#which she should KNOW if she is a SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

[theamazingmaddyas]

@riordanverse-oc-week

I've decided to also go into the story of how her mothers met, because for me that is just a subsect of Olivera's origin story. This is extremely long winded, so I hope fans of my work, and of Olivera da Silva, enjoy this lore drop.

Origin Story

Ana and Athena met when Athena had gone to watch Ana defend her thesis for her astrophysics phD from Columbia University, and was enthralled by her eloquence and intellect that, when Ana had finished, she had to approach her. The two got to talking—mainly in Portuguese when Athena found out she was from Brazil (it's canon Athena speaks the Brazilian dialect of Portuguese)—and Athena ended up offering to take Ana out to eat to celebrate her finishing her thesis since Ana's family was still in Brazil, and wasn't flying over till closer to her graduation.

Ana was head over heels for Athena, while Athena's feelings were, if we were to put a human label on it, probably more akin to queer platonic (as a goddess, Athena's experience wouldn't fall under the realm of human emotions, so this is just the closest experience), but the two had a lot of deep, intellectually stimulating conversations.

Athena broached the idea of a child to Ana the evening of Ana's graduation, after Ana's family had gone back to their hotel and Athena had gone to Ana's small NYC apartment—in true godly fashion. She revealed her identity by beginning with a long lament along the lines of:

We have had many intellectually stimulating, and altogether brilliant conversations this last month, that I have decided that you are worthy enough that, should you except, I shall bestow you a gift.

Or something along those lines. Ana, obviously, is extremely confused, because who wouldn't be? And Athena fully explains the whole; I'm Athena, goddess of wisdom. Greek Gods are real. La de da da. And Ana's like, "I graduated this morning, I'm in severe debt. And I literally just was hired for a research job, I can't go on maternity leave yet." And Athena's all like, "Money is a social construct that I do not need to abide by, I'll help you pay, and I know people." And Ana's like, "Throw in a house and give me a few months to get settled in my job and pretend that I've had a pregnancy, and you've got a deal."

So Ana tells everyone she had IVF (because she's been out as a lesbian for years, no one would believe she mishappingly got pregnant) and that her pregnancy is on the cryptic side, and gets her research started and on December 30th, here comes Athena, showing up with a baby in a wicker basket like the stork and a Camp Half-Blood pamphlet, telling Ana all about monsters before skedaddling away. She named her Olivera because (I think it's pretty obvious) her name means olive tree, as a tribute to Athena.

Ana was extremely worried about the monsters when Olivera was young, especially since she was completely non-verbal till the age of five. Even if no monsters were going to attack her yet, Ana was afraid that Ollie would have severe trauma from seeing something that Athena described as being eldritch beast-like that Ana wouldn't be able to see if she were around, much less if Ana was away at work. They made a little code to demonstrate when Olivera saw something scary, so that Ana would be able to help her not feel worried anymore. Beginning at two or three, Ana began to slowly wean Ollie onto the ideas of monsters and that she could see things others couldn't, and that some people—like her teachers, aides, and therapists—might not believe her, but that her mom would always believe her. She also used Ollie's love of art, which she had developed as a special interest extremely young, to communicate with her. When she started speaking with her help of her language-speech pathologist, little by little, Ana encouraged her to try and describe the things she saw, which worked well when she was seeing things like griffins and pegasi flying through the air.

Their system worked best when Olivera's teaching aide in first grade called her in a frenzy saying that Olivera had hidden herself in a cabinet and had a meltdown, and when they finally got her out, she refused to talk, even to her speech-language pathologist, and even refused when her occupational therapist tried to get her to paint what happened. It took a while, but Ana was finally able to get the story out of Ollie through their codes—that a horde of spiders had chased her into the cabinet and bit her—and to say Ana was worried was an understatement.

She immediately called up the phone number for Camp Half-Blood Athena had given her in a panic after Ollie had fallen asleep. Chiron told her that, at her age, he wouldn't recommend camp just yet, nor would he tell her the reason for the attack was because she was a demigod, but that there was a demigod therapist—a child of Dionysus—who lived in the city who would probably be really helpful, especially since Ollie was going through constant meltdowns and panic attacks, so much so that Ana had to take a month off work because Olivera would have a meltdown every day at school without Ana around, so Ana immediately brought her over.

Her demigod therapist was able to help Ollie through understanding the spider situation in a way that didn't reveal too much to her, so that the attacks wouldn't get worse, and also showed Olivera some simple ways to fight off the monsters. The therapist also was extremely helpful because, at around the same time, Ana was getting real serious with her first girlfriend since Olivera was born.

Wendy was a fellow astrophysist who had just been transferred to Ana's team, and the two hit it off right away. A single mother to a one-year-old (whom Ana would find out years later was a demigod as well, a son of Urania) and extremely bright, Ana soon found herself falling head over heels, and, after slowly blending their families, Ana and Wendy got married when Olivera was eight and Hayden almost three.

A little before she turned ten, Olivera's therapist told Ana that they thought it would be a good time to inform Ollie about camp since Olivera was becoming more curious. Chiron and Ana joined Olivera's therapy session and explained everything to her; about Athena, about camp, about why the spiders came after her. They decided that giving Olivera a test run of camp—where her therapist would stay nearby and help her get settled, during early December, so camp wasn't too full or overstimulating, so that's what they did. Olivera immediately found herself clinging to a girl who she found out was her older sister, Annabeth, and followed her around like a duckling the first few days while her therapist tagged along, and Thalia did too, making sure everything was alright.

She was supposed to stay at camp till her birthday, but that plan turned on its head when Annabeth got kidnapped, and Ana thought it would be better for Olivera to stay with her and Wendy and Hayden instead of alone in Cabin 6. Olivera really struggled those first few days back, but with her moms help was able to bounce back. When Annabeth was saved, Ana had her come and visit Olivera to talk to her about what happened (the watered down version) and that Thalia was joining this group called the Hunters. Wendy was told that Annabeth had the same sperm donor as Olivera, and that the camp was a support group for neurodivergent kids, and it just happened they met there.

That summer, Ana sent Ollie to camp in June with the expectation that Chiron and Annabeth would help her along, but that plan was derailed with Annabeth's labyrinth's quest so Chiron ended up calling Ollie's therapist to come back to camp for a little bit to help with Olivera's constant meltdowns that had begun up again. With the impending problems with the labyrinth, and Olivera's inability to function at camp, Chiron ended up sending her home, which ended up working out because she missed the huge battle.

Ollie got sent back to camp in August, and was finally doing well enough that her therapist didn't have to stay nearby, but she did serve as a pretty good distraction for Annabeth as she dealt with Percy's feelings.

She went back home, but returned to camp in June of the next year, where she fought in Manhattan at the age of eleven with the help of Malcolm and her therapist who was called for the battle, as well as her headphones to help with the volume of the battle, and at one point, her therapist was able to pull her away so she could regroup in an alleyway.

Even with the trauma of war, she was able to get back to camp without her therapist the next year, and even without Annabeth, she was able to find comfort in camp.

She also fought in the war with the Giants, and Chiron didn't need to call her therapist during the battle, because Olivera was able to figure out her own needs. Though, they did come by after the battle because Olivera broke her leg in the sinking ground.

By Tower of Nero, we get the Olivera that we know and love—the slightly more independant, extremely artistic, shy, trying her best with her siblings, and navigating that early highschool relationships with Jerry. She's now content with being a demigod, and even though her therapist and mom are on speeddial, she managed to go on a quest without her therapist when she couldn't even go to camp without them at first, and has a ton of friends not in her cabin, and Jerry, to help her navigate life, which is something nine-year-old Ollie couldn't have imagined

[speechandhearing]

Stuttering in children and adults

Stuttering in children & adults

If you are the parent of a stuttering child. 

Child's health history should be checked, when is the beginning of stuttering and when is it most frequent.

How stuttering affects their life, such as connections with others and academic performance.

Talk to your child, and may ask him or her to read audibly to watch for subtle differences in speech.

Differentiate between the repetition of syllables and mispronunciation of words that are normal in young children, and stuttering that is likely to be a long- term condition.

Rule out a beginning condition that can cause irregular speech, similar as Tourette's pattern

 Are you an adult with stuttering.

Treatment

An evaluation is done by speech therapist, by which treatment approach can be decided.

Examples of treatment approaches include

Speech therapy.

Speech therapy can educate you to slow down your speech and learn to notice when you stutter. You may speak slowly when beginning speech therapy, but over time, you can work up to a more natural speech pattern.

Electronic devices.

Several electronic devices are available to enhance fluency. During day to day activities some electronic devices are used. Get help from a speech therapist for guidance on choosing device.

Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Self-esteem problems related to stuttering can be resolved. It helps in reducing stress, anxiety problems related to stuttering.

Parent- child interaction.

Parents involvement in rehearsing techniques at home is a crucial part of helping a child manage with stuttering, especially with some styles.

These tips may help if you are the parent of a child who stutters.

Listen attentively to your child.

Listen carefully while your child is speaking and maintain natural eye contact

Wait for your child to say the word he or she's trying to say.

Do not jump in to complete the judgment or study.

Avoid distractions and talk to your child.

Mealtimes can be a good occasion for discussion.

Speak slowly

If you speak slowly, your child will frequently do the same, which may help drop stuttering.

Take turns talking.

Encourage everyone in your family to be a good listener and take turns talking.

Create a calm atmosphere.

Do your best to produce a relaxed, calm atmosphere at home in which your child feels comfortable speaking freely.

Do not concentrate too much on your child's stuttering

Do not draw attention to stuttering while interacting daily with your child. Do not expose your child to situations that produce a sense of urgency, pressure, or a need to rush or that require your child to speak in front of others.

Offer praise rather than criticize.

 Praise your child for speaking clearly rather than drawing attention to stuttering. If you do correct your child's speech, do it in a gentle way.

Accept the child just as he or she is.

Do not reply negatively or punish your child for stuttering. This can cause feeling of insecurity. Encourage and support your child which will make a big difference.

Connecting with other people

Several organizations offer support groups. Along with providing encouragement, support group members may offer advice that you might not have considered.

 Appointment

If you have any doubt regarding your child’s abilities you might first consider your child’s pediatrician. The doctor may then refer you to a speech and language pathologist (speech therapist).

If you're an adult who stutters, you may want to search for a program designed to treat adult stuttering or you might contact a doctor or directly contact a speech therapist.

Your speech language pathologist is likely to ask you a number of questions. Be prepared for such type of questions which helps them know more about your child’s limitations.

Questions Speech & Language pathologist might ask:

When did you first notice stuttering?

Does stuttering come and go or it is always present

Does anything seem to improve stuttering?

Does anything appear to make it worse?

Does your family have history of stuttering?

By how much stuttering is affecting your child's life, in schools, performance or social interaction?

