Noodles Benefit

On Wednesday, December 12 NSSLHA is hosting a benefit at Noodles & Co on 28th in front of Target! Please come support us by buying dinner for yourself. It's a great mid-week and mid-exam break to eat some delicious food and socialize with friends and classmates. Bring your friends and family! 25% of all sales made at Noodles go toward keeping our chapter up and running!!

Hope to see you all on Wednesday. :)

Having recently been inspired by her appearance at the 2012 ASHA Convention, I've decided to add this fabulous book to my reading list. It's an inspiring story about Gabby Gifford and her husband, Mark Kelly, and their journey through life after Gabby's traumatic brain injury. It's a story about love, struggle, courage, hope, the journey, and SPEECH THERAPY!
Put it on your reading list - and you can thank me later.
Enjoy Speechies!

November & December Events

Thursday, November 29 @ 6:00DC 140
Jennifer Thompson "Autism: A Practical Approach"

Thursday, December 6 @ 5:00 - 7:00Clinic Lobby (Upstairs DeVos)
NSSLHA X-Mas Party Potluck
---Bring a plate to share (appetizer, dessert, beverage) and a $2-$3 donation to go towards funding the speakers we bring from the greater Grand Rapids community

Friday, December 7 @ 10:00AM - 4:00PMLibrary Lobby of Hiemenga Hall
Annual NSSLHA Bake Sale!
***Proceeds go to keeping NSSLHA vibrant.
---Sign up to bring a baked good or man the table with us via email.

Wednesday, December 12 @ 4:00PM - 9:00PMNoodles & Co. 5070 28th Street, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546
Calvin NSSLHA Fundraiser
--- Come support NSSLHA at Noodles! 25% of the proceeds from business we bring in go toward our chapter! Bring your friends, family, and strangers off the street! We will have tables set up at the restaurant the night of the event with sign up sheets and information for you! Come have a delicious meal of brain food to power through the rest of exams! Details to follow. :)

How to become a Speech Pathologist

Here's any interesting summary of what it takes to be a speech language pathologist!

CLICK HERE

Accelerating Early Literacy

Today I am finishing up an intervention critique paper on a study by Laura Justice and her research team.  The results are extremely applicable to us as speech pathologists, especially when working with kids who are in the early stages of learning how to read.  Here's some of the most valuable information I took away with me after reading the article:

-A print referencing style, implemented by teachers throughout an academic year in group reading sessions, brought significant gains in print concept knowledge, alphabet knowledge, and name writing ability when compared to a control group (that listened to an everyday shared reading style)
-This print referencing style used a set of specific objectives to focus in on book conventions and details
-Examples of objectives:

-  Print organization: Where do you begin reading on this page?  What direction should I read the words in?

-  Letters: Point to a word that contains the first letter of your name.  Count all the letters in this word.

- Words: Point to the longest word on the page.  Find the word ‘cat’!

This study reinforced the importance of doing more with a child than just reading a storybook straight through.  Asking questions and creating activities makes the reading interactive, and is more engaging and informative for kids.  Teaching children these things young can start a good foundation to help bolster their more complex reading skills in the future.  The next time you read a book with a child, I challenge you to use some of these techniques!

If a Tree Falls

If a Tree Falls: a family's quest to hear and be heard.  By Jennifer Rosner.

I'm beginning this week with a book recommendation to all of you speechies.  This book follows the story of a family adjusting and adapting when both of their daughters are born deaf.  Bill and Jenny are forced to make really complicated and difficult decisions about both of their daughters' hearing and communication in the modern world of deafness.  Along the way, Jennifer discovers a hidden history of deafness in her family that goes back generations.  Her story of her daughters' deafness centers around the theme of the book: will they, as hearing individuals, ever be able to truly hear their daughters?  And, will their daughters ever be able to truly hear them?

This book really allows a reader into the hearts and minds of hearing families that are faced with deafness.  I encourage you to check it out!

Upcoming Opportunities for November & December

Service Learning: 

What: Christmas decoration at Holland Home. 

Who: We are looking for 8 students for each date.
When & Where:

Monday, November 26 at 9:00 a.m.
2500 Breton Woods Drive
Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Tuesday, November 27 at 9:00 a.m.
2772 Pfeiffer Woods Drive
Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Guest Speaker: 

Date: November 29th.

