Communicative disorders assistant

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A communicative disorders assistant (CDA) performs hearing and speech-language screenings, prepares therapy materials, implements speech therapy, reports on therapy outcomes, performs routine maintenance on clinical equipment, and works with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists to adjust therapy goals. While CDAs cannot perform assessments or set therapy goals, they are a vital part of the therapy team. CDAs are supervised by and work in conjunction with SLPs and audiologists.

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While anyone working under the supervision of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist may be considered to be Supportive Personnel, Communicative Disorder Assistants receive their title after being specifically trained and educated in various communicative issues as well as completing field placements in various communication areas (such as fluency, articulation, augmentative and alternative communication, and aural rehabilitation) at various institution types. These may include, but are not limited to school boards, hearing aid manufacturers, acute care hospitals, treatment centres, long-term care facilities, community health units, private agencies, augmentative communication companies and audiology clinics.

Fluency is the property of a person or of a system that delivers information quickly and with expertise.

Manner of articulation configuration and interaction of the articulators when making a speech sound

In articulatory phonetics, the manner of articulation is the configuration and interaction of the articulators when making a speech sound. One parameter of manner is stricture, that is, how closely the speech organs approach one another. Others include those involved in the r-like sounds, and the sibilancy of fricatives.

Augmentative and alternative communication Umbrella term describing techniques used for those with communication impairments

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an umbrella term that encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. AAC is used by those with a wide range of speech and language impairments, including congenital impairments such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism, and acquired conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. AAC can be a permanent addition to a person's communication or a temporary aid.

Canadian regulation

In Canada, Communicative Disorder Assistants are not regulated, although the Audiologists and Speech-language Pathologists who supervise them typically are regulated under the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) or the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA). The training, supervision, and use of CDAs is specified within these organizations.

Canada Country in North America

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

The scope of practice describes the procedures, actions, and processes that a healthcare practitioner is permitted to undertake in keeping with the terms of their professional license. The scope of practice is limited to that which the law allows for specific education and experience, and specific demonstrated competency. Each jurisdiction has laws, licensing bodies, and regulations that describe requirements for education and training, and define scope of practice.

The Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) recognizes for membership only students or graduates of approved Communicative Disorders Assistant programs within Canada (those that include coursework in all areas of communication and prepare students to work with clients of any age).

Communication is the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules.

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Wernicke's aphasia, also known as receptive aphasia, sensory aphasia, or posterior aphasia, is a type of aphasia in which individuals have difficulty understanding written and spoken language. Patients with Wernicke's aphasia demonstrate fluent speech, which is characterized by typical speech rate, intact syntactic abilities, and effortless speech output. Writing often reflects speech in that it tends to lack content or meaning. In most cases, motor deficits do not occur in individuals with Wernicke's aphasia. Therefore, they may produce a large amount of speech without much meaning. Wernicke's aphasia was named after Carl Wernicke who is credited with discovering the area of the brain responsible for language comprehension. Individuals with Wernicke's aphasia are typically unaware of their errors in speech and do not realize their speech may lack meaning. They typically remain unaware of even their most profound language deficits.

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