[atonement2007]

im sorry but that woman did not teach her dog how to “talk” like…literally one of the first things u learn in any kind of language acquisition course is that nonhuman animals do not and cannot acquire language in any capacity comparable to humans…yes this includes koko the gorilla as well as this dog

[zhuzhudushu]

I just found your blog (I am learning Chinese so I keep getting the blogs of other language learners reccomended) and while scrolling through it, I ran across that other ask about being a speech pathologist. If you don't mind a question from an absolute stranger - do you happen to have a book rec for understanding American accents & pronunciation geography? I'm a native English speaker, but my foriegn friends keep asking me English pronunciation questions and I can't answer them - I generally want to answer "well, in some cities they say it that way, but in other cities they say it that other way, so both are fine". But their textbooks say it has to be one way, and that just confuses me so much. (one recent example was when to pronounce "the" as "thee" vs "th-uh" "Th-uh apple" and "thee apple" Both sound natural to me but "th-uh apple" is my normal. But apparently that is "wrong" for most of the USA?) I'd like to get a better understanding of what defines mainstream English and what parts of my own speech are a geographic quirk.

Also, I feel like the thing making my friends sound foriegn isn't pronunciation details like that, it's more rhythm and tone or something, but I don't have the vocabulary or background knowledge to figure out what part of their speech sounds off or how to fix it, so if you have a rec for a basic "how speech works" book I'd love that too. (I'm not asking for a book that will magically give me all the knowledge of your profession- that is obviously impossible. But I'd like to learn at least a little since I get asked these types of questions so very very very often and I feel like I am generally exceptionally unhelpful, to my dismay. (I have tried some random linguistics books and they were a) very dense and difficult and b) not really covering what I was looking for.)

Any advice is appreciated! (But there is absolutely no urgency and it's not very important, so don't feel obligated to like, do research or even reply if you can't think of something appropriate for laymen off the top of your head.)

OMG Longest Ask Ever Award??

I have also come across foreign speakers who were told they Had To Pronounce Things This Way, but in my experience, if they get snippy with me about it when I tell them that's not true, then I will send them to videos or TV shows to show real speakers pronouncing it a variety of ways. Once I sent a friend an Appalachian accent video and she couldn't understand it at all which was funny.

When I was in grad school, unfortunately the only real resources we had were for AAE (African American English) dialect, because my field has a horrible history of diagnosing Black children (especially boys) with language disorders for "incorrect grammar" that was really just a dialect. This was really the only dialect we studied.

But really, in my experience with intermediate+ English learners, they are VERY aware that words have multiple pronunciations. I mean, especially in Chinese, they should know that's true because those with Taiwanese and Beijing accents can struggle to understand each other (for just one example). Also, many of my Chinese friends learn British English, and are very aware that different English-speaking countries have different vocab and pronunciation.

I also agree that for the most part, if non-native speakers are difficult to understand, it's less about pronunciation of individual sounds, and more about the flow of the sounds together. We combine sounds, we skip over some, we connect them, and also - especially for tonal language speakers - their intonation doesn't sound natural and it throws native English listeners off.

But unfortunately I don't know of any good accent book resources. But to help you search yourself, the Normal (white i mean what) dialect is formally called Standard American English in educational settings. If you google that you might be able to find some books on it. This also goes for Standard British English and Standard Australian English.

I haven't watched them but WIRED on youtube has a whole set of videos about a US Accent Tour lol You could check those out?

[mademoisellehypergamy]

Dusties like that anon will always try to lower women's standards for some fun in the bed 🙄 Anyways, let's forget him. I actually wanted to know your thoughts on career and dating hypergamous? What careers are good to complete at home, take little time to study for, are high value and make a good income (5/6 figures)? I searched but most of them don't seem to fit all of these criteria and although I'm interested in business, my parents advise me to go for medicine because business is risky🥲

Hi love,

When it comes to careers, I always recommend women do 2 things:

1. Find something they enjoy.

2. Make sure it’s something they can survive off of.

For example, you may enjoy making art. However, being an artist is very difficult and the market is pretty saturated. So what would I advise you to do? Start your own Sip & Paint shop! These places are very popular (birthday parties, date nights, girls night). That way, you can share your art with others, teach them, AND make a steady profit. 

Some careers that you may want to look into:

- At home travel agent. Make your own hours, no education necessary, and if you truly invest time and effort, making 5 figures can occur in a year.

- Speech Language Pathologist. If you already have a bachelors, a masters will take 2-3 years to complete. I know you want something with little studying, but I still want to throw this out there. You can work independently, virtually, or at a school. A girl I went to college with is a Speech Language Pathologist and works for a public school. She makes ~$80,000 a year, has summers off, weekends off, finished with work by 2:30pm Monday-Fridays, and only works with ~10 students. 

- Event planning! If you’re good at coordinating events, and can create a beautiful social media presence, this could be a great, flexible career for you. If you only do small scale events and you’re independent, you can make ~$20,000 a year which is great as an additional income source. If you work for a corporation, you should be able to make ~$50,000. No education necessary.

[4myluna]

Question 1

b. What are some of the research-proven strategies for educating students with autism? What are the arguments that some propose against these strategies? How can these arguments be combated?

I have work with several students that are in the autism spectrum.  Reminiscing about the first year of being a special education teacher and how this experience literally change my life.  One of my first students, whom was diagnosed with mild to severe autism, was scary at first.  It turns out he was the most lovable, kind hearted, innocent and sincere person I had the privilege to have meet.  In the beginning I didn’t know what to expect and was super nervous at the experience. However, as the school year progress I couldn’t have asked for a most awesome student.  He taught me to not be scared of people with autism and most revolutionized my whole  perspective. I was truly enlighten and made the time for my children to meet him.  My oldest daughter, a high school student at the time, meet him as well and simply felt so much care for him.  During our school valentines dance I made it a goal for my children to volunteer and dance with my life skills students.  While other made fun, they enjoyed the experience.  The strategies I learned my first year fundamentally work with my other students.  Now, not all students are the same, but to my surprise certain strategies did work. Visual supports is, at least to me, a lifesaving research proven strategy.  Actually, I have visual schedule for all my students regardless of their diagnosis.  According to Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad, “visual schedules are important for children with autism because they provide structure and routine, promote self-sufficiency, facilitate smooth transitions form one activity to the next, provide structure for down time, help understand what activities are associate with different physical spaced, and have the potential to promote social interactions and communications skills (p.242).  In my experience visual support are essential and to a degree could even be a survival tool for the student.  Not only are visual schedules important in the classroom, but helps with generalization.  During the transition years the student can potentially obtain a job and use visual support to be successful.  If the individual has the capacity to use the phone a visual schedule planner app can be use. Concerning those that are against using visual supports the fact stands that the evidence of the benefits outweigh the potential harms.  Any arguments against the use of visual supports can be annul by scientific research that explain the benefits.                  

Question 2

a. As a first-grade teacher, what process would you follow if you had concerns about one of your student’s speech development? What are some strategies you can implement should a language impairment be diagnosed?

About 6 years ago I was a pre-kindergarten general education teacher.  Although, I was not a first grade teacher there are early signs of delayed speech development.  While in the early years of someone life’s we, as adults, should give our children room for growth.  I find that to many parents are competitive as to their children’s accomplishments. Personally, I find this parental competitive to be ridiculous.  Focusing on the subject of speech development and what process I would follow will be fundamentally start with the parental analyzation.  Particularly I go through the experience of being very concern about two of my pre-kinder students.  I never blurred my concerns to the parents, however I did expressed them to the school director.  However, the director would always respond the legally we are not to make our own conclusions because we are not doctors and that it was the parents responsibility to inform us of any diagnosis.  In other words, I couldn’t state my opinion on the matter.  Now I did work for a private school in which the rule and regulations are very different than public schools.  Now what I was able to do is that during our parent teacher conferences I would print research articles concerning general topics I could not talk about.  I learned that educating the parent is the best process to inform a parent on any subject. This particular child was diagnose two years after he was in my class and it turns out that I was right.  However, never did I mentioned anything to the parent due to that fact that my school director explicitly told me that I did not have any credentials nor expertise on that area.  This child did not use words and would just act on instincts. The times I would try to conversate with this student he would just stare at me with that particular look and message of “I don’t comprehend what you are telling me.”  I would take the time to sit with him one on one and have him repeat the words, echolalia.  Mother would sometimes ask me questions about his speech development and I had to be very careful and just answer that my recommendations would be to ask a doctor. I think that it’s very important for a child that has speech impairment to receive related services from a speech language pathologist even if it’s in the form of indirect services.  Actually, there has been several times that our school speech pathologist has recommended dismissal of services I’m extremely careful to concur.  There has been times in which I’m against dismissing speech services and has been my experience that most likely that student will not be dismissed.  Of course, as a case manager I will give my counter argument if needed.  Usually the ARD committee will come to an agreement and provide indirect services, even if it’s 10 minute a month.  I have a very good relationship with my student’s speech pathologist and I’m not afraid to ask her for council.  Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad states that “ it is often difficult to distinguish between a student whose learning and communication problems result from a disability and as student whose primary need is systematic, culturally responsive instruction” (p. 274).

Question 3

c. Explain the difference between academic achievement and intelligence as it pertains to a student with a hearing loss.

The difference between academic achievement and intelligence just in general can be vast.  Just because a student with or without disabilities has low academic achievement doesn’t mean it’s due to intelligence.  According to Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad. “academic performance must not be equated with intelligence” (p.296).  For example, my son was recently diagnosed with Dyslexia.  I always said he was a smart child a higher level thinker, but his struggles at school were very distressing.  His grades did not reflect his intellectual capacity.  I use this example to explain that we as teacher and parent should not judge a child by their grades.  I have another child that is a straight A student and right off the bat she is judge as a smart girl.  I’m not saying she is not, however so is her brother whom has all C.  The unfortunate fact is that most in the academic world define students by a number like a, what is your GPA or grade in a class and not by looking at the whole child.  It might be that the person that has the disability is good with overcoming challenges and has grit, endurance and flexibility in different situations. A person with the disability of hearing impairment or any disability must be considered as someone who has potential regardless of what the “numbers” indicate.  Also, taken into consideration that notion as to whom standards are we defining intelligence and academic achievement.  Conducting accurate intellectual assessments in children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing is fundamental in determining and designing interventions and educational services.  Also, an assessment of the whole child must be evaluated even parental interview of the capacities of the child.    

Reference

Heward, W.L., Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad, M. (2017). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 11th Edition. Pearson.

[mytransvoice]

5/15/20

Hello again, here’s an update on my voice evaluation with the speech language pathologist I was referred to.

Before I go into details, let me just say the whole trip was disappointing for me. It might not be how everyone else interprets it, but I personally was underwhelmed and hoped for more.

Let’s start with what factually happened, and then I’ll go over my feelings on everything later.

