The Swain Center Blog

Bright Events in May

2008-03-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Swain Center is collaborating with Audiology Associates of Santa Rosa and Redwood Pediatric Therapy Associates for the Bright Beginnings Event in May. Bright Beginnings would include free speech-language, hearing and sensory screenings for young children in honor of Better Hearing and Speech month. Check back soon for more information about this exciting event!

Speech, Language and Hearing Screenings in Ghana

2008-03-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Deb Swain and her son, Nick, served on a two week mission with New Vintage church in Ghana, West Africa. Departing February 8, 2008, they visited orphanages and refugee camps where Dr. Swain performed hearing, speech and autism screenings while Nick taught children different sports and games. A summary of the mission will be included in the the Spring 2008 e-newsletter.

Social Skills Groups...

2008-03-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Swain Center is preparing to launch an accelerated social skills group for the summer session. Our social skills groups are designed to facilitate social, pragmatic and play skills in a naturalistic setting and are open to children, ages 4-14, with social communication deficits. Social skills groups are especially beneficial for children that have been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, or Semantic Pragmatic Disorder. If you would like more information about our social skills groups, please contact The Swain Center at (707) 575-1468.

Information Nights

2008-01-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Come into our Listening Centers for a night of Q & A in a relaxed environment. Dr. Swain will be presenting information about Tomatis Listening Therapy, answering your questions, and inviting guests to sample Tomatis Listening Therapy. Walk-ins will be accepted, but seating preference will be given to those who have RSVP'd should overflow occur.

Fountain Valley Information Night: March 13th at 6:00 p.m.

Please contact Kristin at (714) 962-2030 to reserve your place.

Walnut Creek Information Night: March 19th at 6:15 p.m.

Please contact Lindsay at (925) 954-4724 to reserve your place.

Homework Club is Here!

2008-01-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Homework Club
at
The Swain Center

Tutoring Available in All Subjects
Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 4:00-8:00 P.M.

Is "The Math" bringing you down? Come Thursdays for Math Night.

Please call (707) 575-1468 for an appointment. Space is limited to ensure quality.
No walk-ins will be accepted, but same day appointments are available.

E-Newsletter Launch

2008-01-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Swain Center and The Listening Center are launching our very first e-newsletter! In order to conserve natural resources and share information regarding our services in a more convenient format, we are creating an e-newsletter to be emailed to clients rather than sending it through the post office. If you are interested in becoming a member of our e-newsletter mailing list, email us at info@theswaincenter.com and put "add to e-newsletter mailing list" in the heading.
We are excited to bring this new service to our clients and members of the e-community!

Interactive Metronome...

2007-12-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article recently published in Portland, about the benefits of Interactive Metronome: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=75612

For more information about Interactive Metronome and other speech and learning services offered at The Swain Center, please call us at (707) 575-1468.

Auditory Processing Testing

2007-10-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Swain Center is participating in the collection of normative data for a new auditory processing test for children aged 3.6- 6.11. This is an important test because it will identify at an early age, whether a child has auditory processing problems. Most current auditory processing tests are normed for older children. The test will take an hour or less. If you are interested in having your child participate, please let us know. Testing must be completed before the end of October. Thank you for your support!

Preschool Screenings

2007-10-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

We offer free preschool speech and language screenings in the Santa Rosa area. Please call (707) 575-1468 if you are interested in setting one up for your school.

Founder Wins Re-Election

2007-10-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain, founder of The Swain Center and The Listening Center, was re-elected to the Legislative Council for the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Congratulations Dr. Swain!

Aphasia Support Group

2007-10-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

The Swain Center is pleased to annouce that we have lauched a support group for people with Aphasia, their loved ones, and their caregivers. Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder caused by strokes, brain injuries, tumors and other neurological causes. Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others, but does not affect intelligence. People with aphasia may have difficulty understanding both written and spoken language, finding the words they want to say, naming objects, following directions, repeating words, reading, writing and speaking.

The support group will provide functional, everyday communication strategies, counseling, and fun activities geared towards the group's interests. The group will provide social interaction, support, resources, home therapy ideas, and professional and family education.

The Aphasia Support group meets the last Thursday of each month, unless otherwise specified, at The Swain Center in Santa Rosa from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please call The Swain Cemter at (707) 575-1468 or email Rachel VonderHaar (Rachel@theswaincenter.com) or Naiomi Evans (Naiomi@theswaincenter.com).

