Special Topics:

Good Speech is vital to your Child’s Well Being and Future
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Have you considered the consequences?

• when your child senses that his parents do not understand what he is saying
• when your toddler is passed over as a potential playmate, because of her inability to connect with others
• when your child is afraid to put up his hand in class
• when your child is teased   by playmates about the way she says things
• when a child gets into fights on the playground because he cannot verbally defend himself
• when the self esteem you have worked so hard as a parent to instill, is diminished by negative talking experiences
• when a child is labelled ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’ just because reading and writing are hard for her
• when your child doesn’t pass provincial literacy testing for his secondary school diploma
• when lack of early speech and language intervention puts your child at risk of lower than expected income
• when your child chooses a field of work or accepts a position that does not involve talking or making presentations, because of the way he speaks.

These are just a few of the risks of children with undiagnosed and untreated speech, language, stuttering and reading problems.   These findings are drawn from clinical research in the field of communication disorders and sciences.

   Early signs of problems!

• My two-year-old is late in talking compared to his peers.
• My two and a half year old uses gestures and gets extremely frustrated when he is not understood.
• My two and a half year old does not play with toys in the expected way.
• My three-year-old says “tootie” for “cookie” and “ta” for “truck”.
• My three and a half year old is hard to understand, and strangers look to me for a translation.
• My four-year-old says “Her want it’, or ‘Him do it.”
• My four and a half year old stutters and says, “mommy, my words are hard for me”.
• My five-year-old doesn’t know what a rhyme is, and can’t produce words that rhyme.
• My five and a half year old starts talking and I have no clue what she is talking about, until a few sentences into her story.
• My six-year-old can’t remember the sounds that letters make.
• My six and a half year old doesn’t follow instructions well in the classroom and frequently finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• My seven-year-old mixes up p’s and q’s and b’s and d’s and it isn’t getting easier with time.

If any one of these signs is familiar you should seek the help of a Speech- Language Pathologist immediately.

Dyslexia, How Can I help my Child?
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Could my child be dyslexic?

• Is there a relative in the immediate or extended family who spells poorly?
• Is there a relative who had trouble learning to read as a youngster?
• Does your child seem to not remember the sounds associate with letters?
• Does your child mix up b’s and d’s, p’s and q’s?
• Does your child write numbers backwards?
• Is your child a poor reader in spite of good instruction and exposure to literacy activities?
• Does your child read ‘saw’ for ‘was’, ‘if’ for ‘it’?
• Does your child have trouble sounding out and blending words?
• Does your child have difficulty comprehending what he/she reads because the process is so slow and laborious?
• Does your child express dislike for reading, i.e., by crying, making excuses such as “I have a headache”, “my eyes are tired” ?

If your child is between 6 and 7 years of age and you answered yes to 6 or more, or between 8 and 9, and you answered yes to 4 or more, your child may have characteristics of dyslexia.

What is Dyslexia?


Dyslexia is a learning disability, which affects the auditory, visual, and motor aspects of reading, writing, and spelling.

Children with dyslexia tend to be bright, creative, and the inability to read or spell is in striking contrast to all their other gifts and talents.

There is help available

A full speech and language assessment, phonological awareness evaluation, and dyslexia determination are recommended.

This can be done by a Speech-Language Pathologist, educator, or psychologist with specific training in dyslexia evaluation and therapy.

What We Do

• We provide assessment, test analysis and interpretation, recommendations and program planning.
• We provide preliminary phonological awareness training as a first course of treatment for more severely affected students.
• We provide ½ day parent-training workshops in the Orton - Gillingham Method/Simultaneous Multisensory Teaching.
• We provide you with a starter kit, Braille alphabet, teacher’s manuals, student workbooks, and flash cards.
• We provide periodic review, client reevaluation and parent/teacher support.

What is SMT?

      It is a program which uses all the senses simultaneously to integrate sound, letters, cursive orthography, and spelling. It covers the rules of spelling conventions, spelling exceptions, syllable division, syllable accent, plus Latin and Greek derivatives.

      The program works on a “skill mastery” basis rather than “learn, move on and hope for the best”. It takes between 150 and 200 hours to administer and is delivered by the parent over a two-year period. The parent delivering the program must not have dyslexia himself.

The Simultaneous Multisensory Teaching program is the treatment of choice according to the IDA and is an effective approach for problem readers.

Do You need Voice Therapy?
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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF ‘YES’ RESPONSES.

