Back to School Organization: Launch Pads and Landing Zones

We're just a few days away from from the first day of school.  If you're a parent, you've got a lot on your mind! Here's a quick list of things to do before school starts to make sure you, your kids and your home are prepared.

10 Things For Parents to Do 

Before the First Day of School

1. Have a supply of desperation dinners; stock the freezer with convenience meals
2. Start working on the routine for waking up and going to bed- it won't be easy, but it will be worth it
3. Get all of the laundry done and begin sorting- out with the old, to make room for the new
4. Declutter and streamline- office, bedroom, bathroom
5. Get everyone looking good- hair cuts, clean teeth, new glasses
6. Get them cleared with the doctor- physicals and immunizations
7. Get to work on a family calendar- start marking holidays, practices, games
8. Synchronize- review the back to school plan with spouse, kids, important people in your life
9. Begin back to school shopping- clothes, school supplies, lunch items
10. Create a launch pad and landing zone

Launch Pads and Landing Zones

Creating a launch pad and landing zone for my home with something I never really thought of until I was educating a patient about memory compensatory strategies. It's a suggestion SLPs make very often:  keep things in a predictable location. 


Putting things in a designated location makes it easy for you to find them if your memory is an issue. Likewise, putting things in a specified location can help an entire family function more efficiently.  

It's really pretty simple: designate an area, give it a catchy name and begin the training process. 

Here's how it all started for me.

The three square feet surrounding the front door of  our home was out of control. There was a mound of shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets and clothes that collected there. With a family of six, that usually meant at least 12 shoes, 4 backpacks, 2 lunch boxes, 5 jackets, 3 baseball caps, and an odd assortment of socks.   During sports seasons, it could mean 4 additional gym bags, 8 more shoes, a collection of balls and, most likely, a few helmets.

After tripping over the pile one day, I was determined  to create a system of keeping the doorways and hallways free of clutter.  

Now, in a hallway not far from the front door, we have 4 wall hooks to hang backpacks, lunch boxes and jackets. Additional gear and shoes can be placed neatly on the floor under the hooks. 

Voila…the landing zone!

Wanting to capture all of the things that are easily misplaced, I added a few more things. There's a key box on a table near the front door. That's the landing zone for keys and sunglasses. There's a basket near my desk that serves as the landing zone for incoming mail.  A bin in the kitchen serves as a landing zone for important school papers. The kids know this is the designated drop spot to for permission slips, project information sheets and fund raiser order forms, etc.


The creation of our landing zone made it easy to establish a launch pad.  It's essentially the same, just done in reverse order. In the morning, kids know exactly where to find shoes, lunch boxes, back packs, lunch money and school materials before they head out the door.


Not only are the kids able to find their things without asking for my help, everyone gets out of the house faster in the morning.  As an added bonus, I can't recall a single time last year I had to drop off something at school because it was forgotten at home.

 V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Whether you're pressed for time, up to your eyeballs in clutter or having a senior moment, creating a landing zone and launch pad for your family is a super idea. Get started organizing your space for efficiency today, and you'll be off to a good start when school begins. 


Organization isn't about perfection, it's about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life. 
Christine Scalise

10 Good Reasons to Stop Mouth Breathing NOW

Become a Better Breather

Is your child a mouth breather?

If normal nasal breathing is not possible, the body must resort to mouth breathing. If you’ve ever had a stuffy nose due to a cold or allergies, temporary mouth breathing may have been the only option.

When mouth breathing becomes habitual, however, the muscles of the face and mouth do not function properly. Underdeveloped oral muscles begin to cause problems. 

The effects of prolonged mouth breathing range from inconvenient to serious. Here are 10 good reasons to stop mouth breathing NOW:

1.  Problems with speech and breathing- sounds are incorrectly produced or misarticulated; the size of nasal passages are changed; decreased oxygen intake is common

2.  Difficulties with chewing and swallowing- biting and tearing food is difficult because of the forward position of the teeth; abnormal swallowing patterns are likely

3.  Undesirable appearance- many people find an open mouth posture less attractive and less socially acceptable 

4.  Abnormal facial and dental development- teeth protrude, palate is high & narrow, lower jaw is recessed; the shape of the face (jaw, tongue, nose, cheeks) may be permanently changed

5.  Cavities and gum disease- all that air is bad for your teeth; the pH of saliva elevates and causes cavities

6.  Chronic fatigue due to poor sleep- mouth breathing is associated with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

