Childhood Apraxia: Awesome Patti

Patricia McGee Kasten
I feel so official ;-) spread the word because this is so awesome!

Press Release
For Immediate Release: July 13, 2011
Contact: Sharon Gretz, M.Ed,
Executive Director/Founder sharong@apraxia-kids.org
Phone: 412-343-7102
Website: Apraxia-KIDS.org
Local Speech-Language Pathologist Selected to Attend New Childhood Apraxia of Speech Intensive Training Institute at Duquesne University PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, July 13, 2011 –

Local resident, Patti Kasten, M.S. CCC-SLP, was one of only 25 North American speech-language pathologists selected to attend a new four-day intensive training institute on the diagnosis and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Mrs. Kasten, a local speech-language pathologist with Sunrise Therapy, will attend the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Intensive Training Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Thursday, July 28 - Sunday, July 31 at Duquesne University. During the course of the institute, participants will spend time interacting with challenging course material, and will be involved in whole group, small group, team, and individual learning opportunities. This new intensive training institute is sponsored by the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA) and the Duquesne University Department of Speech-Language Pathology. “We know that there are many very good speech-language pathologists out there, but due to the low incidence of apraxia of speech in children, few professionals get to see enough of the children to really gain extensive exposure,” said Sharon Gretz, Executive Director and Founder of CASANA. “For many years professionals and parents alike hoped to see many more speech-language pathologists develop expertise in apraxia. So, we began to dream of an Apraxia "bootcamp" if you will, where a small group of speech-language pathologists with good experience and success in Childhood Apraxia of Speech could receive intensive training from some of the known "experts" and receive a real boost in their clinical competence with apraxia.” For successful completion, the 25 selected speech-language pathologists must attend all intensive training sessions and case reviews, pass an exam, and successfully complete a case review with an expert mentor. CASANA will then provide their names to the public as having successfully completed the Intensive Training Institute for Childhood Apraxia of Speech. The goal of this intensive training opportunity is to have each speech-language pathologist bring increased expertise to the children in their care and to serve as a resource in their communities. This year’s participants will represent 14 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and two Canadian provinces, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a very challenging and complicated speech disorder in children. This little known disorder makes it difficult or impossible for children to accurately produce sounds, syllables and/or words despite having a good understanding of language. CASANA, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only national non-profit public charity exclusively dedicated to the needs and interests of children with apraxia of speech and their families throughout the country. The Speech-Language Pathology Department at Duquesne University offers the nation’s first fully accredited, guaranteed seat, five-year bachelor’s-through-master’s degree program. It provides students with an excellent academic and broad-based clinical education experience at an accelerated pace focusing on the integration of academics, clinical practice and research.
By: Sunrise Therapy

Headed to Mexico

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to give a quick update here that I am headed to Mexico!  After I arrive I'll be able to figure out if I will be attending the family reunion, so I will let you know.  I sure hope it works out!

Double Cousin

A double cousin is when both sets of grandparents are the same. In this case, Kevin Maynes, shown in this picture, is one of my double cousins as my father's sister married my mother's brother. Recently we reconnected on facebook. He had retired from the air force and was working as a civilian now, but still associated with his military experience. Living in Florida but lots of travel. The sad news, he passed away a few days ago. Age 49. Pretty unexpected. Memorial next week back in Utah

Dad's home

For those of you paying attention, Dad (or Grandpa) was in the hospital this week for surgery to replace his hip joint. Everything went well. They had him trying to walk on the same day and he walked a few laps around the hospital wing the next couple of days. He was released this afternoon and is back at home. He sounds good and is in less pain than he had been tolerating. He's planning on being at Spencer's farewell next weekend.

He has some souvenirs from the surgery. I asked for pictures but he wants Josh to help him upload them.