TALK School News and Updates
Autism Eye
Founded in 2002, the TALK Institute and School is the result of a group of parents’ vision, and their collective experiences as they worked their way through a variety of modalities and educational settings to help their child. They realized that something entirely novel was needed.
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 511-519 (2012)
Study reported in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, wherein TALK was used as the clinical test site, evidences that the use of sound-absorbing walls and halogen lighting can benefit students with sensory hypersensitivity and improve their attention and engagement in the classroom.
Philadelphia Autism & Parenting Examiner - Beth Kelleher
One of the most difficult struggles facing parents of autism spectrum children is often a child's lack of ability to communicate consistently or at all. Verbal expression is something that many ASD kids have problems with and it can be exhausting to try to find the right set of tools to help a child on the spectrum to speak and beyond that to read.
Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) met with Melinda Kotler, founded and executive director, and Louise Saruk, co-founding parent, of the TALK Institute and School in Newtown Square, Pa., a center for the education of children with autism and language disorders. April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Congressman discussed his support for Autism treatment and education and special education provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
1 in 20 children is affected by Sensory Processing Disorder - which severely impacts how they interact with people and their environment. The disorder is not yet part of the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, but it is widely recognized by doctors and healthcare providers. A study at Temple University recently investigated the effectiveness of occupational therapy as treatment. From WHYY's Behavioral Health desk, Maiken Scott reports.
Good Morning America Show
In the fall of 2001, Melinda Kotler met Michael Dinda, at a meeting for parents of children with autism, and they had a conversation that would change their lives. Together, they founded the nonprofit TALK Inc.(Teaching Autistic, Apraxic and Severely Language Disordered Children), and then opened the Magnolia Speech School Demonstration Program in Berwyn, Pa., four months ago.
Good Morning America Show
The long journey began with 2-year-old Paul Kotler's devastating diagnosis - autism - a little-understood disorder whose victims live in a world of isolation, unable to communicate or control their body movements. Before long, Paul's parents realized that they didn't have a way to help him within their community, or even in their state."We wanted a full-time speech and language program, but none existed in Pennsylvania," his mother, Melinda Kotler said
