About Avivit Ben-Aharon
Founder & Clinical Director at Great Speech Inc. | Providing Innovative Alternatives to Speech Pathology Services
Entries by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Language Recovery After Stroke
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a group of conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain and lead to problems with blood flow. The most common and severe form of cerebrovascular disease is a stroke, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Without proper blood flow, brain cells can become damaged [...]
Early Interventions for Lisp Speech Disorders in Children
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
A lisp is a speech disorder where certain sounds, particularly the “s” and “z” sounds, are mispronounced. This often results in it sounding like the “th” sound, for example saying “thoo” instead of “zoo” or “thun” instead of “sun”. A lisp affects speech clarity and can result in communication challenges. These challenges may lead to [...]
Voice Therapy for Teachers: Protecting Your Voice in the Classroom
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
The voice is an essential tool for teachers in the classroom. A healthy voice is important for leading instruction, managing the classroom, and communicating with students. Not properly caring for one’s voice can lead to numerous vocal issues, such as vocal strain, vocal fatigue, and long-term damage. Research shows that female teachers are at [...]
How Anxiety in Kids & Communication Disorders Are Related
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Anxiety is a mental health issue that affects people of all ages, including children. The CDC reports that 10% of children ages 3-17 have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (9% of males and 11% of females), and that number has been on the rise. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including: * General Anxiety [...]
Speech Therapy for Individuals with Vocal Fold Atrophy
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
As individuals get older, it is common for muscles to begin to atrophy. Muscle atrophy refers to the process of losing muscle mass or muscle tissue, resulting in smaller and weaker muscles. When this occurs with the vocal folds, it can affect an individual’s vocal quality and communication abilities. The terms vocal cords and [...]
Speech Therapy for Kids with Lisps
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Lisps are among the most commonly treated speech problems by speech and language pathologists. The term “lisp” refers to the inability to clearly and easily produce specific speech sounds. Lisps are a type of functional speech disorder that is commonly identified in young children. Current research suggests that 23% of Americans will speak with a [...]
Does Williams Syndrome Affect Speech?
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
What is Williams Syndrome? Williams Syndrome is a rare disorder caused by the spontaneous deletion of 26-28 genes on chromosome number 7. The deletion occurs at conception and can occur in either the egg or the sperm. In most cases, this takes place on its own with no family history; however, someone who has this [...]
How Speech Therapy Supports Emotional Well-Being in Seniors
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Many people are aware that speech therapy can be helpful for a child struggling with a speech disorder. However, most do not realize that it can be beneficial for individuals in various stages of life, including seniors. Speech Difficulties for Seniors Many conditions can affect a senior's ability to speak and communicate effectively. [...]
How Do You Treat Stuttering In Adolescence?
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Teenage Stuttering Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects the normal flow of speech. Someone with a stutter knows what they want to say but may have difficulty saying it. Symptoms of stuttering include: * Repeating sounds or syllables in a word (st-st-st-stutter) * Prolonging word sounds (ssstutter) * Blocking of sound when trying to speak. The mouth [...]
What is a Phonological Disorder?
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
A Phonological Disorder is a type of speech disorder in which a person has difficulty understanding or using the rules of sound patterns (phonology) in their language. They may be able to produce individual sounds correctly but struggle when putting those sounds together to form words. Someone with a phonological disorder is often difficult to [...]
How Speech Therapy Helps Adults Recover from Aphasia After a Stroke
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It can result from either a stroke or a brain injury; however, a stroke to the left side of the brain is typically the cause. The left brain handles the various aspects of speech and language. The effect that aphasia has on [...]
Does Dyslexia Affect Speech?
/ by Avivit Ben-Aharon
What is Dyslexia Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to read, write, spell, and sometimes speak. This disorder is caused by the differences in how the brain processes written and spoken language. People with dyslexia have difficulty connecting letters to their sounds, sounds to their words, and words to their [...]