Tomatis Outreach Programs

2007-10-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

For many people, getting to a Tomatis center is very difficult. In California, there are only three Tomatis Centers, with the next closest center being located in Seattle. While the demand for therapy is great, opening offices in new markets is extremely expensive.

Tomatis Outreach Programs started as a means of bringing the Tomatis therapy to areas that are far from existing centers. An outreach involves the formation of a temporary clinic in an area where a group of supporters has formed. The temporary Tomatis clinic includes all of the features of a full-time listening center. Facilities that have been utilized in the past include Sunday school rooms, parish halls and large office suites.

The key to starting a Tomatis Outreach program is the area organizer. This volunteer collects names of interested families, coordinates an informational meeting, and assists with logistics as needed. If you have questions or are interested in bringing an outreach to your area, please contact Rich Swain at (707) 575- 1468.

Upcoming Tomatis Outreaches...
Las Vegas, NV. October 15, 2007
San Jose, CA. Coming 2008
San Diego, CA. Coming 2008

Please call if you are interested in participating!

Meet Rachel VonderHaar

2007-09-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Rachel VonderHaar joined the team of speech language pathologists at The Swain Center on September 3, 2007. Rachel recently earned her Masters of Science degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Prior to attending the University of Wisconsin, Rachel attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with two Bachelor’s degrees in Speech Pathology and Audiology in May 2005.

Rachel first became interested in speech as a high school student. While babysitting a five-year old child named Lisa, Rachel became aware of her severe speech impediment. Rachel began working with Lisa, and, by the end of the summer, Lisa could say her own name.

When questioned about life in the Midwest, Rachel stated her love of outdoor recreational activities. Hiking, fishing, and spending time at the lake are among her favorite things to do in the outdoors. Rachel is excited about the possibility of transferring her favorite outdoor hobbies to the climate of the Northern California coast.

A little known fact about Rachel is her love for bowling. Rachel even spent five years as a member of a bowling league in Hibbing, MN.

We are excited to welcome Rachel as the newest speech language pathologist at The Swain Center and hope that you are equally as excited to meet her. Welcome aboard, Rachel!

Free Presentation!

2007-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Nutritional and Environmental Impacts on Learning
Monday, September 17, 7:00- 8:00PM
The Swain Center
795 Farmers Lane, in the Listening Center

Join us as we learn:
What can you do to enhance your child's brain function?
Could hidden food allergies affect you child's school performance?
Can something in your child's environment affect their ability to learn?
What nutritional substances are most supportive of learning?

Presented by Chrysa Caulfield, DC, CCN
Dr. Caulfield graduated with her Doctor of Chiropractic with summa cum laude honors from Palmer Chiropractic College West. Additionally, she is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and is currently pursuing a post-doctorate diploma in Chiropractic Neurology. Dr. Caulfield also holds a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.

This presentation is brought to you by the Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center.

Pleae RSVP to The Swain Center at (707) 575-1468 as space is limited.

The Tomatis Program Vs. Home Listening Programs

2007-06-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lately many people have been asking the question "What is the difference between the Tomatis program and home listening programs?"
The answer is quite simple. The program that was created by Dr. Alfred Tomatis is unable to be duplicated in a home setting, because only in a clinic can you recieve:

*Bone conduction
*Audio-vocal feedback
*Establishing right-ear dominance
*Individualized programs that can be modified
*Clinical Monitoring

All of these components play a crucial role in the positive outcomes we see from the Tomatis program.

TSC-KS

San Francisco Chronicle Article - THE TRUTH ABOUT AUTISM

2007-06-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday 6/17/07 the article

THE TRUTH ABOUT AUTISM
Amid cries of an epidemic and parental fears that childhood vaccines may instead be poisoning their kids, doctors try to put a rapid increase in diagnoses of the learning disability in perspective

was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Read it here.

The article discusses one doctor's viewpoint of the rise in autism.
Anyone have any thoughts on the article??

TSC-KS

The Swain Center Blog Has Launched

2007-06-12T21:36:00.001-07:00

The Swain Center Blog has launched! This blog will focus on The Swain Center, Autism and Autism Treatments, and The Tomatis Method. Please check back often to stay up to date.