What happened:

- I boarded a flight to LAX from SEATAC around 7 AM. We got into LAX at about 10 AM.

- I took a shuttle from LAX to their ride app (Uber and Lyft) pick-up lot and took a Lyft to the Peter Morten building at the UCLA medical plaza in Los Angeles. This is the building where my surgeon and the SLP operate.

- My appointment was at 3:30 PM, so I had a lot of time to kill. I went into the building where they asked me if I had any symptoms of COVID-19 and then took my temperature. Then I found the office I needed to go to, speech therapy on the 5th floor. 

- I went to a City Target nearby and got lunch and then I walked back to the Peter Morten building and ate it on a bench outside. Then, I walked to a botanical garden nearby and spent an hour and a half there just waiting.

- I walked back to UCLA and checked in by calling from outside the office first. 

- When it was time, I met the speech pathologist and went back into her office. She showed me a powerpoint she made about trans voices and figured out what my vocal range was by having me try my best to sing “Ooo” to keys she played on a piano app on her iPad. We briefly went over what I should be doing to practice a deeper voice.

- The session was an hour long and for the evaluation cost me $137, I got a 40% discount for paying in person.

- I went back to LAX and flew home.

Now, my feelings about everything. I’ll speak only about the voice evaluation, since it’s already obvious that navigating airports and walking around LA trying to kill time was shitty because of the current pandemic.

- I didn’t learn anything new. I’ve done extensive research about my voice and trans voices and didn’t hear any new information from the SLP.

- The SLP didn't take the time to get to know me. She didn't ask about my transition, my voice dysphoria, nothing. She basically filled out a form for my name, preferred pronouns, and then a silly question about my hobbies which has nothing to do with my voice (except gaming, which gives me a lot of dysphoria because I can't use voice chat on multiplayer games without getting misgendered).

- She told me that if I increased my T dosage, my voice would get deeper. Yes, even after being on T for 5 years. Not to mention the fact that her telling me this is medically irresponsible. I’ll just tell you guys now that experiencing a natural drop, like the “T cold” ones that every trans man experiences 3-5 months to a year after starting T, is impossible for me now. It started to become an impossibility after my first year on T and became completely out of the realm of possibility after my second year. I know this, my endocrinologist knows this, the SLP does not know this. When I expressed my skepticism, she said “you really think your voice won’t get deeper even after this long?” like it was an issue of lack of hope on my part. No, I just know it can’t happen naturally anymore. Sure, voice deepening with age is a thing for everyone, cis or trans, but I’m not waiting until I’m 60 years-old to finally sound like a 27 year-old man.

- The SLP explained to me that cis males get deeper voices during puberty if their T is higher, which corresponds to the fact that trans males who start out on lower doses of T tend to not have as dramatic voice drops as trans males who start out at a higher dose. I started out at 0.2mg but have friends who immediately started out at 0.5mg and developed deeper voices than I have now just after 3-5 months of starting T. I already knew this before she told me, but I thought I’d include it here just to educate anyone reading this.

- The SLP included a slide about vocal surgery as a means of changing voice for trans women in her powerpoint, but not one for trans men. The only slide she made as a means of changing voice for trans men was hormones. So if your voice didn’t get deeper with hormones, I guess you’re shit out of luck? The only reason I’m working with her in the first place is because I’m pursuing voice surgery. With a surgeon who works in the same building as her. I’m asking myself why she’s blatantly ignoring a possible means to change trans male voices. I feel she may have a personal bias against it, which I know sounds odd

- When I asked her how she decides how many sessions patients have with her before surgery, she told me it depends on how happy I am with my results. But she also kept pushing that I should stay in LA for 3-5 days and have two sessions every day. If it really is up to me, I don’t want any voice therapy sessions. I’m extremely unhappy especially after this evaluation. I don’t want to fly down and stay in LA during a pandemic and risk my life. Also, each hour-long therapy session costs $480 and I'm not throwing $5000+ at something that isn't working for me. This is something I’ll be calling about on Monday, I want a clear answer on what is required of me before I can get a surgery date. I’m sure there is a required amount of voice therapy sessions before we can even think about a possible surgery date, but neither the surgeon nor the SLP will be clear with me about it.

- No one told the SLP that I was paying out of pocket. She assumed she would be billing insurance. When I told her about this, she assured me that she doesn’t get my money directly so she wasn’t pushing the 3-5 day bootcamp therapy session idea to me because of that.

- She had me doing this voice (produced by lowering my larynx as if I’m about to yawn, which she agreed was the correct technique): https://clyp.it/2iuioklb that I’ve already tried practicing with for a number of months which ended up not working for me. When I expressed to her that I feel like it sounds and feels fake, like I’m just doing a “macho man” impression and that it doesn’t sound like a natural male voice, she wasn’t having it. She wouldn’t stop pushing it until I finally agreed with her that I liked how it felt and sounded (I still don’t). She wouldn’t listen to me and didn’t want to adjust her techniques to fit my concerns.

- The only thing she said that made me feel a little relieved was she pointed out that it appears that my higher range has been cut off but my lower range didn’t budge. I’ve pointed this out to friends and family before and I guess it felt good for a professional to say it to me. 

- I felt the SLP was undereducated about the subject she was tackling with me. It was clear she wasn’t open to the idea of learning from me, and that she’s never worked with a patient like me before. I’m sure I’ve been on T longer and I’m older than her previous trans masc patients. She treated me like a child, like she was the only one who knew what I wanted. 

I’m sure she has helped other trans masc patients before, enough to where they ended up not pursuing voice surgery, but she didn’t help me and I will definitely keep pursuing surgery. I’m extremely disappointed and I don’t want to work with any of UCLA’s SLPs anymore. It kind of feels like I'm trying to get a nose job done and the surgeon wants me to hire a masseuse to massage my nose several times over the course of a week in the hopes it'll just get smaller on its own. Voice therapy isn't going to work for me and I want a surgery date.

I’ll be updating again after I make a call to the voice therapy department, and the SLP herself, to let them know I’m unhappy and want a clear answer on what is required of me to get a surgery date.

Until then, stay safe and keep your head up.

[rosesandrightreasons-blog]

The Bachelor Season 23- The Women

So here’s my breakdown of every woman on the Bachelor this season (even the ones who went home night one) mostly just for my own expression, because no one else probably cares. They’ll be judged in the order in which they came out of the limos.

Demi- 23 years old, an interior designer. She’s from Texas, and she’s cute. She doesn’t seem quite mature enough for an engagement, but hey, my mom was 21 when she got married, so who knows? Her mom is in prison for embezzlement, which is... interesting. At least she’s not dodging that truth I guess. Her opening line for Colton is TMI and a little concerning, “I haven’t dated a virgin since I was twelve but I’m ready to give it another shot.” TWELVE??? Honey, I hope you didn’t date another guy after the age of 12 for multiple years. I don’t want to think about the implications of that statement otherwise. She takes Colton aside first at the cocktail party. She says she’s outdoorsy and has a pretty good conversation with Colton. People don’t seem crazy about her, but I think Colton likes her. She’ll probably last a while.

Tayshia- 28 years old, a phlebotomist (I had to google this, it’s someone in the medical field, kind of like a nurse, whose job is to draw blood for testing or donation). She’s from California, and she’s one of the most beautiful women in the whole world. Colton takes notice of this, and says, “Wow. She is GORGEOUS.” as she walks away after she gets out of the limo and they have a short interaction with some nice conversation. She makes a mini date in Tayshialand with carnival-like games for their one-on-one time, and they spend their time giggling and generally seeming to have fun. She’s beautiful and sweet and I think I saw her in some clips from the sneak peek, so I think she’ll make it fairly far into the competition, my guess is at least top 10.

Heather- 22 years old, no job listed. Well, technically her occupation is listed as “Never Been Kissed” which is not a job. Now, I don’t mind that she hasn’t had her first kiss at 22, that’s fine and not as weird as some people think it is. But, if you’ve never even kissed anyone, you can’t have been in a very serious relationship before, which signals to me that maybe you’re not ready to get married, and the Bachelor isn’t exactly a show void of kissing. And I wouldn’t want my first kiss to be with a guy who was kissing five other girls that night. But, you do you. Heather is from California. She seems a little flaky, but overall she appears to be a sweet girl and she’s pretty, so she’ll make it the first few weeks and then be eliminated by my guess.

Nicole- 25 years old, a social media coordinator. Very pretty, from Miami. She’s Cuban and woos Colton by speaking Spanish when she comes out of the limo. I really like Nicole. She comments in an interview that she thinks it’s distasteful that so many women are bringing up Colton’s virginity right off the bat like it’s something so huge to talk about. She’s a little nervous throughout the night because she doesn’t get a ton of time with Colton, but he gives her a rose and she gets the biggest smile on her face. I think she’ll last a few weeks, and then we’ll see. It’s hard to tell when I didn’t see much of their time together.

Caelynn- 23 years old, and she’s a pageant queen. She’s Miss North Carolina 2018 and was the runner-up for Miss America. Needless to say, she’s quite gorgeous, but plot twist- we later find out that she’s only lived in North Carolina for a year! She lived in Virginia like her whole life before that. This is totally unrelated to the Bachelor, but I feel like that shouldn’t be allowed. Did she move to NC just to win the pageant? I don’t get it. Regardless of her home, she seems like a nice person with a lot of good qualities. She connects with Colton during in their later conversation, and I really liked her entrance, where she wore a Miss North Carolina sash that she turned around to say Miss Underwood (it should say Mrs. but I’ll let it slide cause it was cute). She’s Colton’s first kiss of the season, and he’s the one who goes in for it. According to Chris Harrison, she and Colton are gonna get deep later in the season and she’s gonna bring about some important revelations for herself and Colton, so I’m very intrigued. It also seems hinted at that there might be a little bit of a past and some future drama between her and another contestant, Miss Alabama, from the pageant world. Yike. Anyway, she was the first rose other than the first impression rose, which is a good sign, so I think Caelynn will be around for quite a while, and will get a one-on-one date early on. 

Sydney- 27 years old, an NBA dancer. She’s from New York (she danced for the Knicks, y’all) and she’s beautiful. Apparently she gave up her job to come on the Bachelor (don’t they all? but I guess maybe this was a more permanent thing? My cousin was an NBA dancer and you’re pretty much done in your late 20′s so I guess maybe it was her last year? idk man). I really like Sydney, she seems super sweet. She has a string quartet during their one-on-one time and teaches Colton how to waltz. It’s cute and they share some laughs. Sydney doesn’t seem into any drama throughout the night, so I applaud her for that. I’d say she’ll last a few weeks, and probably get a one-on-one date at some point.