7.  Poor physical growth-  delays of skeletal growth are apparent

8.  Postural problems and spinal issues-  an open mouth is commonly associated with a slumped posture; abnormal curvature of the spine and altered shoulder posture results; problems are also typically seen in hips, knees and feet 

9.  Weak academic performance- a chronic lack of oxygen and poor sleep yields diminished concentration for learning and behavior issues at school

10. Interference with the results of orthodontic treatment- braces may solve the problem but they do not fix the problem...if mouth breathing persists, the teeth will shift back

   

Without a doubt, mouth breathing is a habit that must be changed because of its serious, lifelong effects.  Correction of a mouth breathing habit takes time, practice and skilled intervention. Talk to your medical or dental professional to see if a consultation with a speech-language pathologist is in order. When properly trained, healthcare professionals, like speech pathologists, can use myofunctional therapy to correct open mouth postures that lead to mouth breathing.  


Using myofunctional therapy, clients can strengthen and retrain oral muscles so that nasal breathing becomes natural and habitual. By making a commitment, in a few short months, you can improve your appearance, health and quality of life by becoming a better breather. 

Breathing and thinking are the two most important processes- one for sustaining life and the other for giving it purpose.
Tasneem Hameed

The Dos and Don'ts of Good Vocal Hygiene

Friends Don't Let Friends

Abuse Their Voices

A few years ago, when I was in college, I took a class on voice disorders.  Like most classes in LSU's Department of Communication Disorders, this class was made up of about 45 girls. Three times a week, we gathered for an hour to hear our professor, Dr. Hoffman, talk about the human voice.

I kind of hated that class. Here's why:

In the beginning, we looked at tons of pictures of vocal cords. This is what normal vocal cords look like.  I was shocked! Even after all of these years,  I still think they're pretty creepy.  

Once we mastered the basics of vocal fold anatomy in pictures, we watched hours of videos of vocal cords in vibration. If you have two minutes, watch the entire video, or if you just want to see the good stuff, skip the first 33 seconds and get straight to the action. 

 I don't know about you, but a little bit of that goes a long way for me.

Eventually, we learned that  things can get ugly and weird when gross stuff starts to grow on your vocal folds. This could happen to you if you don't use your voice the right way. 

Creepy, ugly, weird and gross... I rest my case.

To make sure this never happens to you, it's important to take care of your voice by using good vocal hygiene.  Here are 22 tips for keeping your voice healthy. 

The Dos and Don'ts 

of 

Good Vocal Hygiene

Do...

• drink plenty of water- this keeps your vocal cords hydrated and working smoothly

• eliminate or reduce smoking- inhalation of these chemicals is irritating to the throat

• eliminate or reduce alcohol- it increases stomach acid production and causes reflux

• eliminate or reduce caffeine- it dehydrates and causes reflux 

• control vocal loudness- speak at a comfortable volume, move closer to your listener if you need to be louder

• monitor vocal use- talking or singing for extended periods is abusive and causes damage

• take a break- give your voice time to rest after extended periods of use

• humidify the environment- adding moisture in the air is a good thing

• turn off ceiling fans at night- the continuous circulation of air can be drying during sleep

• speak at a comfortable pitch- a pitch that is too high or too low causes vocal strain...and sounds funny

• reduce excessive  talking- nonessential talking causes extra wear and tear on your voice

• use a microphone when addressing a large group- you can maintain a normal volume this way

• take it easy- there shouldn't be any strain or effort in the neck while speaking

• use a voice that is optimal for you- a speech pathologist can help you determine exactly that that sounds like

Don't...

• cough or clear your throat in a frequent or habitual way- it's annoying, and if you do it too often, it causes damage to your vocal cords

• scream or yell- these are the most common causes of vocal abuse

• whisper- it's more abusive to your voice than screaming or yelling

• yell to get someone's attention- go to them instead, face to face communication is always best

• talk over the noise in a loud place- turn down the volume or leave if you have to

• breathe through your mouth- air cannot be warmed or filtered if it goes straight to your throat

• make funny noises or use funny voices- they often require unusual use of pitch and volume  

• use products or take medicine that dry the mouth or throat- some mouthwashes, decongestants and allergy medications can release fluids from body tissues, including the vocal cords; a dry mouth and throat are not only uncomfortable, they can cause voice problems

These suggestions are meant to guide you in taking care of your voice. If used consistently, they may even prevent voice problems. Following these good vocal hygiene practices will make you feel better and sound better too!