1. Do you get frequent laryngitis?          YES    NO
2. Do you have a raspy, tight, breathy or gravely voice?   YES    NO
3. Do you “love to talk” and/or sing a lot?   YES    NO
4. Has your Ear Nose and Throat Doctor told you that you have tired, swollen or bumpy vocal cords?  YES    NO
5. Has your Ear Nose and Throat Doctor told you there is no physical evidence of voice damage, and the way you talk may be contributing to your voice quality?   YES    NO

IF YOU ANSWER ‘YES’ TO 2 OR MORE OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM VOICE THERAPY FROM A REGISTERED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.

CARE OF YOUR VOICE

Here are some helpful hints for people who have strained their voices and are suffering from vocal fatigue.

• Do not yell, cheer or raise your voice.
• Do not talk louder than conversational level.
• Keep your voice light but do not whisper.
• If you sing, cut back on amount and loudness until your voice feels better.
• Do not talk more than absolutely necessary.
• Determine talking priorities, and let someone else be the “life of the party”.
• Try not to cough or clear your throat.
• Take sips of water throughout the day.
• Keep your environment as humid as possible.
• Take time out of for general relaxation.

THE ABOVE MEASURES ARE BROAD COMMON-SENSE SUGGESTIONS AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THERAPY.

Voice and Articulation Therapy for Singers
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-still being written

Corporate/Business: Improve Total Communication Performance in the Workplace
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The Speech, Voice and Language Clinic is a Speech Pathology Private Practice that provides the National Capital Region with high quality diagnostic, therapeutic and educational services in a wide spectrum of human communication disciplines.

We have been serving Ottawa since 1982 and are proud of our success and commitment in helping our clients achieve and enjoy optimal communication health.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide skilled and caring service in the areas of communication disorders, sciences, performance and arts.

 We work with commitment, professionalism, and attention to detail; providing individualised programs and highly personalised service to individuals, organizations, businesses, and corporations large and small.

The Speech, Voice and Language Clinic offers a comprehensive program for the corporate/business population to improve speech, voice, accent, communication, public speaking, and communication management in the workplace.

Programs SVLC Offers You

We offer individual evaluations, workplace appraisals and therapeutic programs uniquely designed for the client and their organization. Our process involves observation and identification of problems, formal assessment, interpretation and analysis, program development, intervention, education, guidance and program review.

Work Reintegration following Stroke and Brain Injury

Accent Reduction

Occupational Issues of the Second Language Acquisition Client

Non Native Speaker Coaching and Coping Skills

Linguistic Assessment Services for Public Servants

Dyslexia Determination

Sub Clinical Language Based Learning Disabilities

Non Verbal Learning Disabilities

Auditory Processing Management

Memory Skills

Voice Performance and Articulation Skills

Care of the Professional Voice for Public Speakers, Clergy, Teachers, Singing Teachers and Singers

Public Speaking and Presentation Skills

Dealing with Stage Fright

Communication Work Environment Management for Peek Performance

Dining and Corporate Etiquette

Why Communication?

Good communication skills in the business world spell profitability!

We are proud of our associations with:

Alcatel Networks

Algonquin College

Canada Post

Carleton University

Cisco Systems Canada Co.

Cognos Incorporated

Corel Corporation

Great Canadian Theatre Company

Mitel Networks

National Arts Centre

Nortel Networks

Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Ottawa University

Savoy Society of Ottawa

St Paul’s University

Yoriko Tanno-Kimmons Studio

Reminiscence Therapy
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Quality of Life Communication Facilitation For the Elderly

Commonly asked questions:

What is Reminiscence Therapy?

Reminiscence Therapy is a communication facilitation technique which provides patients with the opportunity to connect and communicate with loved ones and family members when communication skills are significantly compromised by neurological conditions and non-specific decline in the aged.   The purpose is to provide patients and their loved ones with opportunities to have conversations and share messages in ways that they might not consider possible.

Who would benefit from Reminiscence Therapy?

Patients with conditions such as aphasia, dysarthria, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, some types of Dementia, Cancer and Traumatic Brain Injury, to name a few. It is meant for end stage communication.   It is intended for the patient for whom no or little functional gain in communication is expected. An ideal candidate must have some functional residual hearing and some comprehension of language, and awareness of family and friends.

How does Reminiscence Therapy work?

The patient’s spouse, friend or loved one attends therapy with the patient and through careful interviewing technique provides the Speech-Language Pathologist with biographical, cultural, and historical information about the patient.   Using speech, pictures, drawings, gestures, photo albums, lists of family members names etc, the clinician along with the family member embark on a journey of   shared connectedness and meaningful relationality.

What are the benefits of Reminiscence Therapy?

Patients and their family members who have engaged in Reminiscence Therapy report feelings of closeness, opportunity to have final conversations, opportunities to laugh and joke, when everything around them may be difficult, painful, negative and at times seemingly humourless.   Client families report a positive effect on their family members who are in the end stages of illness.