Elyse- 31 years old, a makeup artist. She’s from Alaska (interesting!) and she’s very pretty (what else is new?). She’s the only redhead on the show, and I love redheads so there’s that. But (I don’t want people to hate me for this but I gotta be honest y’all) I personally think she’s a little old for Colton. Not so much because I think a 5-year age difference is bad but because I don’t think it’s right for Colton, who fits better with someone closer to his own age since he’s still quite young. Her entrance isn’t much, she’s very nervous. But I still like her a lot. Her one-on-one time with Colton involves fishing in the pool, but for a hunk of salmon from like the supermarket, which is weird, but I like her anyway. She’ll last another week or two, and then I hope to see her on Paradise, where she belongs and will thrive!

Tahzjuan- 25 years old, some sort of business consultant. She’s pretty and she’s from Colorado like Colton! She makes a pun about her name but her entrance is nothing special. She’s super judgmental of all the other girls during all her interviews, and I am not here for it. Not a fan. Her time with Colton is cut super short by Interrupty McStealer (we’ll get to her...), which is unfortunate for her, but she was not nice about the other women, and I am not about women who tear down other women for petty reasons (like their outfits and Bachelor entrances...ugh). Anyway, she doesn’t get a rose, and I was okay with it. Other people were pretty broken up about it, but I’ve made my opinion clear. She was pissed she got kicked off and said she thought every other girl should go home before her... I’ll leave that open for interpretation. 

Cassie- 23 years old, a speech pathologist and grad student. She’s gorgeous, a natural beauty, and she’s from California. She’s totally my favorite, and she and Colton just seem like a really good match. She comes out of the limo with a cute little box full of fake butterflies and says she’s nervous and has all these butterflies, so she and Colton dump them out to get rid of them. It’s sweet and cute, and they’re very smiley, and as she’s walking away, he thoughtfully picks up a butterfly and tucks it into a pocket inside his suit jacket, with a cute little smile on his face. It was so adorable. Cassie waits patiently to talk to Colton, and during their conversation at the cocktail party, he seems to love that she’s a speech pathologist and works with kids to make a difference, and she teaches him some sign language. She teaches him the signs for “you’re cute” “rose” and “kiss”. (It kinda seems like Colton is gonna kiss her at this point but he doesn’t.) In the middle of their conversation, we see Colton smiling at her and then the show cuts to an interview of him saying that he is “smitten” with some of the women already, and then it cuts right back to him laughing with Cassie... we love. Cassie gets a rose, and I really think she’s a frontrunner. I’d love it if she won the whole thing, but I definitely think she’s at least a top four contender. 

Kirpa- 26 years old, a dental hygienist. She’s absolutely beautiful, and she is from California. She seems like a lovely girl with a really nice family (she’s one of the few people we saw an intro package for), but we just don’t see a ton of her this episode. I think I’m really going to like her later, she seems pretty genuine. My only moment of doubt came in her intro when she said she wanted to clean Colton’s teeth... maybe that’s like a romantic thing in the dental world, but to us normal people it’s just weird. Oh well. Kirpa got a rose, and I’m looking forward to getting to know a bit more about her. I’m not quite sure yet how far she’ll make it.

Caitlyn- 25 years old, a realtor. She’s pretty and she’s from Ontario, but I’m not a huge fan. She came out with a balloon cherry and popped it, and I’m just so sick of everyone making such a huge deal out of Colton’s virginity. He didn’t seem to love it as she walked away, but I could be persuaded to come around. Colton seemed to at least warm up to her in the short time they had, though she was also interrupted by the Usurper General. She tells the other girls about how she only got like a minute with him before he was stolen, but it doesn’t seem gossipy, just like she’s disappointed. And I’m on her side here. I actually think I don’t hate her, I just need people to let the virgin thing go. Anyway, she gets a rose later despite limited time, so I think Colton likes her, so she’ll probably hang around for a few weeks.

Courtney- 23 years old, a caterer. She’s very pretty, and she’s from Georgia. She makes a cliche and, honestly, distasteful, joke about him tasting a Georgia peach for the first time, another virginity joke, so I wasn’t loving her at first. She spends a lot of the night talking about girls stealing Colton’s time when she hasn’t spoken to him yet, but doesn’t really make an effort to go get him and talk to him, so I wasn’t loving it. She also made some uppity comments during the rose ceremony about how “if a girl in a sloth costume gets picked over me, I’m gonna be pissed.” (that was the gist, not sure of the exact wording.) Anyway, she does get a rose, so she shuts up, but I’m not loving Courtney. I don’t think she’ll be around super long, maybe a few weeks. Not winner or Bachelorette material.

Katie- 26 years old, a medical sales rep. She’s very pretty and is from the east coast, but moved to California to dance (but her job isn’t a dancer- I don’t quite get this). She does a “card trick” where she takes Colton’s V-Card (have I mentioned how much I hate these incessant jokes?), which I wasn’t a huge fan of, but her intro package was pretty good, even if it was like 95% her working out at a gym for... some reason. However, she had a really great conversation with Colton at the cocktail party about family and values, and she is the second woman he kisses that night. They both say they have a really good feeling about this, which is promising. Colton gives her the second rose at the rose ceremony, and I think she’ll be around for a while, and I think she’ll be one of his first one-on-one dates this season. I have a feeling she won’t win, but she’s one of the only contestants old enough to be a contender for the bachelorette, and she’d be great on BIP.

Alex D- 23 years old, a sloth. Of course, she’s not a real sloth and I’m sure that’s not her actual job (though I don’t what is), but she does come in a sloth costume, talking about how Colton likes to take things slow. I admire the women on this show who wear costumes, it’s brave. Anyway, she’s from Boston, and eventually the costume comes off when she talks to Colton at the cocktail party, but not before she hangs from a tree branch in the yard of the mansion. Once the suit is off, Alex is actually very cute and she is a very fast talker. She named the sloth Susette. Alex seems sweet and cute and she came as a sloth and honestly I have no idea why Colton doesn’t give her a rose. But he doesn’t. BIP? Please?

Onyeka- 24 years old, an IT risk consultant (I don’t know what that is but I’m dumb about computers and it sounds important and obviously techy so she’s probably pretty smart). She’s beautiful and from Texas, and Colton has trouble pronouncing her full name, even though it’s not that hard. Anyway, she’s pretty nice, but she’s drama. She takes charge and interrupts the Usurper for time with Colton, with the iconic line, “I heard you were drowning in bitches!” Which is dope, but she also confronts the Usurper one-on-one and is a little rude, but I mean, she’s not wrong about Catherine being inconsiderate and awful, but she lives for the gossip and drama, and will be going after anybody who missteps in any way (there’s always one of these on the Bachelor- the protector against those who “aren’t here for the right reasons”- can’t wait for Onyeka to break out that classic). She’ll stay for a while. Definitely gonna have a two-on-one with Catherine around week five or six, as per usual, and she’ll come out of part one, but I don’t know her well enough to judge how far she’ll make it after that. Paradise guarantee.

Erika- 25 years old, a recruiter. She’s gorgeous, and she’s from California. Her last name is McNutt, so she gives him a bag of nuts in her entrance, which Colton loves. She has to remind him of her name later, but that’s understandable seeing as she’s one of twenty beautiful blonde women he met in the span of about an hour. I’d probably trip up a few times too. She’s one of the first people to talk to him, and brings out the real questions right away, and they talk about why he’s a virgin. She’s impressed by his wanting to keep it special and respects his decision. They have a really nice conversation, actually, and she gets a rose at the end of the night. She’s got potential to make it for a while, but I don’t know enough to tell yet. She won’t win or anything, but could be a contender for Bachelorette if she makes it far enough, or BIP.

Hannah B- 23 years old, Miss Alabama 2018. Hannah B is probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, and she is, obviously, from Alabama. She’s also very real and genuine and incredibly sweet. I really love Hannah B so far. She and Colton just talk a little after she steps out of the limo, and they exchange “Roll Tide’s”. She gets a little worried throughout the night because she hasn’t talked to Colton yet, and just seems to be waiting it out to talk to him, but then she takes initiative and talks to him and it goes extremely well They talk about fears and vulnerability and insecurity and make a promise to always have real and deep talks, and they do a cute little handshake about it. They seem to have a truly genuine connection, and I love her and them. Definitely a frontrunner with a lot of potential. I predict she’ll be in the top four. If she were a little older, I’d predict that she would be a top contender for the Bachelorette, but the youngest Bachelorette to date was 25, so I’m not sure they’ll go that young.

Tracy- 31 years old, a wardrobe stylist from LA. I find this career ironic, as her dress was not something I would ever advise that someone wear (it was like a sequin skirt and a cutoff wife beater tank with no bra- I just didn’t get it, especially for someone who works in fashion, but you do you, I guess). She came in a cop car and called herself the fashion police. Again, I think 31 is a little old for Colton. Anyway, she steals Colton from the Usurper to color shoes and only gets him for like a minute before she steals him right back. She gets a rose at the end of the night. I think she’ll be gone next week, they don’t have much of a connection.

Angelique- 28 years old, a marketing salesperson. They have a short and not super meaningful conversation when she gets out of the limo, but she seems nice enough. She spends a few moments of the evening simply stating things that are obvious and going on on camera in interviews. We don’t hear her conversation with Colton, so it couldn’t have been that great. She’ll probably last another week or two. 

Devin- 23 years old, a broadcast journalist. She and Colton have a sweet but uneventful conversation during her entrance, and we see very little of her throughout the night, and we don’t see any further conversation between her and Colton. She does not receive a rose. She is devastated by this and cries a lot as the girls who got roses celebrate in the background. She’ll be on the women tell all and have lots of opinions despite having been there for less than 12 hours, and then we’ll never see her again. I am not broken up about it.

Revian- 24 years old, a nurse. She’s beautiful and tells Colton he’s a stud muffin (a phrase that should never be uttered out loud) in Mandarin. We see a tiny glimpse of her with Colton later but we don’t hear any of it. She does not get a rose.

Nina- 30 years old, a sales account manager. She’s blonde and beautiful and typical Bachelor gal material, but she gives no indication of being a real competitor this season. She speaks Croatian to Colton when she exits the limo and we don’t see much else from Nina. She gets a rose, but she’ll probably go home in a week, two tops.

Alex B- 29 years old, a dog rescuer. She’s pretty but looks like a little like a wax statue, just very non-emotive and seems fake personality-wise. Anyway, she says she’s sick and uses cue cards to communicate, like in Love Actually, but then she goes into the mansion and talks to the other girls (hoarsely, but she couldn’t talk to Colton for a minute?) and then Colton later. Apparently he got her a cup of tea from the producers which is super sweet, and because he’s Colton, he absolutely loves that she runs a dog rescue. This alone will take her through the competition for a few weeks, and then we’ll see.

Bri- 24 years old, a model. She’s pretty and here’s the best part- she’s actually from LA but faked an Australian accent to stand out. This is hilarious and the internet loves it and so do I. Anyway, Bri doesn’t really talk to Colton much that we see, but there’s a deleted scene where she tells him she’s not actually Australian, and he thought it was pretty funny, so I guess he likes her well enough. She gets a rose. She’ll hang around for a bit, two or three weeks would be my guess. Could definitely be an option for Paradise.