If you or someone you know has or suspects a voice disorder, talk to your doctor. A referral to a speech pathologist may be just what you need. 

The human voice is the organ of the soul.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Spontaneous Speech Turns One!

All In One Year:

Part Two

In part one of this blog, Happy Anniversary Spontaneous Speech, I gave a brief chronology of events that led to the creation of this company and this product. I'll pick up where I left off...the boxes of flashcards had completed their trip from Hong Kong to Corpus Christi, Texas and were stacked in my living room.

Now that the product had arrived, it was time for the next phase:  introduce Pictures for Progress to the world!   ASHA's Healthcare and Business Institute in Phoenix, Arizona was going to be the perfect place to debut the cards. The conference was scheduled for July 7th-9th, so that gave us about a month to prepare.

Getting ready for Phoenix was fun and required a tremendous amount of creative brain power. We collected items to decorate the booth we would have in the vendor's area and designed a pair of banners. My mom and daughter helped me make these mock ups. (You'll see the finished products just below.) I ordered Spontaneous Speech pencils and magnetic bookmarks to give away at the conference. Without a doubt, I was doing things I had never done before, and I loved it!

Somehow, everything was completed according to schedule, and we packed the car and took off for Phoenix. I believe it was 12 hours of driving the first day and 6 hours of driving the next, but I didn't mind.  My mom is the best co pilot in the world, and I loved the desert scenery.

The evening we arrived in Phoenix, we raced over to the Convention Center to set up our booth. We had a selfie station tucked behind those beautiful banners. Check out those pineapple sunglasses...hilarious!

We were thrilled to receive so much positive feedback about the product, and one thing was clear: speech pathologists love a great set of flashcards!  We sold our first boxes! Success!

It took the rest of the month of July and all of August to recover from the non-stop activity that had been going on. I was pooped and needed to regroup. 


In October, I was the featured success story on the cover of Small Business 360. It was a boost I really needed.  (By the way, I probably have 360 copies of that magazine...if you want one... just let me know.) My business adviser at DelMar College's Small Business Development Center was so proud of me. If they haven't already, she said they will hang my picture and my story on their Wall of Fame.

Re-energized and feeling accomplished, the week after Thanksgiving, I rallied the troops and we took off to Denver, Colorado. We were headed to ASHA's National Convention. It was just like the Willie Nelson song... we were on the road again.  The scenery was beautiful but not too much snow here. Come to find out, a massive blizzard hit Colorado the very next day.

We re-assembled  our booth and spent three non-stop days talking to people about Pictures for Progress.  I heard there were about 16,000 SLPs and Audiologists at the convention. It was exhausting but it was fun! 

FYI:  if anyone ever offers you a gluten free chocolate chip cookie...just say NO!  

After the conference, we had some good momentum going, and internet orders started coming in.  Because it's still a home based business, I carefully wrap, stuff, label and mail the boxes myself. It's so much fun to send my boxes out into the world!

Once the holidays were over, in early January, I got back to work. 

During the ASHA convention in November, I received an invitation to partner with AliMed, a leading provider of medical and healthcare products. Having my products in an AliMed catalog was a long term goal, so I was thrilled!   I began the process of becoming a supplier.   

You may be wondering, "What's so special about AliMed?" Simple... they market to all segments  of the healthcare industry: hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, private medical practices, therapists and more.  Partnering with AliMed offers tremendous exposure for Spontaneous Speech.

In the meantime, thanks to my translator and graphic designer, the Spanish translations of Pictures for Progress were ready at the middle of March.  It was perfect timing because we were about to hit the road... AGAIN!

This time, I met my marketing team/ fan club at TSHA's Annual Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.  What a terrific way to spend Spring Break 2016! It was two great days of meeting, greeting and networking with SLPs. 

On May 5th, 2016, Pictures for Progress became available for purchase through AliMed!  They offer an incredible selection of products and provide excellent customer service, so it's great to be associated with such an industry powerhouse. Because they are an approved vendor for nearly every healthcare facility, partnering with AliMed will make it easy for professionals to purchase my products. You can click here to see just how easy it is.

I

In June, I was accepted into the Pre-Incubation Program at Texas A&M University's Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center. As a member of this incredible group, I meet with business advisers once a week for nine weeks.  Together, they help us examine our business concept, explore business development, create marketing strategies, discuss business financials and consider current and future operations for our businesses. They challenge us to look at the big picture and think long term. 

