzle and colors that represent the autism syndrome. The Autism Society of America describes the ribbon as follows: The Autism Awareness Ribbon The ...

Autism Awareness Month began on Sunday, April 1. My son Doug's birthday is April 1. The fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day was April 2. World Autism Awareness Day ''aims to increase people's awareness about people, especially children, with autism. The day often features educational events for teachers, health care workers and parents, as ...

When do you elicit a language sample? Certainly when you first see a child you would want to take a language sample. However, if the child is not comfortable on the initial assessment, there is nothing written in stone that says that it has to be completed the first time around. That in itself should tell you something. I feel that ...

Dear Kathie: ''Chad is 5 years old and ‘very' autistic and non-verbal. He covers his ears with his hands when there is a loud noise, such as a fire alarm, or even when he anticipates a loud noise, like a balloon that he thinks may pop. How can I help him, his classroom teacher, and his parents? - Payton, speech-language pathologist My ...

Dear Kathie: ''My question concerns Julie, who is a middle school student with ASD. She is bright, verbal, possibly Asperger's, and is included in the regular classroom for most academics. The problem is that she refuses to do any written classroom assignments when the other students are doing theirs. She says ''No,'' lays her head on her ...

All behavior has a function and purpose. There are five main functions of undesirable behavior, and four of them go hand-in-hand with autism. It is important for the speech-language pathologist and the entire team to recognize how any particular behavior is reinforced and enabled. Avoidance Do children and adults with autism ...

Dear Kathie: ''Larry speaks so loudly. I can hear him coming from way down the hall in school. No one wants to sit by him in the lunchroom and his teacher is pulling her hair out. I've talked to Larry's mother and it's the same at home, in the library and at McDonald's. Any suggestions? And is this really in the realm of speech therapy for a ...