Laura- 26 years old, an accountant. Honestly, Laura is boring. I’m sure she’s lovely for like, a real person, but she wasn’t made for reality TV. The most significant thing about Laura in the whole episode is that she wears the same dress as Heather. She does not receive a rose.

Hannah G- 23 years old, a content creator. This Hannah is also from Alabama, and she’s also beautiful and great. It’s a good season for Hannah’s. Colton compliments her dress and she gives him an empty gift box, saying she got him his favorite brand of underwear (if you haven’t heard, it’s been made known that Colton prefers not to wear underwear). He loves the gift, and seems impressed by her. They connect extremely well when they talk later during the cocktail party. They talk and smile and when they both say they’re still a little nervous, Colton takes her hands and takes three deep, calming breaths like he always does with his mom, and they smile at each other like there’s some beautiful secret between them. Later in the night, he gives her the first impression rose. He says that she reminds him of home and makes him feel so comfortable and that she’s so easy to talk to. These are all Bachelor cliches, but they all mean the same thing: Hannah’s a frontrunner, right off the bat. He kisses her after giving her the rose, and says in an interview that he didn’t want to stop kissing her. They have good chemistry and she is equally as excited about him as he is about her. She’ll make it to the top four at least, but I can’t tell much beyond that now.

Annie- 23 years old, a financial associate. She’s very pretty and they talk a little about football, and we later see a small glimpse of a conversation of theirs, nothing to gawk at yet. But we’ll see where things go, because she does get a rose.

Jane- 26, a social worker. She’s beautiful and loves dogs, but it’s a little weird that she brings along a photoshopped and framed picture of hers and Colton’s dogs playing together. We don’t see much else from Jane all night, and she does not receive a rose.

Catherine- 26, a DJ, and a certified Bitch (this is not listed on the show, this is just the whole world’s opinion). A bachelor villain if I’ve ever known one. She’s from Ft. Lauderdale and she calls her dog her daughter, which I find very concerning. She looks like she’s had 8 rounds of plastic surgery in the last week, and she broke an unspoken Bachelor premiere rule: she did not wear an evening gown, but rather a very short red cocktail dress with long bell sleeves (it was actually a cute dress, but it’s supposed to be like floor length night one, everyone knows that). She literally GIVES COLTON HER DOG. Like really. For the duration of her time on the show, Colton will be taking care of her dog. She doesn’t really ask, she just says that’s his job now so like... okay. Anyway, she looks like a younger-ish version of Jennifer Coolidge, but Jennifer Coolidge is a fierce and wonderful woman and Catherine is just a self-obsessed and arrogant girl looking for attention. So, Catherine is the woman I’ve referenced before. She is the Usurper, Interrupty McStealer, You-Know-Who, whatever you want to call her. And here’s why: She steals Colton for conversations FOUR times. FOUR. Because she claims they haven’t had enough time. CATHERINE. YOU HAVE HAD MORE TIME THAN ANYONE ELSE HERE GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND GO AWAY. So, she keeps stealing him, and Onyeka confronts her about it and she gets defensive and judgy, and very fakely says she gets where she’s coming from. During this talk, she also utters the quote, “If you don’t have haters, you’re not doing something right.” I have so many questions. At this point, she’s stolen Colton 3 times. Moments after this conversation, she goes and steals Colton again. I can’t. She spends a lot of interview time criticizing the other women, and is 100% confident that she’s the best one there and that she’ll be getting a rose, even when there’s only one rose left and she hasn’t been called yet. Colton gives her a rose because the producers told him to (we all know this, don’t lie to yourselves), so she’ll stick around for some drama and inevitably go on a two-on-one with Onyeka, the Knight in Shining Right Reasons, and be sent home for being generally awful sometime around week 6. She’s evil. I know with every fiber of my being that she will be on Bachelor in Paradise.

Erin- 28 years old, her job is listed as Cinderella. She’s not like an actress at Disney World, she just comes in a beautiful horse drawn carriage and wears a stunning light blue dress. Erin is beautiful, and says she is looking for her Prince Charming, and leaves behind a shoe with Colton. It’s really cute, and we see them talking a bit later in the night, but despite her cute Disney references and the fact that I actually really like her, Erin does not receive a rose. Maybe I’ll see her again in paradise, but there’s only so much room on that Mexican beach.

Well, that’s all 30 women and all of my 30 opinions. Thanks to the zero people that will read this for letting me judge reality TV stars. To be clear: All these women are people with dignity and deserve to be treated with respect, this judgment is only a matter of who is good for Colton and who is good for TV. Except Catherine. She’s a straight-up bitch. Some people just aren’t nice, and she’s one of them. At least she loves her dog.

Colton, choose well. I hope it’s Cassie, but as of now, I’d be okay with either of the Hannah’s as well. Maybe I’m wrong about all this but I am obsessed with this show (can’t you tell) and it does have a bit of a pattern.

[sgprc]

2023-04-26 SGPRC Board Meeting (Full Video)

We have been advised by the First Amendment Coalition (www.FirstAmendmentCoalition.org) that this video recording may be posted for public review in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Act.

During public comments, parent advocate Carl Argila criticized the regional center’s notice of action denying requests for a Deaf service coordinator for his Deaf sons, citing noncompliance with the legislation.  Carl Argila requested that the SGPRC terminate their conservatorship of his son, Cavan Argila.

The San Gabriel Pomona Regional Center Board of Directors approved a $264,000 contract with the Children Dental Fund Zone in West Covina for an interceptive orthodontic program designed to benefit children six to nine years old. The SGPRC and Frank Lanterman Regional Center in Los Angeles will each enroll 10 children in the two-year pilot program.

Director of Client Services Lucian Garza said this treatment is meant to improve the quality of life earlier in the developmental stage, before they establish permanent teeth. The program’s results will then be presented to other entities.

“It’s going to cost less if we fix it up front, rather than we do it later in life,” she said. “Fixing the overcrowding and dentation issues, that’s the hope.”

The BOD amended a 2022 contract with Columbus, raising the payout for three specialists, a bilingual nurse, nurse practitioner, and a speech and language pathologist, to $516,000. Resource Developer Hortencia Tafoya said the amendment reflects deserved compensation due to rate changes and staff additions.

“Three people for 516,000 bucks, that’s pretty sweet,” said Bruce Cruickshank.

Tafoya and BOD President Gisele Ragusa both attributed the high costs to the industry’s current nursing shortage.

“We are very pleased we can use them this way,” Tafoya said.

SGPRC will rely on Columbus to meet client’s health and safety needs, but Executive Director Jesse Weller said internal salary structures should be reviewed for future considerations.

“It is important for the board to know we are trying to actively recruit, but our salary structures for our clinical staff are quite compressed,” Weller said. “Simultaneously, we need to look at salary structures for actual staff positions. We can navigate outside of the contractual piece as much as we can.”

During his director’s report, Weller specified the 30 job openings the regional center is attempting to fill, 13 of which are service coordinators, a mental health specialist, and an IT director. The number of individuals served continues to increase, to more than 16,000 as of April, up from the previous high of 15,830 set in March 31.  Weller credits the admissions department for bringing individuals in. Enrollments in the Self Determination have increased to 110.

“We continue to grow as a regional center, which is fantastic.”

Weller said SGPRC is partnering with the Association of Regional Center Agencies for a Mental Health Services Act grant request. The funding aims to improve the state’s behavioral health system to better serve those with and at risk of serious mental health issues as well as their families.

Collaboration and communication between regional centers, behavioral health centers, substance abuse agencies, and law enforcement is intended to increase under this project, he said.  

Weller also announced his appointment to Office of Administrative Hearings Lanterman Act Hearing Advisory Committee, for which he will attend semiannual meetings throughout a three-year term.  

“It is exciting that we can have SGPRC at the table providing a voice on how to improve processes,” Weller said.

Weller also hopes to host monthly “Coffee in The Community with Jesse” events for any providers or community members interested in hosting Weller. These meetings are open to the public, he said.

DDS directed regional centers to reimburse employees for up to $10,000 in tuition. Regional centers have 60 days to submit their specific plans for the process.

“We think this is a great thing for retention and recruiting,” Weller said.

Argila referenced a lawsuit on behalf of nearly 5,000 deaf clients against the SGPRC regarding the center’s lack of a deaf service coordinator, a position Argila claims is compliant with the Lantern Act’s requirement for hiring coordinators with the linguistic and cultural competency required to work with the deaf community.    

DDS and the State Council of Developmental Disabilities are partnering to provide orientation training that is in addition to training provided by the SGPRC, said Albert Feliciano, advocate for the SCDD and Westside Regional Center.  The orientations are also available in Spanish and Vietnamese. Feliciano also noted monthly self-advocacy meetings comprised of advocates scheduled for the first Thursday of every month at 1 p.m.

[ispeechtherapyblogs-blog]

Speech Sounds Come In Pairs! - Analyzing Speech Patterns

Kathy: Definitely yes! Springtime became the vehicle by which Lauren could hone her reading tactics. Reading our story with fluency and expression (as she does on the inside audio recording included together with book) became an important goal for her, a goal that inspired the advancement of a competent talent in reading. Lauren now reads quite in reality. And I'm convinced her efforts in Springtime were in the large way responsible carried out correctly her to where she's now. But, what if you tend to be a child? You barely appreciate the concept your tongue moves at all to produce sound. Along comes a mature who expects you to have enough control to replace the course of the tongue and complete a associated with complicated movements while you might be just requesting speech therapy service your apple juice! When you look in internet marketing that way, doesn't it seem understandable that the baby would rather grunt and point? Speech language pathology jobs consist from a lot of elements that may make task very stressful and very challenging. A speech language pathologist may be also called a speech therapist. These speech therapists perform loads of services that add to the stress the player feel practical. Many of process requirements which might be necessary at the workplace depends for a setting your own choose to. Speech language pathologists that like to work in the school system are highly accentuated. Multivitamins really are essential to take because many people with autism have too little of many nutritional supplements. Vitamins could be an essential autism ringing in the ears your son. Again, I seemed to speak about it already. The reason, and stated above, is possibly the main reason why your electronic product will not minimize your stuttering disadvantages. All electronic devices along with only one component of stuttering. Might be your speech patterns. We all know really are a few so many. However, the devices cannot address those components whatever how great there are already. When the other different parts of stuttering are still untreated, they will surely recreate stuttering. I any stutter for eighteen many years. I have been informed that Began stuttering as i was only four associated with age. I regularly attended speech therapy honolulu over the following fourteen years before deciding that that unlikely to ever aid me to achieve fluency. It is evident that really should not be in a permanent drunken physical state, however that a few things i needed to try was end up being in a permanently drunk mental state, for example I needed to stop worrying so drastically. My 411 Wristbands are created to give parents peace of mind when dropping off children at birthday parties, field trips, or no matter if taking them to amusement theme parks. Other adults or caregivers have an easy way to contact the infant's parent or to learn vital information searching at their 411. The disposable wristbands include the infant's first name, the parent's first name and number and any allergies or special needs the child may have now. These can be customized to fit any parent's needs.