Participating in this program has changed the way I think of my business. It's allowing me to shape Spontaneous Speech into even more than I had ever imagined. Big changes are in store!  So, stay tuned and I'll keep you posted as details are available. 

Every small achievement will soon be one amazing success.

Unknown

Happy Anniversary, Spontaneous Speech!

All In One Year:
Part One

Exactly one year ago, at ASHA's summer conference, I introduced Spontaneous Speech Therapy Tools' Pictures for Progress to the world.  It felt like a huge accomplishment! As I celebrate this first anniversary, I thought I would recap the year in photos and give a condensed chronology of events.  Maybe you'll agree that the accomplishment was huge? If nothing else, you might be surprised...we did it all in one year!


I started writing my business plan for Spontaneous Speech during our Thanksgiving vacation to Big Bend. It was November, 2014. Who wouldn't be inspired to do something great while in such a spectacular place?

Just a few months later, with my business strategy in place, I spent Spring Break 2015 creating, designing and developing the cards and boxes that would become Pictures for Progress. My mom and I were so busy making the dream a reality, we didn't even stop to pose for a picture...so you'll just have to imagine us working together, getting stuff done.  We were unstoppable!  At the end of the week, everything was ready for the graphic designer.

One month later, April, 2015, the product design was complete and ready to be emailed to China. Because I negotiated and conducted all business via email, I was curious as to where my money and my ideas were going. One day, just for fun, I decided to see what Hong Kong actually looked like. I was blown away!

FUN FACTS:  

• There are 7,829 high rise buildings in Hong Kong, and 1.294 of those buildings are skyscrapers
• In Hong Kong, more people live about the 15th floor than any other city in the world

I crossed my fingers and held my breath as I waited for production to be complete. During that time, there was a little bit of back and forth with the manufacturer, but overall, things were moving very quickly! I started working on my website, had some business cards printed and registered with US Customs and Border Protection as an importer. There was no time for stopping.

It was mid May when I received word that printing and assembly were complete. My shipment of flashcards was ready for export!  Fifty boxes, each containing 10 boxes, were stacked on a pallet, wrapped in plastic and transported to the Port of Hong Kong.

Look at this...chaos if you ask me. It's a wonder anything ever gets anywhere!

After 5 days at sea, the boxes arrived in Los Angeles, California. They spent 3 weeks at the port while they underwent Custom's inspection.

Once they cleared US Customs, the boxes were sent by rail to Houston, Texas. The pallet of boxes hung out at the Port of Houston for about two weeks while they were being further inspected and processed. Look at the size of those ships and cranes! WOW!

Eventually loaded on a truck, the pallet of boxes made the quick trip from Houston to Corpus Christi. This is probably the exact truck Carr's used to transport my flashcards....don't you think?

Finally, three days later, my husband and I picked up Pictures for Progress from the delivery warehouse near the Corpus Christi airport. We loaded them into his truck and headed home. Again, we were so excited and relieved the 500 boxes had actually arrived, we didn't capture the moment with photos...you'll just have to imagine us giving each other a high five, or something like that.

My living room was stacked full of boxes and I didn't even mind.  It was awesome seeing the name of MY company printed on the sides of the boxes!





It was even more awesome seeing the boxes inside...I think I cried. They were the most beautiful boxes I had ever seen.  I was bursting with pride, but at the same time,  I couldn't  believe it...we did all of this in just three months!   

Now that the product had arrived, it was time for the next phase:  introduce Pictures for Progress to the world!   ASHA's Healthcare and Business Institute in Phoenix, Arizona was going to be the perfect place to debut the cards. The conference was scheduled for July 7th-9th, so that gave us about a month to prepare.

We put the pedal to the metal (literally and figuratively) and began a new phase of adventure.  Read about the rest of the journey in part two of this blog.


Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
Brian Littrell

Are You Saying These Words Wrong?

How do you say pecan?

A.  pee-KAHN

B.  pee-CAN

C.  PEE-can

D.  pick-AHN

E.  none of the above

In my home, the correct pronunciation for this five letter word is a great source of debate.  I say "pick-AHN" and my husband says "pee-KAHN."  Both of think we are right, so the debate continues.  It usually goes like this:

     Fred:  You say "pick-AHN"? That's not how we say it in Texas.
     Me:  I was born in Texas just like you.
     Fred:  Yeah, well, you sound like a Yankee.
     Me:  I grew up in Louisiana, but that's the deep south. I would hardly consider myself a Yankee.
     Fred: When you say "pick-AHN" you sound like a Yankee to me.

