Marissa Yamada MA, CCC-SLP 
Your child is growing quickly. He is talking more to express his needs, throwing more tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants and running around more with bursts of energy. While your child continues to grow, it is always difficult to determine if he on developing foundational skills at an appropriate rate. In our … Read more
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and relationship building and maintenance. According to the CDC, “1 in 44 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder and is 4 times more common among boys than among girls”. Children with autism spectrum disorder can experience motor … Read more
When talking with friends and family, do you ever notice adding “uh”, “umm” or “you know” to your speech? If so, these are considered disfluencies. Disfluencies are moments when our speech is not smooth and fluent. It is important to note that this is often normal as we attempt to convey our thoughts and opinions … Read more
Play is an important part of development. As children grow, they develop essential building blocks for cognition, language, and social-emotional skills. Do you remember playing Peek-a-Boo when you were younger or with a younger family member? Although the action of covering your eyes and then revealing them while yelling “Peek-A-Boo” may have seemed redundant, this … Read more
Have you ever experienced a change in your voice after a music concert or from talking too much? Maybe you were yelling across the hall at school and noticed a break in your voice. You may have possibly caught a case of laryngitis that is causing pain in your throat and making it difficult to … Read more
What is Aphasia? Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder due to brain damage that impacts one’s ability to comprehend and express language. While aphasia is often known to influence verbal language, it can concurrently impact one’s reading and writing ability. Aphasia can affect people of all ages and is most often a result of a … Read more
Developmental milestones are a helpful and informative way to determine if your child is developing as expected. In our past blog posts, we explored important developmental milestones for children from birth to 1 year old and 2 to 3 years old. In this article, we will further explore the developmental milestones for children ages 4 to … Read more
What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that progressively impacts one’s ability to walk, talk, and swallow due to changes of dopamine levels in the brain. Due to cell death in the basal ganglia region, dopamine levels decrease and cause a myriad of symptoms. While each individual may experience a varying degree … Read more
Picture this. You are excited to share your recent trip to Broadway with your family after seeing the musical, Hamilton. While you are trying to explain the plot of the play and your favorite parts, you notice that you are having difficulty communicating your main points. You find yourself looking for the right words to … Read more
You just received a referral from your pediatrician for concerns about a speech and language delay. You might feel concerned about what the first session might look like and if there is anything you need to bring with you. This article will review what an evaluation process looks like and what to expect. Speech and … Read more