Linguistic Assessment Services for Public Servants
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We are a private practice in Speech-Language Pathology with unique experience in evaluating second language-acquisition learners. We provide services to public servants who are concerned with language competence testing.

We evaluate clients through a careful intake interview, workplace/career inventory, and administration of a battery of tests.   This process is finely tuned to identify minimal linguistic dysfunction which academic and psychological testing cannot isolate.

Who is Appropriate for the EEARS Program? (Evaluations, Exemptions, Accommodations, and Recommendations)

Anyone who works in an occupational setting where bilingualism is a requirement and necessary for advancement.

How does it work?

Testing takes 2 hours and analysis, scoring and report writing take 3 hours. An additional final hour is spent in a feedback/guidance session where we review your report and discuss our findings and recommendations. We provide you, your physician and your employer with a copy of your report. We meet with employers as requested. We provide you with official receipts.

Take our Quiz

1. Do you keep taking Language Competency Exams and continue to fail the expressive subtests?         

        YES    NO

2. Do you have difficulty focusing with background noise?

         YES    NO

3. Do you sometimes search for words when speaking in your native language?  

YES    NO

4. Do you have trouble spelling?

YES    NO

5. Do you sometimes have trouble thinking “on your feet” and formulating an organized narrative in either your native language or your   second language?

YES    NO

6. Do you read slowly and deliberately, reading every word, rather than skimming?

YES    NO

7. When you speak does the wrong word pop out from time to time, like “month” for “week” or “pile folder” for “file folder”.

YES    NO

8. Are you someone whose marks in early grade school were not indicative of your innate brightness and did not match your perceived intelligence?

YES    NO

9. Do you sometimes stutter on words or have fear of stuttering?

YES    NO

10. Do you have trouble remembering names, for example, when introducing people?

YES    NO

IF YOU ANSWER ‘ YES’ TO 3 OR MORE OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU COULD HAVE A MINIMAL LANGUAGE BASED LEARNING DISABILITY WHICH PREVENTS YOU FROM ACHIEVING FLUENCY IN A SECOND LANGUAGE.  

• YOU MAY   BENEFIT FROM A LANGUAGE EVALUATION THAT EXAMINES MINIMAL LINGUISTIC DYSFUNCTION IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE.  
• SUCH AN EVALUATION MAY   SHED LIGHT AND PREDICT PERFORMANCE FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE   TESTING.
• YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO AND BENEFIT FROM: EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN BILINGUALISM CRITERIA, ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE WORK PLACE, ALTERNATIVE TESTING METHODS WHICH ARE MORE FUNCTIONAL, AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP YOU PERFORM OPTIMALLY IN A BILINGUAL WORK ENVIRONMENT.
• EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE IN THE WORK PLACE AND FAIR TREATMENT BASED ON ABILITY AND LINGUISTIC PROFILE.

Special Programs for Schools
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-still being written

 

Accent Reduction
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What is an accent?


An accent is the unique way that speech is pronounced by a group of people speaking the same language, that sounds foreign. Accents can impede communication and make speakers sound non-native. Accents are usually grouped as:

• Regional Accents—for example, people who are from Newfoundland or Alberta often sound different than people who are from Ontario. People from Arnprior can sound different from residents of Ottawa.
• Foreign Accents—for example, someone who was raised speaking English will sound different than someone who was raised speaking Cantonese and learned English as an adult.


Most of us have accents.

The most common cause of accent is because English is not one’s first language.

Accent reduction and accent modification are two terms, which are synonymous.

Contributions of speech and intonation to sounding foreign:

One may speak a second language quite well yet still have an accent. Contributors to accent for people who speak English well are:

Intonation of words
• Intonation of phrases
• Intonation of sentences
• Vowel production
• Consonant production
• Sound patterns misapplied from native language to English
• Non-mastery of tacit phonological rules: ie voicing, unreleased stop consonants



Contributions of language to sounding foreign:

• Prepositions
• Vocabulary
• Grammar: Russian (articles)
• Comprehension
• Learning Models: (visual)

Other contributors to sounding foreign:

• Rate of speech (speed)
• Resonance and Voice
• Behaviours
• Nonverbal communication
• Coping skills
• Turns of phrase, idioms

Consequences of an untreated accent: communication, social, emotional

Communication is the ultimate goal of speech and language. To the extent that our messages lack clarity our listeners cannot understand us. If comprehension of our speech is lacking, then communication has not occurred, resulting in miscommunication.
Having a prominent accent may have negative effects on job performance, educational advancement, and everyday life activities. An accent may also negatively impact your self-esteem if you are having difficulty communicating because of an accent. People (listeners) are often distracted by accent, thus focusing on your accent more than on what you are trying to say.

