NSSLHA Spring Semester Events

Mark your calendars!!

Social Opportunities:

• ·         Welcome Back Tea Party: February 6, 4:30 – 5:30
•   Sign-up sheets will be available for our service learning events for the spring semester.
•   Information on applying to NSSLHA Leadership for next year will be discussed. Two positions will be open! (More details to follow… )

Educational Opportunities:

• ·         Guest Speaker: Thursday, February 21^st
• Topic TBD

Service Learning Opportunities:

NSSLHA is excited to announce a “Girl’s Club” occurring monthly on Friday nights from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. This Girl’s Club will involve special needs girls between the ages of 10 and 20 years old. NSSLHA will offer them a fun Friday night activity one time a month to foster peer interaction.

Here are our dates for the Spring Semester:

• Girls Club -
• Movie Night at DeVos: Feb 8^th  6:00-8:00 PM
• Bowling Night at Eastbrook Lanes: March 8^th  6:00-8:00PM
• Ice Cream Social at Jersey Junction: April 19^th  6:00-8:00PM
• Kids Food Basket: Making Lunches 6:00-8:00PM (Thursday)
• Special Olympics: May 4 ALL DAY

Take Control Of Your Future- Let Your Voice Be Heard In Washington

For all of us going into speech pathology & audiology, it is essential that we are aware of the the current legislation that dictates our future careers. Letting your voice be heard at a governmental level allows you to advocate for yourself which continues to support your ability to provide services. More importantly, advocating for our clients promotes their ability to receive the highest quality of care and the right amount of care.  

Luckily, participation is made easy through ASHA's Advocacy Programs. 

Here are the 3 bills that are currently being voted on:

Medicare Fees and Therapy Cap Exceptions Process Addressed In Fiscal Cliff Legislation

Action Alert: Tell Congress to Protect Funding for IDEA

Medicare Home Health Agency Rules for 2013

It takes less than 1 minute to send a letter to our state senator and representatives. 

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Every. Person. Counts. 

It only takes four letters to a senator or representative for that issue to be investigated and adequately represented at the state and federal level. Think of the impact that a whole program of Speech Pathology students can make. 

Join NSSLHA in our effort to consider the big picture and make a difference on the future of our field.

Faith Based Perspective on Autism

Faith in the workplace is not an issue that is commonly addressed. However the article below discusses ways to implement your faith through acts of kindness and love!

Click Here to Read

Hear & Now.... Preliminary Research

As future clinicians, it is imperative that we stay updated on current research. Not only for our own knowledge, but to display competence and interest when interacting with other professionals in our field. Harvard Medical School has conducted a preliminary study researching sensory hair cell regrowth in the cochlea. The initial study has produced hopeful results, with the full article published in Neuron.

Click on the link below to get an overview of the study!
Hair cell regrowth

Silly Speechie Study Break...

http://whatshouldwecallslp.tumblr.com/




We promise it will be worth your while... :)

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!