Topic: Autism (specifics to follow)

Speaker: Jennifer Thompson, currently employed at Spectrum Health Blodgett Acute Center for Rehabilitation

Time: TBD

Location: Classroom in DeVos, TBD

NSSLHA X-Mas Party Potluck

Date: Thursday, December 6

Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM

Style: Come and go as you are available

Location: DeVos Clinic Lobby

What It Is: To celebrate the end of a long semester, NSSLHA will be hosting a christmas party potluck. We request that you sign up to bring either a main dish, appetizer, dessert, or beverage to share and a donation or $2 to $3 to support NSSLHA's efforts to bring in professionals from the community to educate us. NSSLHA Leadership will all be brining main dishes, so if you are concerned about not having the resources to bring a main dish, no worries. Anything you have to contribute will be welcome - from a 2 Liter of pop to a bag of chips. 

RSVP Deadline: November 30

NSSLHA Bake Sale

Date: Friday, December 7

Time: 10:00AM - 4:00PM

Location: Library Lobby of Hiemenga Hall

Proceeds go to NSSLHA - so that we can continue to host events and speakers for you. 

Description: Due to the success of last year's NSSLHA bake sale, we will be hosting the very same event this year! There are several ways you can participate in this fun day:

1. You can sign up for times to man the table with NSSLHA Leadership

2. You can sign up to bring baked goods to sell to help support NSSLHA.

3. You can stop by our table to purchase a baked good.  

Aphasia Research

While browsing through the list of program sessions at the upcoming

ASHA conference being held in a couple of weeks in Atlanta, I noticed quite a number of sessions on aphasia. I guess that's not really surprising considering that approximately 1 million people in the US today suffer from aphasia and it's estimated that 25% of SLP's regularly treat patients with aphasia. As you probably know, aphasia is mostly the result of brain damage and stroke,and affects language in a number of ways including the production and comprehension of speech, as well as the ability to read or write. Treatment for aphasia is very much based on the individual patient, as there is a great variety in severity and can affect only certain aspects of language, although usually, multiple aspects of communication are impaired.

http://marketing.asha.org/opportunities-by-audience/slps/statistics/

http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/2012-Convention-Program-Sessions-Technical.pdf

One interesting option for SLPs is the development of mentoring

programs to improve social language for patients who suffer from this disorder. If you're interested in learning more you may want to check out the following links. The first short article published in the "ASHA Leader" highlights the benefits of mentoring programs where patients are teamed up to provide encouragement and practice for each other. The second article is a research study from the journal "Stroke" discussing the outcome improvements that result from these kind of programs.

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2012/120605/If-I-Can-Talk-You-Can-Talk.htm

http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/30/7/1370.full

Have you thought about joining national NSSLHA?

Check out the link below for more information on why joining national NSSLHA can be a real advantage to you as a Speech Pathology & Audiology student:

http://www.nsslha.org/join/memberbenefits.htm

Telepractice?

Speechies!
If you're like me and think that technology is taking over our society, then check out this article link from the ASHA Leader. It talks a bit about how video therapy/telepractice is starting to make an appearance in our field. Interesting to think about!



http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2012/121009/Why-CareFirst-Champions-Telepractice.htm

Updated NSSLHA Incentives Program!

NSSLHA has decided to update and change our current incentives policy for attendance.... and we wanted you to know. :)

Essentially, instead of awarding 2 certificates per year or 1 per semester, we will now be awarding one certificate for the entire year. See below for the details.

NSSLHA INCENTIVES PROGRAM

Active Membership:
An individual qualifies as an active member by attending:

• 3 events per semester (1  service learning; 1 educational; 1 fun/social)
• For a total of: 6 events per year (2 service learning; 2 educational; 2 fun/social)

Certificates
Certificates of Active Membership will be distributed at the end of the year. A small token of appreciation will also be distributed with the certificate at the ceremony.

These certificates will substantiate any claims made on your resume about NSSLHA involvement.


Annual Raffle:
At the certificate ceremony, raffle prizes will be given to active members.

• 3 winners will be chosen.
• Your name at an event = 1 ticket in the drawing.
• You cannot win more than 1 prize. If your name is drawn twice, it will be counted only once and another ticket will be drawn.