[thembatutors]

FINDING A QUALIFIED AND CARING PROFESSIONAL TUTOR/LEARNING SPECIALIST/ COACH FOR A STUDENT WITH A LEARNING DIFFERENCE

Finding the appropriate tutor with the right academic training, professional experience, and the ability to guide and nurture their student can be a challenge, particularly for a child with a learning difference, such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum, language processing difficulties or other issues.

Anyone can tutor; it is an unregulated field. Finding the best learning support for your child, when he or she is demonstrating learning issues, is crucial. The right professional can make a significant difference in your child’s life.

If your child is demonstrating learning difficulties, parents should request an evaluation performed by a state licensed professional such

  as a psychologist, neuropsychologist, speech language pathologist, and/or occupational therapist etc. Effective tutoring is guided by a thorough evaluation, particularly a multidisciplinary one by licensed professionals.

When working with students, particularly those who struggle with learning, it is necessary to explicitly teach them skills to facilitate their learning, encouraging them to become more efficient life long learners. More often than not, these students don’t know how to effectively plan, organize, brainstorm, extract important information, read effectively and efficiently, and write fluently, and/or structure essays. Learning is frustrating, hard, and draining.

When shopping for a tutor, ask important questions. Many tutors have advanced degrees in content such as history, but they do not have the necessary and thorough training in assessing and teaching students with learning differences.

• Has the tutor earned at least a master’s degree? In which area of specialization? Does your tutor have any state or national licensure? 

• What is your tutor’s professional teaching experience?

• Does your tutor work with other professionals? Does the tutor know when to refer/consult with other professionals and does he or she communicate with the school, if the parent desires that he or she do so?

• How up-to-date is the center or tutor with techniques and strategies to help your child with learning differences? Is their instructional approach based on research published by academics in peer- reviewed literature?

• Does the tutor provide individualized differentiated instruction, instead of just one type of instruction? A one-size-fits all approach is typically not effective. Children with learning differences benefit most from tailored approaches that fit their individual needs based on how your child learns.

• Small businesses or individual professional tutors may offer a more personalized tutoring experience for your child and family compared to a large tutoring company, more often than not where tutors’ qualifications are not transparent.

• If requested and appropriate, does the tutor offer or provide technology to supplement the tutoring? How important is this supplementation for your child’s learning needs?

Secured a Professional Tutor

Once you find the right professional, it is important to ask yourself if your son or daughter has a strong rapport with that person. Students should feel comfortable asking questions, contemplating and digging

  further into the material, learning techniques, and be motivated and feel good about learning.

It is also important to ascertain whether your child seems to be learning well with the professional. An effective tutor translates and dissects the material that overwhelms your child and offers more efficient ways to process and retain the information. Finally, how well will your tutor grow with your son or daughter’s emerging/changing needs, while remaining true to his or her training?

Importance of Teamwork

You want a tutor who not only works with your child, but with you- the parent, the school and someone who can offer strategies and helpful tactics for when you are at home with your child. Also, it is important that you hire a tutor who is experienced with your son or daughter’s curriculum and school’s culture.

-Craig Selinger

Learning Specialist

CEO of Themba Tutors LLC www.ThembaTutors.com

  Themba Tutors LLC offers in-home & at-school professional services (for all ages), academic tutoring & executive functioning coaching, multidisciplinary learning specialists & Ph.d. content tutors, one-on- one customized tutoring & coaching for New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island), Long Island, Westchester, and Connecticut. Academic specialists work with high school and college students on content support covering the full range of STEM subjects, including: biology, chemistry, earth science, environmental science. Our tutors, who are experts in math, teach trigonometry, algebra I and II, calculus (and pre-calculus), geometry, physics, and statistics. We also offer foreign language tutoring. Coaches and experts in the field of journalism and higher education teach high school, college, and professional writing, a skill so fundamental that it applies to all subjects and professions. Writing Coaches support the development of rewriting from novice to the professional level, teaching Language Arts such as grammar, spelling, decoding, reading comprehension, writing structure, and identifying main ideas and details. Our Learning Specialists provide learning support in academics including English Language Arts, Math, Writing, Social Studies, Science, History, and other subjects. They are experts in ADHD/ADD, executive functioning, language processing, reading, writing and math disorders, autism

  spectrum disorders, non-verbal learning disorder, and other learning differences. They support the development of reading and writing from novice to the professional level, teaching Language Arts such as grammar, spelling, decoding, reading comprehension, writing structure, and identifying main ideas and details. Our specialists with math expertise support arithmetic, algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus I & II, and Statistics. Our learning specialists also support students and adults who struggle with executive functioning skills. They coach students to learn how to organize, plan, prioritize, focus, avoid distraction, and keep track of materials and tasks. Our goal is to help all students and professionals feel more confident and become more effective learners and workers overall.

CONTACT

Themba Tutors LLC. www.ThembaTutors.com, 917- 382-8641, info@thembatutors.com,

[grootiez]

The Joys of Raising a Teenaged Groot- Chapter 35: Reminiscence

After visiting hours were over, Rocket went back to the motel that he was staying at. He undressed himself, jumped into the shower, and got changed into his pajamas. After climbing into bed, the raccoon flipped through the channels on the ancient TV. (Of which there was only three, and they were all educational crap and none of those shows interested Rocket.) Rocket tries to hack the TV so that he could get some of the good channels and a little bit better reception so the picture wasn’t as grainy and staticky, but even that proved fruitless. He then got out his top-of-the-line gaming laptop and decided to at least play a couple of games he installed on his PC, but since he was on a different planet and the game, World of Warcraft, was on Terra, he would need a signal strong enough to carry  his wifi connection to Earth and back. Since the motel he was staying at had shoddy wifi at the best, playing the game, or even going on the internet was out of the question.

So the only option for Rocket was to rifle through the bag of old movies that he brought with him. After searching for something good to watch, he found nothing. But, as he looked in the bottom of the bag, he saw an old VHS tape labeled “Guardians Family Moments”.

“I-I don’t remember packing this in the bag...” Rocket was confused as to how the video tape ended up in his bag. He then remembered that Peter helped him with his bags to the car when it was time for the raccoon to move into temporary housing while Groot was being rehabilitated at the nursing home for an undetermined amount of time. “Star-Munch...” He whispered to himself as he held the tape.

The raccoon plopped the tape into the VCR and an old reel of various moments of the Guardians’ life as a newly formed team, and more importantly, a family played. There were touching moments of everyone, but Rocket payed close attention to the moments between him and Groot that were captured on camera.

The first scene was when Groot was reborn and started to move around. Rocket was so elated that he had his best friend back and vowed to protect him from any harm that befell him. The raccoon wishes that he was more protective over Groot, knowing what has happened to him in the last few months.

Rocket fast fowarded to the next part. This was when Groot was starting to mimic words and everyone was seated around the tiny twig inside of his pot, which was lovingly decorated by Rocket. Groot was trying his best and the Guardians were encouraging him to speak (although Peter was hoping that he would say something other than “I am Groot.” He was coaxing the tiny twiglet to say “Starlord is the best!”) At last the tiny Flora Colossus spoke.

“I... I... am... Groot!” Groot exclaimed as he held his tiny branch arms up towards Rocket, wanting the raccoon to pick him up.

As Rocket held the baby Flora Colossus in his arms, he couldn’t believe what Groot’s first word was.

“So, what did he say?” Peter impatiently asked. “It better have been ‘Starlord is the best uncle in the entire galaxy!’” He playfully teased Groot as the sapling tries to hide in Rocket’s fur for protection.

“He definitely didn’t say that, Star-Munch.” Rocket snarled at the Terran as he handed Groot off to Gamora.

“Then what was it, Rocket?” Gamora, who let Groot play with her hair asked as the baby giggled.

Rocket smiled as Gamora handed Groot back to him. “Dad.” The raccoon wiped a tear from his eyes as he looked at his son. “He called me ‘Dad.’”

Rocket reflects on this part. He knows that no matter how well Groot mastered the speech synthesizer, he’ll never hear his son say “Dad” in his own natural voice ever again.

The tape then showed Groot’s first steps. Rocket had set Groot’s pot on the counter, in order to give the tiny Flora Colossus a bath, even though Groot wanted cookies first. As soon as Rocket turned his back to check the water temperature in the sink that Groot was to be bathed in, the tiny tree extended his tiny arms to the shelf that the cookie jar was on and began to lift himself up to it. Unfortunately, Groot’s coordination wasn’t the best and his arms let go of the shelf as he slowly fell to the floor. Luckily, Gamora entered the kitchen at the right time as Groot was free falling to the ground in slow motion and caught him just before his pot hit the floor.

“Groot! Groot!” Rocket was frantic as he rushed over to Gamora, who held Groot’s pot with the twig in it, in her arms. “What the-. What the flark were you trying to do?”

“I am Groot!” Groot replied in his most adorable voice as Gamora handed him to Rocket.

“I told you that you would get some cookies after your bath, not before.” Rocket said as he caught his breath. Groot then got upset and began to cry. “No, no, Groot, I’m sorry that I said that. I just want you to be safe and happy.” The raccoon then proceeded to rock Groot back in forth in his arms. “I love you, son.”

Groot’s tears stopped, the tiny tree looking up at his father. Rocket felt Groot shift his weight in his pot. He mentions this to Gamora and they carry Groot over to the table.

As Gamora examines Groot’s roots underneath the soil, she sees something amazing. “Rocket.” She began as she shifted some of the dirt around so that he could get a better look. “Groot’s ready to come out of his pot. He has legs now.”

Rocket was happy. Groot has reached another milestone in his development, growing legs and being able to leave his pot and explore the environment around him for the first time. At first Groot was crawling on his hands and knees, just like any other toddler. But unlike other toddlers, Groot’s surroundings were filled with dangerous things. Everything that was normally found in family homes that was a potential safety risk to a now-mobile toddler was now within his reach. But unlike other families, the Guardians’ house was filled with other hazards, the most luring items in Rocket’s workshop, which contained various weapons, bombs, and DEATH BUTTONS that were especially tempting to Groot. After multiple failed attempts to keep Groot out of Rocket’s workshop, (neither their warnings or time outs worked on the little tree that was entering the Floral Colossi version of “The Terrible Twos.”) The only option was to babyproof (or in the Guardians’ case, “Grootproof”) the entire Milano, paying particular attention to the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, anywhere Groot could sneak off to or hide in without the Guardians knowing, and Rocket’s workshop. ESPECIALLY Rocket’s workshop, where any of the weapons, bombs, and DEATH BUTTONS could pose a danger, not only to the Guardians, but to the entirety of Xandar should Groot get his branches on one and ACCIDENTALLY activate it.

