Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, social interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors. Individuals with autism have difficulty interacting with others: building relationships, using language, regulating their emotions, and understanding others’ points of view. A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately prior to 2013: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. These conditions are now all called autism spectrum disorder. Individuals who meet the specified criteria are given the diagnosis of "autism spectrum disorder (ASD)" with one of three levels of severity. Level of severity is defined in terms of the amount of support needed in the area of social communication and with restricted, repetitive behaviors.

Indicators of autism usually appear by age two or three. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and it can often be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Individuals with autism do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes later in life for people with autism. The following may indicate that your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. If your child exhibits any of the following, ask your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation right away:

By 6 months
- Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions
- Limited or no eye contact

By 9 months
- Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions

By 12 months
- Little or no babbling
- Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving
- Little or no response to name

By 16 months
- Very few or no words

By 24 months
- Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)

At any age
- Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills
- Avoidance of eye contact
- Persistent preference for solitude
- Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings
- Delayed language development
- Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)
- Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings
- Restricted interests
- Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)
- Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today. If you have concerns about your child’s development, you can complete a brief screening on the Autism Speaks site.

Accent modification (reduction) refers to an elective service sought by individuals who want to change or modify their speech patterns to sound more natural and be better understood. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experts in communication and are especially equipped to provide accent modification training as an elective service. Though accent modification is not speech therapy, it can be referred to as "training" or "coaching."

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, some reasons that individuals may seek elective SLP services for accent modification are:

- difficulty being understood;

- frequent need to repeat oneself;

- attention being directed more toward the accent than the message; and/or

- listeners' negative attitudes toward speakers with the accent.

There are few controlled studies regarding the efficacy of accent modification, but existing studies demonstrate its effectiveness. For example, Khurana and Huang conducted a study of international medical graduates and researchers. They found that accent modification (reduction) training was highly effective for non-native English speakers. Specifically, participants made significant improvement in their “abilities to pronounce words distinctly, stress words or syllables more accurately and use body language/facial expressions appropriately.”

Online Speech Services provides professional personalized online accent modification training. If you are interested in modifying your accent so you can be better understood the first time, complete a free screening.

One of the most usable and crucial business management skills is communication. According to a study among 50,000 company recruiters revealed that communication skills were the most important factor in selecting managers. Furthermore, according to a study great managers need to be able to communicate verbally, and the best ones are able to communicate in writing just as effectively.

The ability to communicate is essential, regardless of your job or industry. In fact, among the skills that employers want, oral communication ranked higher than critical thinking, ethical decision making and working in teams. It was more important to company leaders than being able to write well, solve complex problems or be innovative (Education Week). Communication is so important because misinterpretations can result from not communicating your ideas clearly when interacting with employees, managers and customers.

Public speaking refers to an oral presentation in which you communicate a message to an audience. This can be an audience of one, a small team or a large group. Good public speaking skills help you articulate ideas with clarity and confidence. Let Online Speech Services help you unlock your potential and obtain the success you deserve!