Prizes:
$20 gift card to Starbucks/Panera
$15 gift card to Starbucks/Panera
$10 gift card to Starbucks/Panera

     





Leave a comment on where YOU think the gift card should be from!

Once in a blue moon you run across a gem. And the Amelia Bedilia books are a treasure. These books are chock full of common idioms that make talking through double meanings simple. They are not only a great therapy tool, but also a fun and engaging read. You won't be able to stop laughing. The greatest part - they don't cost an arm and a leg. While sometimes a needle in the haystack at the library, you can always find these books dirt cheap online. 

Enjoy!

Here's a photo taken following Dr. Bloom's talk on his specialty area of concussion rehabilitation.

Adria Knol, NSSLHA Treasurer, Tamsyn Sweetman, SPAUD grad student, Allison Bouma, NSSLHA Underclassmen Representative, and Dr. Stephen Bloom

Prof. Brian Kreisman featured on Calvin's homepage!

Hello all,

If you haven't had a chance to check out the article about Dr. Brian Kreisman that is featured on Calvin's homepage, you might want to take a look! Here is the link:  http://www.calvin.edu/news/archive/professor-teaches-the-mechanics-and-miracle-of-hearing

We are so fortunate to have both Dr. Brian and Dr. Nicole as additions to the excellent speech pathology and audiology faculty and to have the opportunity to learn from them. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge, both collectively and independently!

Also, thanks so much to those of you who attended our two most recent events, the lectures by Erica Newberg and Dr. Bloom. Stay tuned for info about more events coming up yet this semester including a possible service-learning opportunity and more guest speakers!

-NSSLHA Leadership

Dr. Stephen Bloom

Hello Speechies!!!

On Thursday night we all have an excellent opportunity to learn more
about one the sub-specialties within our field and to mingle with other students interested in different areas of the medical field! Dr. Stephen Bloom is speaking on the subject of cognitive rehabilitation in concussion. Find out who participates in the process of helping patients recover from concussion and small brain injuries. And as Speechies, this gives us a glimpse into how different medical specialties work together. If you don't know much about cognitive therapy, this is an easy way to learn about it. Just show up at SB 110 at 7pm! Also, this event will count as an educational event that will count towards your active NSSLHA membership!! 

If you haven't guessed by now, Dr. Bloom is kind of a big deal in his
field. He's the medical director of the Postconcussion Program at the Mary Free
Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and oversees the rehabilitation team. In his free time, he gives lectures and continues research on the subject. For more information about him and what he will be speaking about Thursday night, check out this website : http://www.maryfreebed.com/getdoc/2fd4bce0-4792-464b-9d6d-fea051f323f1/asktheexpert_concussionandBI.aspx

So don't miss this wonderful medical multi-discipline opportunity! And
if you want to get a jump-start, here is a link to an
article that will give you more information on the role of SLPs and Audiologists in cognitive rehabilitation: 

http://speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/The-Basics-of-Cognitive-Intervention.aspx

Hope to see you all there!! :)

NSSLHA Leadership

A Child's Journey out of Autism

A Child's Journey out of Autism, by Leeann Whiffen

It's Friday again!  Time to (hopefully) find some time to rest and relax.  I want to end this week with a book recommendation that will let you in to the life of a family who raised a child with autism.  The story follows Leeann Whiffen, a mother who did everything she could to conquer the challenges that autism can bring.  I read this book last year, and it's such a wonderful story about a parent who became their child's greatest advocate and made a huge difference.

I encourage you to check it out if you ever find some free time or even need a book for a class.  I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will too!

Parents and early speech therapy

Deciding whether or not there is something abnormal happening with a young child whose language isn't developing normally is a scary thing for a parent to face.  Should they seek help or wait out the problem?  Here's one mother's interview about what worked for her and her child.

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE

Come Learn Something New!

SPAUD Students--

This Thursday, September 27, Erica Newberg will be speaking in Room 230 at DeVos Communication Center. Erica is a speech-pathologist at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Erica specializes in tracheotomies and ventilators, in which she will be educating us on!

Come, listen and learn something new!

See you tomorrow in Room 230 in DeVos!

Treating Individuals with Aphasia

Happy Monday, speechies!

