Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder is defined by difficulties with the pragmatic use of language. This means how context influences the meaning of what is being said, going beyond just listening to the words but taking in the whole picture to understand the intended message.
Social-Pragmatic Communication Disorder Read Post »
Small talk is something that many people do not always feel comfortable with. Some may feel they do not know what to say or how to carry the conversation because it feels awkward. Others may feel the conversation is pointless and forced and do not try to put much effort into it. Even though it may feel this way sometimes, whether the conversation feels important or not, it is a window to building relationships and potentially even starting longer conversations.
How To Successfully Have Small Talk Read Post »
Often I have clients telling me they feel like they have a lump in their throat or they are out of breath when speaking, and this is most often the cause of tension due to anxiety. But the good news is these voice symptoms that appear can be managed with the proper tools and techniques.
The Effect That Anxiety Can Have On The Voice Read Post »
Modifying your accent and achieving noticeable results is absolutely possible. While it may feel like a lengthy process, with motivation and consistent practice, meaningful changes can be made. If you’re looking to improve your accent to boost confidence or increase clarity, speech therapy can provide the tools and guidance to help you reach your goals.
How Long Does It Take To Modify An Accent? Read Post »
When we use non-verbal communication, we can share additional information without having to describe things using words. Without non-verbal communication we would have difficulties fully expressing ourselves and understanding each other. Let’s explore non-verbal communication on a deeper level to better understand the importance of it when we are communicating.
Non-Verbal Communication Read Post »
Practice outside of sessions is an essential component when receiving speech therapy. This practice helps with maintenance of skills learned during the session, as well as to progress and see improvements before your next therapy session.
Importance of Homework Practice in Speech Therapy (Yes, for Adults too) Read Post »
Breathing is the fundamental part of life as it allows us to live. Not only is it essential to survive but it ialso plays a fundamental role in speech production. Breathing while speaking is so important as it is the basis for using our voice.
The Link Between Breathing and Speech Read Post »
In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes “Most people do not listen with the intent to
Active Listening: The Window To Effective Communication Read Post »
Sometimes when communicating with others whether the situation is stressful or not, we should always be mindful if there is any tension in our bodies. Tension can lead us to speak more quickly, more quietly, or take away from speaking clearly. When the body becomes tense, this can take away power to our voice as some of the muscles for speech will not be working efficiently to produce voice.
Reducing Physical Tension Read Post »
Recently aphasia has been brought into the limelight since Bruce Willis’s diagnosis with aphasia. Thousands of people are diagnosed every year with aphasia, though now more people are researching and learning about this disorder. So, what actually is Aphasia? Aphasia is a communication disorder that some people develop due to stroke, brain injury, brain tumor and sometimes dementia.
Spotlight: Aphasia Read Post »
The purpose of this blog post is not to delve into defining what all the different types of leadership styles are. If you would like to explore different leadership styles, there are many different resources and articles on the internet. However, in this blog post we will explore how you can learn to see yourself as a leader and communicate in a way that feels authentic to you.
Leadership And Communication Read Post »
Are you sometimes talking and all of a sudden you blank because the word you are trying to use just isn’t coming to mind? Well, this is something we call word finding or word retrieval. Having difficulties finding words is something that happens to everyone at some point or another.
Can’t Remember Your Words? Read Post »
If you often receive feedback that you are “short”, “blunt”, “intimidating” or even “rude” it’s likely that you are someone who leans towards being an aggressive communicator. Let’s take a minute to breakdown what qualities of someone’s communication may lead them to come across as aggressive.
Breaking Down The Aggressive Communicator Read Post »
Often I have a lot of clients telling me that they are having difficulties with the ‘L’ sound. So why is it so hard to say the ‘L’ in words in English such as ‘ball’, when you already have this sound in your language as well? The reason is because there are differences in how we pronounce the ‘L’ sound in English.
Are You Having Difficulty With The ‘L’ Sound? Read Post »
As a Speech Pathologist working in an adult clinic, I often get asked what the difference is between a psychologist, psychotherapist and psychiatrist. In order to find and pick the right person to see, you have to have a good understanding of what each profession does.
/S/ and /Z/ Sounds: Are You A Dipper Or Tipper? Read Post »
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Occupational therapy (OT), and Physical therapy (PT) are all types of rehabilitation therapy. Rehabilitation therapy provides assessment and treatment for people to help regain their function whether it be there speech/language, physical, or everyday life skills. Here we will discuss each individual therapy and the similarities and differences between all three professions.
SLP vs OT vs PT: What’s The Difference? Read Post »
Vocal hygiene is used to describe appropriate maintenance for a healthy voice. There are many different ways one can maintain vocal hygiene by following these practices
What Is Vocal Hygiene? and How to Care for your Voice Read Post »
For those of you who have been coming into the downtown main location in the last few months, you may have noticed some big changes going around in the clinic. We have recently been going through an office expansion for the last few months. Renovations are now complete and we are finally pleased to offer three new office spaces for our wonderful clients to enjoy.
Office Expansion Complete Read Post »
My name is Anna Pasternak and I am a registered Speech Language Pathologist (CASLPO) who has been working at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy since October 2019.
Finally A Formal Introduction – Anna Pasternak, M.Sc. Read Post »
You come in for speech therapy sessions every week and your speech language pathologist assigns you exercises/homework to practice until the next session. It may seem like extra work that you may not always have time for but it is very IMPORTANT!
Weekly Home Practice Read Post »
T is often a difficult sound to grasp for non-native speakers of English, and it isn’t because the sound is hard to pronounce. Instead, it is because what we think of as the “T sound” is actually composed of several different sounds, and pronouncing the T correctly requires an understanding of the rules surrounding which version to use in a given word.
The Many Faces of T Read Post »
Toronto Speech Therapist discusses filler words and how that might impact your communication, and how speech therapy might help.
Filler Words in Professional Communication: How Speech Therapists in Toronto Help Read Post »