Well, the aforementioned “Grootproofing” was only successful for only a day. It didn’t take Groot long how to figure out how to undo the baby locks on the cabinet doors. He also discovered how to climb over the baby gates and various barriers that blocked him from having free range of the house. (All he had to do was extend his arms around to where he could hoist himself over the obstacles.) It took the toddler a little longer to figure out how to get into Rocket’s workshop, but when he did, the Guardians gave up their “Grootproofing” plan and settled on just HEAVILY SUPERVISING the tiny tree wherever he went in the house or on the Milano.

The next part of the video was Groot’s first day of preschool. The little guy was nervous as he clung tightly to Rocket’s jumpsuit as the raccoon carried his son to the preschool entrance. As soon as the duo approached the door (The other Guardians stood proudly as they watched father and son go up the steps of the preschool together.)

Rocket placed Groot on the ground as the tiny Flora Colossus looked around nervously as Rocket straightened up his school uniform that had the school seal of The Xandar Academy for Gifted and Exceptional Students emblazoned on the front pocket of his blazer jacket. “Hey, don’t be nervous, Groot. You’re going to have a lot of fun, meet new kids, and your teachers are going to teach you a lot.” He said as he knelt next to Groot and handed the toddler his Bob Ross backpack and his Limited Edition Bob Ross tin lunchbox.

Rocket smiled as Groot took ahold of the lunchbox and stared in amazement at the embossed impression of his idol, Bob Ross, on it. “You better cherish that lunchbox because it’s going to be your only lunchbox through school. I don’t want to hear you complain, you’re even going to carry that lunchbox with you through high school. Costing us 50,000 units just for a lunchbox with a flarkin’ humie on it. Well, at least he ain’t as ugly as Quill.”

Groot stared at Rocket in confusion. “I am Groot?” The toddler squeaked out as he put his backpack on.

Rocket took Groot’s hand into his own. “Nothing, Groot. You just think about meeting and making new friends.” He reassures his son as Groot’s one-on-one aide came out to greet them and talk to Rocket as she escorted the two to Groot’s preschool class.

Rocket remembered that day. Groot loved his teachers and his aide helped him feel less of an outsider and more like a typical kid. But all of that changed when Groot was in the fifth grade and his aide had to retire because she just turned 65. Rocket remembered the emergency meeting that he had with Groot’s teachers, the school headmaster, the school guidance counselor, Groot’s case manager, the special education department and the school’s speech pathologist. Since Groot was only able to say “I am Groot.” He needed his aide because she was one of the very few people that studied Groot’s species’ language and could translate Groot’s thoughts to everyone else. The headmaster explained to Rocket that they tried to find a new aide for Groot, but since he was the last of his kind, that the need to study his language wasn’t necessary. The school only had 3 options for Groot: homeschool him until his high school graduation, place him in the special education classroom, or give him a communication device so that he could convey his thoughts, although he would sound like a robot to everybody.

Rocket knew that if he homeschooled Groot, the Xandar Department of Child Services would show up at the Guardians’ house faster than a bolt of lightning as soon as they got word that Rocket was teaching Groot how to build various weapons, bombs, and Death Buttons. Rocket didn’t want to place his son into the special education class because Groot was already getting teased because no one could understand him without his aide being present. If he were to be put in the special education class, the teasing would increase tenfold and it would lead to god knows what for Groot. Also, another problem with Groot being placed in the special education class would be the pace of the curriculum. Groot is one of the smartest students in the school and to put him in a class where he wouldn’t be academically interested or challenged would bore Groot to death.

So the only option was to have Groot use the communication device. At first he didn’t like it mainly because none of the voices sounded like him and they all sounded like a robot, which started the bullying of him by the other kids in the school. He still refused to use it even when his case manager and the school’s speech therapist allowed Groot to take the device home in the hopes that he would get used to it and be more apt to communicate through it. But that didn’t make Groot more inclined to use it, especially since he had Rocket at home to translate for him.

It’s Rocket’s hope that Groot will use his new communication device. Especially since Groot’s probability of getting his voice back was nonexistent. But, Groot seems to like his new voice synthesizer, especially since it sounds more like him and less like a robot.

There was one more scene. This was Groot’s latest birthday when he became a teenager. Groot has already started to exhibit the typical teenager behaviors of being moody and embarrassed by anything that his family did. Groot was sitting in a corner playing the portable video game that Rocket just gave him for his birthday. It wasn’t a big party, as Groot had no friends in school and the kids that the Guardians invited to his party refused to show up.

Gamora just brought out the double chocolate cake that she baked for Groot’s birthday, (his favorite type of cake) and Peter wrote “Happy Birthday Groot!” in green icing. They then brought it over to the table and Rocket got a reluctant and moody Groot up from where he was sitting and brought him over to the table as the Guardians sang “Happy Birthday” to Groot. Groot sat there with a bored expression on his face before he unceremoniously blew out the candles without much gusto before he got up and went to his room, bringing an end to the party.

Rocket then turned off the TV and went to bed. As he dreamed of raising Groot, he remembered all of the good times that he had with him, not the bad.

When he got up the next morning, he got the video tape out of the VCR and placed it in its case. He then put the case in his bag before he went to the nursing home. He decided to show Groot his saplinghood, both the good times and the bad times. Since Groot suffered severe memory loss, this was Rocket’s only chance to remind Groot of all of the things that he did before the accident. If Groot even remotely remembered anything, it was worth it to Rocket.

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Read on Ao3 here.

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@trashpandaorigins @madness-on-the-milano @mattchewystuff @rr4901 @whoop-whoop-grocket @thejollymilano @janetgenea @woozletania @vic394 @canuckscot @captain---rabbit @rocket-ringtail-raccoon @pineapple-crow

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[flagstarrehab]

Is speech pathologist a good career.........Flag Star Rehab

https://fsrehab.com/is-speech-pathologist-a-good-career/

Speech pathology is a career ranked high in the list of the best field for working in. Even though, you know, being a speech pathologist is a rewarding career but deciding the career path can be difficult sometimes. You may wonder: Is speech pathologist a good career? Before you put your effort and time into earning a degree, it is important to learn everything about the career path, and in this case, the career is a speech-language pathologist or SLP.

Becoming a speech pathologist is generally a great decision, but it may not be that great for everyone. If you are quite unsure whether SLP is the correct one for you, then the best part is you can ask yourself few questions to ensure that you make the right decision. The answer to the question: Is speech pathologist a good career is mentioned below.

Things You Should Consider Before Choosing the Speech Pathologist Career Path

Are you passionate about helping others?

SLPs play a vital role in the healthcare field as they diagnose, and treat speech, language, swallowing, and communication disorder. They provide support, treatments, education, and interventions to empower patients to recover quicker. As a result, patients make a meaningful connection with their close ones and community. Due to this reason, people aspire to become SLP.

What are your salary expectations?

Even though salary should not be the only consideration to opt for a career, the role of salary is imperative in influencing your decision. It is quite a nature to ask Is speech pathologist a good career and how much they earn? As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, SLPs make an average salary of $80,500 annually, and the highest earners make more than $122,750 per year.

So many factors influence the earning, including your experience level, work location, facility type in which you are employed, etc. In general, those who are employed in residential care or nursing homes and those who have extensive years of experience can expect much higher payment than others.

How much time can you invest?

Although a career as SLP is rewarding, breaking into this career will need a great investment of time. For becoming an SLP, you need:

A bachelor’s degree like BS in Communication disorder or BS in Speech-language pathology and Audiology.

A graduation degree like MS in Speech-Language Pathology.

Completion of post-graduation clinical fellowship.

Passing the Praxis examination and applying for state licensure.

Above all, it takes around six to eight years from the beginning of a bachelor’s degree to becoming a speech pathologist.

How much flexibility do you want in your career?

While thinking about SLP, most people commonly envision it as the speech therapist who serves children. However, it is a path full of opportunities, and it is not the only option. The field offers a wide range of flexibility. SLPs can work in multiple settings and play different roles depending on the facility where they work. For instance, if an SLP work in an educational setting like a school, then he/she can easily choose a career in nursing, hospital, clinic, or residential facility.

As a speech pathologist, you can work anywhere from outpatient and inpatient hospital settings to the adult geriatric setting. You can even practice privately by treating patients will swallowing and communication disorders.

Do you have any interest in science and technology?

Speech-language pathology not only needs the eagerness to assist others but also needs the capability to understand scientific and technical concepts. If science, health, medicine, and technology is your interest, then this can be a great field for you.

Conclusion

With all the above discussion, you may have got the answer to the question Is speech pathologist a good career. If you ever found yourself agreeing with all the questions mentioned above, then the SLP as a career will be right for you. The passion for helping others is a major factor in determining whether you should opt for this field or not.

Such a field allows flexibility to work with the diverse patient population in various settings while providing you great pay. The speech pathology domain is constantly evolving, and you will always find something to learn. With more inquisitiveness, you can stay updated on new advancements and best help your patients. Your work can make a real difference in someone’s life.

[sugarfootscupcakes]

Using a Straw is Good for Your Toddler's Development - Here's What You Need to Know

When it's time to drop the bottle, some parents transition their toddler to a straw cup while others opt for a sippy cup. Both are great for messes (which, as any parent knows, toddlers are especially prone to). But which cup is better for development? POPSUGAR reached out to a pediatrician and a speech language pathologist to find out, and the experts agree: It's straw cups for the win. Here's why.

Related:

Sip Time Becomes Playtime With Fun Straws For Kids

What Are the Benefits of a Straw Cup?

Brooklyn-based speech language pathologist Jocelyn M. Wood told POPSUGAR that straw drinking is an important stage of oral motor development. "The movements that are used to drink from a straw can help your child to strengthen the muscles in the lips, cheek, and jaw, which can help with the production of some very important speech sounds, such as /sh/, /ch/, and /j/," she said. Wood also pointed out that straw cups prevent dental issues associated with the use of sippy cups.

Mona Amin, M.D., a pediatrician and owner of Instagram and website Pedsdoctalk, also prefers that her patients use straw cups instead of sippy cups. She cited speech-related benefits, saying that, "Toddlers should drink from a straw as it works muscles in the tongue and jaw that are more advanced and can help in speech development."

When Should I Introduce a Straw Cup?

Dr. Amin recommend starting to practice with a straw cup at 10 months of age. "Focus on providing it at meals with water due to the mess. Once they do well, you can add milk," she said. Wood said that for proper speech development, "Children should begin transitioning away from a bottle at 12 months, and a great next step is a straw cup." Time to get sipping!

from POPSUGAR https://ift.tt/3oZfjsk from Blogger https://ift.tt/3q7uAJ0 via IFTTT

[shaizstern]

Article from NYT: Go Ahead and Complain. It Might Be Good for You.

