17th Annual Free Screening for National Speech-Language-Hearing Month

May 21, 2024 Shawna Ross

This is the 17th year Sierra Therapy Group is offering a FREE screening to recognize National Speech-Language-Hearing Month (which is rebranded this year from Better Hearing & Speech Month). NSLHM is a national campaign prioritized by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (asha.org). We are excited that Silver State Hearing & Balance is joining us again this year to conduct the hearing screenings! During May, speech-language pathologists and audiologists share about our profession and how we help individuals of all ages communicate, speak, write, understand, swallow, and hear. These services are provided in early intervention programs, schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, private practices, home visits, and through telehealth (which is much more accessible and main stream following the pandemic).

Do you have concerns regarding your child’s speech/language development or hearing skills? Or, are you on a waitlist for an evaluation at a private practice or the WCSD ChildFind Program… This is your chance to ask questions and have certified professionals screen for possible speech, language, and hearing concerns. A screening is a “quick look” at skills to see if a full assessment/evaluation is recommended. The screening tasks include observing how well a child is producing speech sounds (e.g., articulation), how well a child is using language forms (e.g, past tense -ed in jumped), how well a child is understanding directions and wh-questions, and how well a child is hearing. These skills are compared to what children are expected to do for their ages and recommendations are made from there. If an assessment is recommended, we share resources available throughout our community!

What: FREE screening for children ages 3-6
When: Friday May 31st, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: 9520 Prototype Crt, Reno, NV 89521
How: email shawna@sierraspeech.com to reserve a spot! Or call 775.852.6323 x 100

16th Annual Free Screening for Better Hearing & Speech Month

April 12, 2023 Shawna Ross

This is the 16th year Sierra Therapy Group has offered a free screening in recognition of Better Hearing & Speech Month, which is a national campaign organized by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (asha.org/bhsm/). We are excited that Silver State Hearing & Balance is joining us again this year! During May, speech-language pathologists and audiologists share about our profession and how we help individuals of all ages communicate, speak, write, understand, swallow, and hear. Services are provided in early intervention programs, schools, hospitals, private practices, home visits, and through telehealth (which is much more accessible and main stream following the pandemic).

What: FREE screening for children ages 3-6
When: Friday May 5th, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: 9520 Prototype Crt, Reno, NV 89521
How: email shawna@sierraspeech.com to reserve a spot! Or call 775.852.6323 x 100

15th Annual Screening in Honor of Better Hearing & Speech Month

May 4, 2022 Shawna Ross

It is hard to believe that this will be the 15th May we have celebrated Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) by offering a free screening for children in our area! We even provided the screening virtually during the pandemic, so this is the 15th consecutive year!

BHSM is a national campaign organized by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (asha.org/bhsm/). During May, speech-language pathologists and audiologists share about our profession and how we help individuals of all ages communicate, speak, write, understand, swallow, and hear. Services are provided in early intervention programs, schools, hospitals, private practices, home visits, and through telehealth (which is much more accessible and main stream following the pandemic).

The clinicians at Sierra Therapy Group honor Better Hearing & Speech Month by providing free screenings for children ages 3-6. A screening is when professionals complete tasks and take a quick look at skills to see if a full assessment/evaluation is recommended. The screening tasks we do will look at how well a child is producing speech sounds (e.g., articulation), how well a child is using language forms (e.g., past tense -ed in jumped), and how well a child is understanding directions and wh-questions (e.g., put the car under the chair). These skills are compared to what children are expected to do for their ages and recommendations are made from there. If an assessment is recommended, we share resources available throughout our community!

What: FREE screening for children ages 3-6, screening will assess speech & language skills
When: Saturday May 21st, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: 9520 Prototype Crt, Reno, NV 89521
How: email shawna@sierraspeech.com to reserve a spot! Or call 775.852.6323 x 100!

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month!

May 5, 2021 Shawna Ross

In May we celebrate Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM)! BHSM is a national campaign led by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and it is an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role of ASHA members in providing life-altering treatment. For 2021, the theme is "Building Connections." ASHA members and Speech-Language Pathologists across practice settings help individuals improve communication skills which then leads to building connections. Different practice settings include schools, private practices, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities.

Sierra Therapy Group celebrates BHSM by offering a free screening. Screenings are completed to give a quick look at a child’s skills to determine if a full evaluation is recommended. This is the 14th annual screening, and this year we are back in person (with COVID precautions and a protocol in place).

WHAT: FREE Screening for children ages 3-6
WHEN: Saturday May 15th, 10am to 2pm
WHERE: 9520 Prototype Crt, Reno, NV 89521
HOW: email shawna@sierraspeech.com to reserve a spot!

We look forward to “Building Connections” with families and children at our BHSM screening!

Videos

Biggest #BHSM2020 Take Away Points

May 30, 2020 Shawna Ross

Phew, what a May, actually March-April-and May, it has been. I have seen fairy gardens and magic tricks, have been introduced to siblings/pets/favorite stuffies, have worked in blanket forts, and have gone for car rides all while sitting at my desk. I am grateful for technology and flexibility and being able to not miss a beat (and insurance is covering, and we are making just as much progress!). I am also grateful for my network of colleagues that I have been able to rally with and gain knowledge from and share resources with (special thanks to Holly Cook, Kim Reddig, Melissa Urbani, Nancy Kuhles,Rachael Walden). Right when I was settling in and learning how this new work feels and flows, it is time to shift energy to figuring out what transitioning back to the office is going to look like…with that is coming another learning curve and trying to figure out best safety practices for everyone. Teletherapy is working well for many of the clients (and can continue for those families it is best for), but there is nothing like in-person, face-to-face therapy that some kids just need. My fingers are crossed that the in-person high fives and chatter in the waiting room will return sooner than later. The biggest take away points for me this Better Hearing & Speech Month is that I was reminded how resilient and generous we are as a field (from free resources to free live trainings to countless answers to questions). I was also reminded of how resilient the kids and families we work with are in trying and adapting to new things even though they face struggles different from those people without disabilities. Last, my mind was opened to the value of teletherapy and how it can be utilized as a service delivery option in the future, maybe helping to better serve families who live in our rural areas....

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