Hello! Welcome to Our New Blog

As you can see from the title, Rehab Specialists will be hosting a blog where we will be posting information about speech and language therapy every Monday. This will generally serve to get information out to the public on what we do as Speech-Language Pathologists and how speech therapy can help you or your loved ones. We would also like to build this blog to serve as a space where caretakers can connect and where you can get your questions answered by professionals. The therapists in this office work with all populations in most settings within the Pittsburgh area. We hope to cover a variety of issues for professionals, parents, and clients and talk about disorders which may affect both children and adults. Please check back often and engage in these talks so we get a sense of what the people reading this blog may be interested in learning. The two main therapists who will be contributing to this blog include Kathleen Dames and Julie Stroup. Kathleen mainly works with pediatric populations in a variety of placements including schools, early intervention, consultation for learning institutions, and here in the office. Julie also works with children in those settings but she has a specialty with swallowing and alternative communication options for adults with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. Comment below with any thoughts, comments, or questions for us. Until next time!

Kathleen and Julie

(Originally posted 9/4/18)

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What are Neurological Soft Signs?

Although the term “Neurological Soft Signs (NSS)” sounds like it may be referring to signs of a stroke or other impairment, it actually refers to something much more subtle. The reason we say “sift” signs is because NSS refers to a series of testable reflexes, movements, and sensory experiences that may suggest that there is a neurological abnormality this is not related to a specific area of the brain or a specific disorder. Many of these signs are developmental and can be just a delay that is “grown out of.” However, they are also precursory signs that another more serious impairment may be the underlying cause of these abnormalities. Neurological soft signs are typically broken into three subcategories: 1. Sensory integration which may include a. Low muscle tone (hypotonia): signs of this would include toe-walking, difficulty feeding, a lax tongue, a floppy head as a baby, delayed physical...

5 Questions With...Kathy Helfrich-Miller: What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Since I have been at Rehabilitation Specialists, I have worked with many children with the diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). However, I have been hesitant to write a blog post about this disorder. There is so much misinformation on the web as a whole; yet, there is so much good information on www.apraxia-kids.org that I felt like I did not want to be redundant. However, When I was a student at Duquesne University, I was fascinated by this motor speech disorder and actively asked to work with individuals with this diagnosis. I believe this is why for my last rotation of clinicals, I was sent here to work with Kathy Helfrich-Miller. Kathy retired this January and asked Julie and I to take over her life’s work. However, she has not completely left Rehab Specialists-- she still mentors us in many ways! So, as she taught me everything I know about apraxia, I asked her to be the guest expert for this installment of “5 Questions With…” series. ...

Online Resources During A Pandemic

Speech-Language Pathology: Online Resources for Home Practice Dear Parents, Outlined on this blog post are various educational resources, as well as, Netflix recommendations and an example of a daily schedule, in hopes that we help you keep your kiddos busy and learning while our office, Rehabilitation Specialists, Inc, and schools are closed due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Moreover, If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s speech and language, please contact us at 412-761-6062 and continue to stay up-to-date with our office by visiting our website at https://rehabspecialists.net/ and following us on our Instagram, at @ rehabspecialists_slp . Thank you so much for working with your children during this recess. We hope to get back to working with you all again soon! Sincerely, Your Team at Rehabilitation Specialists, Inc. Kathleen Dames, M.S. CCC-SLP ...

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