A mantra to embrace: “This sucks I’m unhappy with what’s going on.”

Angus Greig

By Micaela Marini Higgs

We’ve all done it: Whether it’s about traffic, our boss or our partner’s annoying habits, complaining “is just something we do, like breathing — though hopefully not as often,” said Robin Kowalski, a professor of psychology at Clemson University.

Even though it may come naturally, griping isn’t necessarily always a good thing. Ruminating on negative feelings, and reinforcing them through constant discussion with other people, can lead to catastrophizing, which “is something that can contribute to depression,” said Margot Bastin, who studies communication between friends at the department of School Psychology and Development in Context at the Belgian university KU Leuven.

This can happen because “the more you do something, the more entrenched that path becomes in your brain and the more you continue to do it,” said Angela Grice, a speech language pathologist specializing in the use of mindfulness-based practices and who previously researched executive functions and neuroscience at Howard University and the Neurocognition of Language Lab at Columbia University.

Constantly complaining can be an easy way to frustrate our confidantes, but there is research that shows it can also be a useful tool in bonding and helping us process emotions like stress and frustration.

“In short: Yes, it’s good to complain, yes, it’s bad to complain, and yes, there’s a right way to do it,” Dr. Kowalski said.

The trick to doing it right starts with understanding how the word “complaining” is often misused to describe a variety of behaviors, with some being more harmful or helpful than others. Teasing apart these distinctions requires vocabulary that varies between experts, but there are roughly three categories: venting, problem solving and ruminating, otherwise known as dwelling. Knowing which behavior you’re engaging in, and with what purpose, can help you put in place habits that will not only make your complaining much more strategic, but also help improve your emotional health and build stronger relationships with the people around you.

Why we do it

“We’re not very good at expressing our feelings as a society, so it’s pretty common to complain in order to express a feeling,” said Tina Gilbertson, a psychotherapist and the author of “Constructive Wallowing.” And since, as she said, “any time we are sharing emotional content with someone, that is a vehicle for bonding,” we’re especially fond of using complaining as a social tool.

“People do feel closer to one another, so the friendship really gets stronger by doing it,” Dr. Bastin said. Still, she warned, making complaining the primary focus in our relationships can make us dwell on our problems for longer, triggering a stress response. Bonds built over mutual dissatisfaction can also prove brittle once one person’s problem has been resolved.

But the most obvious reason we complain? Life isn’t perfect. That’s why expressing negative feelings is not only normal, but also healthy, Dr. Kowalski said, adding that the unrealistic expectation that we should always be happy can make us feel worse. Inhibiting the disclosure of our dissatisfaction “can produce a negative effect,” she said, because it not only stops us from naming our problem but also prevents us from getting to the root of it.

That’s why “complaining is, ideally, totally solutions focused,” Ms. Gilbertson said. Though venting is not as focused on solving problems, “there are also really positive benefits,” Dr. Grice said, because it allows us “to get things out in the open and get our feelings heard so they don’t build up and cause stress.”

Can you avoid complaining and venting altogether? “In theory, yes,” Ms. Gilbertson said, “but it’s important to be able to vent at least to yourself on the inside. To be able to say: This sucks I’m unhappy with what’s going on.”

Why it’s good to complain

Negatively obsessing over something isn’t healthy, but Dr. Kowalski said that “expressive complaining” — blowing off steam — and “instrumental complaining” — which is done with an actionable goal — can both be beneficial. Venting can help us gain perspective and put words to our feelings, Dr. Grice said. When done effectively, it can even help you clearly realize what, specifically, about a situation is bothering you.

Research on experiential avoidance backs this up, since trying not to feel bad is associated with negative physiological effects. The simple act of naming your feelings can help reduce your distress around them.

“Acknowledging feelings is healthy, it’s good for you physiologically and it’s good for your emotional health,” Ms. Gilbertson said.

On top of social bonding, feedback from others can help us gain perspective — like figuring out if a boss’s comments were truly out of line — or notice patterns in the things that bother us, which might point to a larger unidentified problem.

Co-reflection and “not just passively waiting and dwelling, but really trying to grasp the problem better” is important because it helps you do something to improve your situation, Dr. Bastin said.

How much complaining is good for you? How long is a piece of string? You want to avoid what Dr. Grice calls wearing “muddy glasses,” where no matter what’s going on you always find something to complain about. The same goes with rehashing a problem over and over again, whether with friends or in the echo chamber of the internet.

Ultimately, Dr. Bastin said, “emotional disclosure is important,” but “the way in which you disclose” is what determines whether the interaction has a positive or negative impact, not just on the complainer but also the person who is listening.

How to do it right

“Complaining is honestly just part of the social fabric of our lives, it’s part of how we communicate,” Dr. Kowalski said. As in every type of communication, there’s an appropriate place and time.

Start by paying attention to how often you complain, and who you’re doing it with. “You can’t modify behavior until you become aware of it,” Dr. Kowalski said.

While trying to go cold turkey is probably an overambitious goal, “mindfulness has been shown to be very effective in decreasing rumination,” Dr. Bastin said. Even just the act of paying attention to our habits can start shifting them. If you take a breath before calling a friend to vent, or reflect quickly on if you really need to act on your impulse to complain, you’ll be more mindful of your behavior and be able to make choices accordingly.

“It’s crucial, if you’re venting, to know that you’re venting and to tell the person you’re venting,” Ms. Gilbertson said. Whether you just want to blow off steam or actually need help solving a problem, clarifying what you want from the interaction will make the receiver of your venting more comfortable, and it will better prepare them to give you the support you need.

Building the habit of consciously thinking about the purpose of your conversation, rather than going into negative autopilot, is a simple way to take off those muddy glasses. It also keeps your complaint sessions short and sweet, which is important for building relationships that aren’t solely focused on negative emotions, Dr. Bastin said.

You’ll also start to notice just how often other people complain, creating an opportunity to contribute positively to those conversations and ask questions to help generate solutions, she added.

Journaling can be another great way to facilitate these discoveries, Dr. Grice said. “Sometimes we have feelings and we’re not quite sure where they came from,” she said, and “allowing yourself some space and time to sit and organize your own thoughts” can help us self-regulate our emotions and figure out how to express and work through them. For smaller complaints, journaling can help you flush feelings out of your system, and for larger ones it allows you to document and find trends in what you’d like to change.

Journaling also gives you another outlet to let off steam and helps you approach conversations more strategically. Asking yourself questions through journaling offers added perspective, especially if the people you usually complain to are reinforcing your negative viewpoints rather than helping you find solutions. Building these habits of mindfulness and reflection will help in keeping your complaining balanced and on the right track.

And if you’re finding it hard to perfect the art of strategic complaining right away? Don’t leap to judge yourself; it’s not constructive.

“If you get any of this wrong,” Ms. Gilbertson said, “there’s always the apology.”

[finsterhund]

The incredible work of Christina Hunger (Hunger For Words)

So the works of a pediatric speech-language pathologist named Christina Hunger has lately been going viral, because of the way she is raising her Catahoula blue heeler mix; Stella.

This is revolutionary -in case you haven’t figured it out from the first paragraph- because Hunger is actually allowing Stella the means to reciprocate verbal communication.

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A post shared by Christina Hunger, MA, CCC-SLP (@hunger4words) on Nov 1, 2019 at 1:14pm PDT

It should not come as a surprise that dogs are very much capable of learning and understanding verbal communication from their humans. Dogs will easily learn nouns of important things in their lives such as their human, themselves, and things to go and do. They can also learn words for emotions like happiness and anger. This is easily observed. 

The understanding of language is receptive language; being able to have something conveyed to you, and we also have expressive language which is our ability to convey something to others. Both are easily observed in humans.

Now society’s understanding of communication is very dismissive and ableist towards those who may communicate atypically. This is especially true when it comes to verbal communication which is seen as the be all end all. But not all people are going to communicate verbally well, sometimes at all. People who are nonverbal are often dismissed. And this also bleeds into how people view communication with dogs.

They dismiss dogs as being unable to efficiently communicate because they can’t literally speak. Which is unfair. Dogs don’t have the same anatomy for verbal communication as we do. They physically can’t produce the required sounds. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have expressive language and that they aren’t capable of using expressive language.

We are already seeing dogs attempting to emulate human voice by manipulating bays, whines, howls, etc to try and sound like specific words and phrases like “no” “love you” etc. So it’s not like they’re not trying.

And dogs have their own forms of expressive language. But once again, there’s a language barrier between it and how humans communicate. Humans can learn it to some extent, but are limited by aspects of our own biology in expressing it the same ways dogs are with ours.

What Hunger has shown is that an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC device) can be used to allow a dog to produce human words and phrases, and that Stella is able to learn to use the device in order to speak by means of a soundboard with programmed buttons for specific words and emotions.

She has not trained Stella to press buttons for praise or validation and is opposed to physically making her press them because it actually inhibits her learning them, but has built the association with certain words to their respective button. The button also says the word aloud. By using words aloud and using the buttons herself, Hunger taught Stella to do the same, who now does so unprompted in order to convey things. It is simply incredible.

The only thing stopping a dog from speaking is their physical body. They are well and capable of human expressive language.

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A post shared by Christina Hunger, MA, CCC-SLP (@hunger4words) on Jul 27, 2019 at 11:51am PDT

The average dog can understand approximately 160 words, and the record is over a thousand. And on average the amount of core words that humans require to efficiently communicate in a language are from between 50 - 500. This means that a dog who has access to a means to actually say words could potentially hold a conversation. Definitely not as in-depth as one between two adult humans who are fluent in the same language, but enough to convey desires, opinions, and emotions.

I’ve known this was the case for a very long time, but have never had anything available in order to prove it. Now we have these programmable buttons and things. Technology is literally bridging the communication barrier right before our eyes and as a result it is becoming impossible to dismiss the power of the sacred bond.

So now that we’re seeing that dogs when aided by assistance tools are able to verbally communicate words that they know and understand, it’s becoming apparent just to what extent they can communicate in the first place. Stella can specifically ask for help, where to go for a walk, whether she wants to play with a toy that has food in it or not, whether she is feeling good or bad, and express appreciation for things. She tells people bye when they leave and welcomes them when they return. She understands and differentiates between the names of Hunger and her fiance. The only limit is the buttons.

But even then she’s combining buttons to convey more complex things. This is the most important aspect. She’s manipulating the board and the extent of what it can do in order to create new phrases. The aforementioned “differentiating between a toy with food in it or not” is her combining “eat” and “play”

I feel sad if only because Hunger acknowledges that “real estate is precious” and it would be impossible to give her like, a hundred buttons. We need to innovate and find an even more efficient means than the board.

But this is such an important milestone in proving to the world just how important our bond with dogs is. This matters so much to me I can’t even begin to describe it.