Not being understood has devastating results in both the work place and in clients’ personal lives. For these reasons, people often want to modify or change their accent.

Most frequent responses when I conduct a social/demographic interview with a client is comments such as:

• I am always on the side lines; I listen more than speak
• People mistake my intentions and mood
• I was not cut out to be an immigrant, I don’t have what it takes
• My job is on the line
• I am constantly overlooked for promotions
• I don’t interview for positions that require greater communication skills
• I always feel less intelligent than I really am
• I get upset when I see a quizzical look on peoples faces
• I hate it when people pretend to understand me
• I get embarrassed when people ask me to repeat
• I have most difficulty with the telephone
• I have trouble laughing at my errors

Can I change my accent?

Absolutely. It takes work, perseverance, dedication, practice, some auditory/language/ imitative talent, and most importantly the right learning tools and resources. Also one must be relaxed, learn to be patient and be willing to take risks and make mistakes. Laughter is important. Adults learn best when they are not anxious and comfortable.

Why a Speech-Language Pathologist?

A qualified Speech-Language Pathologist, trained in both assessing as well as treating accent is a best-practice guideline.

SLPs differ from teachers, instructors, ESL teachers and the like in several ways:

• Masters Degree in Human Communication Disorders and Sciences



• Advanced knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, linguistics, phonetics, phonology and voice production as they relate to speech production



• Vast knowledge of both normal as well as disordered communication



• Use a therapeutic approach to treating accent which is more effective than a teaching approach

Who seeks accent reduction?

• Non-native English speakers


• Native speakers who want to reduce a regional accent


• Business professionals who want to improve their communication skills for their careers


• Actors who need to learn a new accent for a role or performance


• Gender issues



What can I expect from The Speech, Voice and Language Clinic?

A thorough evaluation of your individual speech pattern and profile. The speech-language pathologist will evaluate your:

• Sound pronunciation (consonants and vowels)


• Stress, rhythm, and intonation of speech


• Screening of grammar, vocabulary


• Fluidity, comfort with language


• Overall effectiveness as a speaker and communication partner


• Voice, resonance and vocal performance

In testing you will be asked to read words, sentences, and paragraphs. For this reason it is important to have basic reading skills.

The Speech-Language Pathologist will also listen to your speech in conversation.

Once this information is collected and analyzed, the Speech-Language Pathologist will identify what changes can be made in your speech pattern to modify your accent and improve your overall communication. A set of goals based on your individual needs will be developed. Often, goals that will either make the greatest difference or are easiest for the client to acquire are targeted first. Therapy sessions may be provided to individuals or small groups. At the end of treatment, a reassessment will be undertaken and a progress report on each individual as well as verbal feedback will be provided.

FAQ:

Is there one accent that is better than another? NO

Is an accent a speech disorder? ONLY IF IT SEVERELY IMPAIRS COMMUNICATION

Can it be treated as a speech disorder with a physician referral? YES

Will I sound like somebody else at the end of my training? NO. YOU SOUND LIKE YOURSELF, ONLY CLEARER.

How much change can I expect? IT DEPENDS ON THE PRESENTING ACCENT, THE SKILLS OF THE CLIENT, TIME SPENT PRACTICING ETC.

Will I sound like a native Canadian? ONLY IF YOUR ACCENT IS MILD AND YOUR COMMAND OF ENGLISH IS GOOD. FOR MORE HEAVILY ACCENTED PEOPLE, THE GOAL IS TO GET CLOSER TO SOUNDING NATIVE OVER TIME.

Materials Used:

Mastering Effective English Communication: Intonation Patterns, Vowel system, Consonant Variations. Lorna D. Sikorski, M.A.

A Practical English Grammar. A.J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet (text and worksheets).

Idioms 1 and 2. Public Service Commission of Canada.

Gambits. Public Service Commission of Canada.

Improving Voice and Articulation. Hilda B. Fisher.

Various handouts and resources developed in house by Mary-Anne Zubrycky, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist.

What Clients Require:

Each client should own a quality dictionary: i.e. Oxford, Webster, Funk and Wagnall's. A cassette tape recorder or CD player is required for home practice.





Links to Resources
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International Dyslexia Association
www.interdys.org

Canadian Dyslexia Centre
http://www.dyslexiacentre.ca

Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists
http://www.caslpa.ca

Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
http://www.osla.on.ca

American Speech-Language Hearing Association
http://www.asha.org