I can't believe September is already almost over.  It's been a crazy month for me and I'm sure for most of you as well.  I came across this article as I was doing an assignment for my aural rehab class.  The author writes about information and advice regarding the treatment of individuals with aphasia in an audiological setting, but the information is applicable and valuable to any professional working with such a person.  I've provided the abstract at the bottom of the post, but here a few highlighted strategies to share:

-SLOW DOWN!  Present language clearly and slowly, but not in an unnatural manner
-SIMPLIFY the message: make it less complex in terms of amount of information presented and grammar or vocabulary used
-SUPPLEMENT spoken language with other modalities (ex. writing, gesturing, communication devices)
-REPETITION: to assure they're truly understanding you
-INVOLVE other individuals, namely family or close friends - they know the person better than you do and can facilitate more effective communication strategies
-DIRECT your attention to the person as much as possible: these individuals have acquired a communication disorder and we need to respect their humanity and independence

As professionals, our main concern should always be helping individuals improve on their particular needs to the best of our ability.  As Christians, we should hold ourselves accountable to provide the most caring, empathetic, and effective treatment as possible.  While you work in clinic, medical, and school settings or learn in a classroom to prepare to do these things, keep information like this in the back of your mind always! :)

Silkes, J. P. (2012, June). Providing Audiological Services to Individuals With Aphasia: Considerations, Preliminary Recommendations, and a Call for Research. American Journal of Audiology, 21.

"Don't Waste Your $$"

As alternative medicine has become increasingly popular within the past decade, it has sparked conversation within the news headlines and research regarding the effectiveness of the treatment. Most of us know individual's who have dementia, or a family member that fears the neurological degeneration. A large study was conducted overseas, finding that ginko biloba (a herbal remedy) had no significant effects in regards to protecting against Alzheimer's or slowing down the progression of the disease. As future clinicians, it is important that we stay up on current/hot topics and have data/evidence to support our recommendations.
Click Here to Read This Article

Picnic Success!

Thanks to all of those who came to the picnic. It was so much fun and we are looking forward to seeing your faces around DeVos this school year!

(Check to see if you're in any of the pictures!)

 The Calvin College Clinic Director catches up with some students

Speech Pathology undergraduates

Vice President and Treasurer 

Graduate students back from their internships!

Graduate students fueling up before class!

NSSLHA's new Bag of Tricks!

Yogi Bears

Throughout the years research has demonstrated  how and why exercise is beneficial to one's health. Here is an interesting article that discusses the initial/upcoming research regarding stroke and yoga! This is an area of research to continuously monitor, as it has the potential to be addressed within a multidisciplinary team!

Click here to view this article!

Encouragement for the Upcoming Semester

So... the first week of classes is officially over. Syllabi have been handed out and now we all know just how much work is ahead of us this semester. Sometimes, it seems like that mountain of work ahead of you is overwhelmingly abstract and impossible to tackle. Why even bother? One answer to that question may help get you through this semester of tough classes.

As Speech Pathology & Audiology students, we are privileged to be headed into a pre-professional program that prepares us to learn the skills we need for our career. We also have the privilege to learn about how to help people. On top of that, you are bound to find a population to work with that impassions you and interests you. We are being trained to be communication specialists. Does that mean we like to talk and socialize? Most certainly. And that will be part of our lives everyday. Something we get PAID to do.

Of course, we’ll learn that there’s a little more to it than talking... but essentially it comes down to your meaningful interactions with individuals.  

Although you may not see the application of some of your classes when you begin your freshman or sophomore year, by the time you reach graduate school, all the knowledge becomes fairly applied. You’ll start working with clients and realizing that one day, when you finally graduate, you’ll get to do that everyday. Pretty cool deal.

If you are looking for a story or example of just how cool Speech Pathology can actually be, keep checking this blog. We are going to be posting our favorite speech related books, articles, news stories etc. to help bring the academic side of things to real life.

So, remembering why exactly you are slaving over your readings and assignments might help you make it through a particularly tough day or week or... semester. Having a reason behind the stressful student life can motivate you to power through.  
If that’s not enough... here are some quotes that might help... 



It's never too late to be what you might have been. - George Eliot

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. - Confucius

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa

For most of history, Anonymous was a woman. - Virgina Woolf

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

-quotes courtesy of Goodreads.com-

NSSLHA Incentives Program

SPAUD Students,

For those of you who are returning students, there is an important change for NSSLHA this year that you need to know about. For those of you who are new, this will be helpful for you too.

