Speech Therapy Center is working this holiday season to assist community organizations with their fundraisers and/or resource collection drives. We are thankful for the wonderful families that we have. The families are thankful for the wonderful therapy they receive. So it is time to pay it forward. The following are two organizations that we are collecting for: The Early Learning Coalition The Early Learning Coalition and Domino’s Pizza have collaborated to bring you a pizza deal like no other. The ELC is selling Slice the Price cards for $10.00 each. This reusable discount card will give you one FREE large pizza for every large pizza you buy at regular price from now until June 30, 2012. That means you buy three large pizzas and get three more free, with no limits on the toppings. There is no limit on the number of times you can use the card until then, but using it just once pays for itself. The ELC will receive 50 percent of the proceeds of each Slice the Price card bought. Help us fund early childhood education programs to ensure that children are school-ready and set for success in life. The therapist at Speech Therapy Center will…

The Dating Guide for Teenagers with Asperger Syndrome, written by Jeannie Uhlenkamp. Taken from Amazon.com Dating is difficult for everyone, but it can be especially overwhelming tor teens with Asperger Syndrome, who typically struggle with social issues. Written in a question-and-answer format, this much-needed resource offers insight into and practical advice on dating challenges. Special education teacher Jeannie Uhlenkamp tackles some of the specific issues facing teens with AS in a logical progression, from how to know if someone likes you and how to ask someone out, to actually dating someone and breaking up. Each topic is followed by Discussion Questions (to get conversation flowing between teens and parents/teachers) and a Main Idea (to succinctly wrap up the main point). Also included are special notes to define the more elusive vocabulary and concepts of today’s dating world. Dating can be a confusing world and having Aspergers may make things a little bit more difficult; dating is already confusing as it is. Help your teens face the challenges of dating, breaking up, and coping with the tribulations of dating with this great book. It acts as a guide and soothes the transitions between emotions, boyfriends, girlfriends, and all other related topics.…

It is not unknown that one of the biggest obstacles children with speech and language disorders face is communicating in a social setting and as a result, bullying and teasing may easily accompany. Parents can help their children deal with the hardships of teasing using social scripts. Social Scripts are real life conversational scenarios, written down and then put into practice. You and your child can rehearse different scenarios where teasing and bullying might come into play. Putting these scripts into practice will help increase your child’s self-esteem and copying strategies. The following five steps were taken from Autisable.com. They are an excellent tool for children who feel pressured by peers in school, playgrounds, or anywhere else where they may find themselves interacting with others. 1.    Ignore and Walk away- sometimes when you ignore a bully, or act like the teasing or bullying does not bother you, it may cause them to stop. Most times bullies and teasers gang up on others for attention. So ignoring them or saying “whatever” may help. 2.    Say, “please stop that, it makes me feel upset”- sometimes peers may tease others in a friendly way; meaning they do not mean any harm. But most…