Vol. IV, No. 1

Happy Third Anniversary Asheville Speech! 
    ASHEVILLE SPEECH ASSOCIATES recently celebrated their third anniversary and the staff has grown to nine speech / language therapists!  They are dedicated to providing quality speech and language therapy to all clients. This is attained by being flexible, providing therapy at a variety of locations and convenient times that meet everyone's needs. Asheville Speech Associates provides speech therapy for all ages, accepting Medicaid and a variety of health care plans.

ASHEVILLE SPEECH ASSOCIATES IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE PRACTICE OFFERING SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICES IN ASHEVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREAS!

Infant Stimulation

   Your baby has just arrived!  The most important thing to do is feed your baby.  Don't forget the "food" for your baby's mind and senses.  The first eight months are of great importance in developing good social skills, emotional growth and intelligence.  Your baby also forms an attitude about life during these first months of life.
To get off to a good start:

• Respond quickly to your baby's cries
• Talk and sing to your baby from the time of birth
• Handle your baby as much as you can
• Read about child development and know the next skills your baby should develop
• Provide experiences for all senses:  mobiles, mirrors, music, toys of
different textures
• Play with your baby (peek-a-boo)

Teachers can prevent vocal abuse

   Teachers who persistently strain their voice while shouting directions in class can damage their vocal cords and may eventually develop vocal nodules or polyps.  Becoming more aware of the vocal cords as a muscle and applying proper body maintenance is the first step.  Attending to early warning signs can prevent and even reverse damage to the vocal cords.

Warning Signs
• A voice that hurts or is tired after talking a lot.
• Losing one's voice after excessive use.
• Feeling tension in the neck and throat when talking.
• Frequently running out of breath.
• Straining to talk.

Maintaining a healthy voice that sounds good takes knowledge.  Consult a Speech Pathologist to help reshape poor vocal habits.

From The Mailbox
Dear TLC:
   Dear TLC:  My 6-year-old son is delayed in both speech and language.  We can't understand what he says.  He is receiving speech therapy in the public schools two times per week for 15-20 minute sessions.  The speech therapist's schedule is too full to provide more therapy.  My son really likes his therapist.  Can we get additional speech therapy from someone else without losing the school therapist?
                                                                                                           Anxious Mom

Dear Anxious Mom:  Yes, additional speech therapy can be provided by a therapist with Asheville Speech Associates.  The therapists would consult with each other on goals to enhance your son's progress.

DYSPHAGIA

    Dysphagia means &ldquodifficulty swallowing.&rdquo  It occurs most often after a stroke and with progressive diseases such as Parkinson's, ALS and multiple sclerosis.  If a person aspirates (when food or liquid enters the lungs), it could cause pneumonia.
Signs and symptoms of a swallowing problem:

• Coughs after swallowing food or liquid
• Slow speech
• Squirrels food away in mouth
• Low grade temperature (99.9)
• Repeated bouts of pneumonia
• Needs extra time to eat
• Complains of food getting "stuck" in throat
• Weight loss

If you, or a loved one, exhibit any of these symptoms, it would be appropriate to call a Speech Pathologist.

A speech disorder may affect your child's self-esteem

Even a mild speech disorder can create big problems for a child.  The cruel remarks of classmates can leave lasting psychological scars.  Kids with speech problems often do poorly in class because they are afraid to speak out.
Some common speech disorders include:

• Delayed Language.  A child should develop first words by age 1 and two-word combinations by age 2.
Poor Articulation. Children sometimes distort and omit sounds or they substitute one sound for another.  Some sounds (s, l, r, th, sh, ch, j, v & z) may not be mastered until age 6 or 7.  If a child is unintelligible at age 3, intervention by a speech therapist is recommended.
Stuttering.  Repeating or prolonging sounds and syllables breaks the normal flow of speech.  Most children outgrow this but some become tense and frustrated, indicating a need for help.
• Unusual Voice Quality.  Hoarseness, volume and/or pitch problems could mean medical problems or vocal abuse.  Screaming on the playground could be a cause.

Contact a licensed Speech Pathologist if you suspect that your child has a problem.

Cleft Lip and Palate Disorders
    Cleft lip and palate are malformations that occur in utero and are present at birth. The term "cleft" may mean an upper open lip on one or both sides of the nose, and the palate or roof of the mouth may be divided so that the oral and nasal cavities are one cavity. Clefts that are more extensive may affect the face, the nose, the eyes, and related structures. These openings represent a developmental failure or disruption in the midface and oral cavity.
   Clefts occur in approximately one in every 750 births. There is considerable variation in the frequency of clefts from one racial group to another. The next highest occurrence rate is 2.13 per 1000 for the Japanese. A higher rate is reported for all yellow-skinned people and for the American Indian. The rate for Caucasians is at 1.34 per thousand. The lowest rate is for blacks. Clefts occur about twice as often in males as in females. In addition, males tend to have more severe deformities.
   Cleft lip and palate occur during the embryonic period, which ends at about eight weeks of gestation, and the very early fetal period, which immediately follows. A single factor or a simple system of maldevelopment does not cause the congenital malformation of cleft lip and palate. Genetic factors are basic and should be considered.
Speech disorders often related to clefts include hypernasality, hyponasality, articulation, swallowing, hoarseness, dysarthria and difficult to diagnose speech problems.