We are proud to introduce our Incentives Program to encourage attendance at NSSLHA organized events. Here’s how it’s going to work.....

Active Membership:
An individual qualifies as an active member by attending 3 events per semester (1  service learning; 1 educational; 1 fun/social).

Certificates of Active Membership will be distributed at the closing event for each semester. A small token of appreciation will also be distributed with the certificate at each of the ceremonies.
In the fall semester, this event is the Christmas Party.
In the spring semester, the last event has yet to be determined.

These certificates will substantiate any claims made on your resume about NSSLHA involvement.

Biannual Raffle:
At each of these certificate ceremonies, raffle prizes will be given to active members only.

• 3 winners will be chosen.
• Your name at an event = 1 ticket in the drawing.
• You cannot win more than 1 prize. If your name is drawn twice, it will be counted only once and another ticket will be drawn.

Prizes:
$20 gift card to Starbucks/Panera
$15 gift card to Starbucks/Panera
$10 gift card to Starbucks/Panera

We are very excited to be able to reward at least some of you for your devoted attendance to NSSLHA events. (We have a feeling that some form of a giveaway will be handed out to everyone at the Christmas party as well.....)

On an unrelated note, tonight is Cokes and Clubs - from 5:30 to 7:30 on Commons Lawn. We will have candy and valuable information waiting for you at our table. Can’t wait to see you all there!!

-Your NSSLHA Leadership



Quote of Today: Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results. ― Albert Einstein

Words of encouragement at the start of this brand new school year...

Hello SPAUD Students! Welcome to NSSLHA's brand new blog! As this is our first post, we will reintroduce ourselves. Your 2012-2013 board is:

• Carrie - President
• Dana - Vice President
• Tessa - Secretary
• Adria -Treasurer
• Emily - Service Learning Coordinator
• Allison - Underclassmen Representative

We all look forward to meeting and connecting with you throughout this upcoming year at NSSLHA events. Speaking of events, here is a little reminder of what's in store for the month of September.... 

COKES N’ CLUBS

• Where: Commons Lawn
• When: Thursday, September 6, 5:00 PM
• What: Chance to meet the NSSLHA board members and other students interested in the same thing as you!

NSSLHA Welcome Back Picnic!

• Where: DeVos Lobby
• When: Wednesday, September 12, 5:00 PM
• What: FREE FOOD (and an opportunity to meet your peers and professors.)

Service Learning at Holland Home

• Where: Raybrook Manor, Holland Home (across Burton from Calvin)
• When: To Be Determined
• What: Chance to reach out the community and to pad your resume

Guest Speaker

• Who: Erica Newberg, M.S. CCC-SLP – Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
• What: Information on Tracheostomy/Ventilator Dependent Children and Infants in regards to Feeding, Swallowing, and Speech/Language.  
• Where: DeVos Communication Center (classroom details to follow)
• When: Thursday, September 27, 6:30 PM

You can always check out our Google Calendar on Google+ and our website OR the calendar we will post on the bulletin board in DeVos for any events we have scheduled!

Another important beginning of the year piece of info for you all is that our tote bags are officially shipped and on the way!! Each "bag of tricks" costs $15. They are the perfect size for fitting in your school supplies, measuring 18" x 13" with 20" straps. We will have sign up sheets at our table at Cokes N Clubs, at the Welcome Back Picnic, and one at Evelyn's desk in the upstairs lobby of DeVos.  We are accepting payment until September 21st.   

We are so excited to welcome you all to the Calvin Speech Pathology & Audiology Program. Please contact us if you have any questions about anything - as your student organization, our role is to function as a resource for you. We want to connect you with other students who are interested in pursuing the same career as you. We want you to feel welcome and at home. Being involved with NSSLHA also serves to "pad your resume". We will be posting about our brand new incentives program for encouraging attendance later this week. Stay tuned!  

We sincerely hope that your first days of classes are going well! The beginning of the semester tends to be a stressful time. Our advice? Buy a good planner and stay organized so you can worry less about assignments and responsibilities and invest more in enjoying your time at Calvin! In other words.........

-Your NSSLHA Leadership.