Well, it turns out, my husband was on to something...the area where you live likely dictates how you pronounce the word pecan. Check out this map. Joshua Katz, a graduate student studying statistics at North Carolina State University, used data to map out food dialects.

He found that pee-KAHN is dominant nationwide, but in areas of north Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi, pick-AHN reigns supreme.  PEE-can is popular on the East Coast, while people from Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula go with PEE-kahn.

Does your pronunciation of the word pecan correspond with the part of the country you live in? In our case, the map was spot on. I was raised in Louisiana by parents from north Texas, therefore, we say "pick-AHN." My husband, on the other hand, has lived his entire life in Corpus Christi, Texas, and just like most others in the region, he says "pee-KAHN."

While there is no one single correct way to say pecan, one thing is for sure, Standard American English pronunciation can be a tough nut to crack.  Good luck!



Family is like pecan pie- something sweet holding all the nuts together.
Unknown

Does Dori Have Dementia?

The Genetics of Memory Loss

and Dementia

In the movie Finding Nemo, the lovable Dori explains to Marlin that she suffers from short term memory loss. She says that it "runs in the family."  This short clip highlights both the humor and the frustration that short term memory loss causes. 

As we watched, my son commented, "That must be what it's like for you when you're at work, Mom." I laughed, "Sometimes it IS like that, Coby." He asked, "Mom, does Dori have dementia?" 

Is she right? Does memory loss run in families? Is he right? Does Dori have dementia? Considering the overwhelming number of people that have dementia, or are projected to be diagnosed with dementia, these are commonly asked questions. 

Many people with dementia are concerned that they have inherited the disease and that they may pass it on to their children. Simultaneously, family members and children of people with memory impairment  are worried they might be more likely to develop dementia themselves. We can better understand the heredity of memory loss by looking at our genetics.

The characteristics we have inherited from our parents are passed down to us in the form genes- thousands of them. They are found in every cell in our body and provide instructions needed to build our bodies.  

While many of our genes are exactly the same, some genes have small variations that yield the physical differences between people. These variations can also be the cause of diseases. Some of these variations among genes are common. They are call genetic variants. In other instances, the variations are rare and are called mutations. 

While genes are important building blocks, most of our physical characteristics and the diseases we experience are also greatly influenced by our environment and lifestyle. These factors, alone or in combination, can modify the effects of our genetic inheritance for dementia like Alzheimer's.

 Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and is the best understood.  It is considered to have two basic forms:  early onset and late onset. These two types of Alzheimer's disease generally have two patterns of genetic inheritance. 

Early onset Alzheimer's Disease

• A rare form of the disease where first symptoms begin to appear before the age of 65.

• This form of Alzheimer's tends to cluster within families, sometimes with several generations affected. It is considered a familial disease.

• In some cases, the younger onset of Alzheimer's is caused by a genetic mutation. It is extremely rare.

• People with any of these mutations tend to develop Alzheimer's disease in their 30s and 40s. 

• It is likely that all of those who inherit the faulty versions of these genes will develop dementia.

• Approximately half of the children of a person with one of these rare genetic mutations will inherit the disease. 

Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease

• The most common form of the disease where diagnosis occurs after the age of 65. 

• Having a relative with this form of Alzheimer's increases your chances of developing it, but not in a predictable way.

• Genetic variations act to increase or decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's but are not related to its direct cause.

• Those who have a parent, brother, sister or child with dementia are more likely to develop the disease. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness. 

• For someone with a close relative who is diagnosed later in life, the risk of developing Alzheimer's is doubled. It is not inevitable.

• Anyone can reduce their risk of developing dementia by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

 Use this link to read more about the Genetics of Dementia 

Most experts believe that the majority of Alzheimer's Disease (and its related memory loss) occurs as a result of complicated interactions between genes and other risk factors. So, in most cases, our risk of developing dementia is determined by a complex mix of our age, lifestyle and whether we carry any of those risk genes.

Now, back to the original questions: Does memory loss run in families? Yes, it does. Does Dori have dementia? It sounds like early onset Alzheimer's to me.

Please share this information with someone you know who can benefit, and, if you can remember, check of her newest movie, Finding Dori.


Just keep swimming.
Dori, Finding Nemo