May is the Time to Celebrate Speech and Hearing

OTTAWA, May 3 /CNW Telbec/ - May is Speech and Hearing Awareness Month. Many of us take our abilities to hear and speak for granted but as Hosea Ballou said, "every word spoken within the hearing of little children tends towards the formation of character." Communication skills are vital to our fundamental development and the function of our everyday lives, yet millions of Canadians and their families live with the challenges of speech, language and hearing disorders.

The month of May has long been celebrated across North America to praise the triumphs of individuals with communication disorders and recognize the professionals that assist them. Speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel are trained professionals who work with people of all ages dealing with issues related to speech, language, hearing, balance, swallowing and other related disorders. Whether working with a hearing impaired child or an elderly person after a stroke, their goal is to help clients achieve an enhanced quality of life.

The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) represents more than 5,500 communication professionals and dedicates the month of May to raising public awareness of the professions and many issues surrounding communication disorders. Watch for exciting May Month events in your community such as hearing screenings, speech clinics and other activities listed on our online coming events calendar at www.caslpa.ca/english/events/may.asp. We'll also be honouring 100 members, joining 636 others, that have belonged to the association for more than 25 years. Check out our website to see who is on the list from your community at www.caslpa.ca/english/profession/25year_award.asp.

CASLPA is also celebrating May Month 2010 with the launch of a multimedia contest that will connect our professionals with the public in a whole new way through social media including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The contest will recognize and promote the best websites, blogs, videos and still photos that represent the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology and the services our professionals provide. For regular news, updates, articles and resources related to communication disorders, subscribe to the RSS feed on our consumer website at www.speechandhearing.ca, follow @CASLPA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CASLPA or fan us on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/caslpaonfacebook.

For further information: Angie D'Aoust, CASLPA Director of Communications, 1-800-259-8519, or by email [email protected], www.speechandhearing.ca - www.caslpa.ca