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This week’s word is fun to say, and can be fairly simple to implement into your vocabulary: 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐟𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞

bum·​fuz·​zle¦bəm¦fəzəl

Definition: confuse, perplex, fluster

Example sentence: The tricky riddle was enough to bumfuzzle the contestants, who couldn’t figure out the answer.

Can you bumfuzzle your friends by using this word?

Did you know? Testing yourself on information is better than simply rehearsing or re-reading it. Some of us may shudder at the thought of a test, but this brain fact actually refers to low-stakes testing of yourself to improve recall and memory.

“Rather than constantly being spoon-fed the information by re-reading it in the same book, testing forces us to confront gaps in our knowledge and makes the brain work harder to retrieve a piece of information. In doing so, it actually strengthens those neuronal connections and makes it easier to retrieve in future.”

Whether you’re studying, or trying to remember something important, why not implement some mini tests for yourself to recall the information?

As the season for traveling approaches, watch out for a few of these common travel scams when planning your holiday vacation!

1. Free or rock-bottom deals: if a deal is way under the value of the trip, it is probably scam. To avoid this common scam, simply walk away from deals that are too good to be true.

2. Rental-car cons: Scammers set up phony customer service numbers online that look just like those of major rental-car companies. When you call, they take your money and personal information, then leave you stranded. To avoid, verify the phone number or website you are using to book a car is legitimate.

3. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi hacks: Connecting to

Today’s coffee toast Friday celebrates a patient’s remarkable journey as she nears graduation from therapy next week. Despite initial dismissals from medical professionals, she persevered in advocating for herself, driven by her conviction that something was amiss. Through intensive therapy and unwavering dedication to her home exercise program, she has triumphed over the problem of food and medications getting stuck in her throat.

This week’s story of kindness happened when a teacher, Jim Freeman, offered to carry a student, Ryan King, who has spina bafida, on his back during a field trip.

With roots in ancient Greek, this week’s word is the shortest English word that contains one of every vowel: 𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 (noun)

/juːˈnɔɪ.ə/

1. a feeling of goodwill (being friendly and wanting to help), especially one that exists between a speaker and an audience.

Example sentence: “His compassion and eunoia made him a fantastic candidate”.

Did you know?

Exercise is just as good for your brain as it is for your body.

Aerobic exercise raises your heart rate which increases blood flow to the brain. Your breathing increases also, which pumps oxygen into your bloodstream and travels to the brain. Because of this, more neurons are produced (neurogenesis) in the parts of your brain that control memory and thinking.

It is also noted that exercise promotes the production of neurotrophins, which helps increase brain plasticity. This leads to better memory and learning!

Source:

This week’s scam alert is has to do with fake court officers requesting payment for missing jury duty.

Today’s coffee toast salutes one of our superstar pediatric patients who crushed a milestone in therapy yesterday, mastering the /sh/ sound for the first time!

 This week’s word is 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭.

bum·​ber·​shoot

ˈbəm-bər-ˌshüt

1: (noun) an umbrella

Here it is in a sentence: Mr. Whifflebottom shifted to his other arm the long black bumbershoot he carried ever with him, against the rain that seldom came, even as he wore always knee-high rubber boots for the same reason

With the rainy Gainesville days we’ve been having, don’t forget to bring your bumbershoot with you in case of an unexpected downpour! 

Did you know? One of the most integral aspects of cognitive function is hydration. Not only is drinking enough water necessary for the rest of our body, it also has a huge impact on our brains’ capabilities. “Being dehydrated by just 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, psychomotor, and immediate memory skills.”

If you feel your brain may be getting foggy while doing a task, or you’re having a hard time paying attention in class, ask yourself when was the last time you drank water. While dehydration isn’t the only reason for decreased cognitive performance, it is certainly a good place to start.

Source: Adan A. Cognitive performance and dehydration. J Am Coll Nutr. 2012 Apr;31(2):71-8. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2012.10720011. PMID: 22855911.

Welcome to our new weekly segment!

“𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲” is where we will take time to highlight positive things happening in the world. Often, news and media sites are riddled with sad, disparaging stories, so it’s important to remind ourselves to “take a moment to see the good.”

This week’s word is 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 (adjective).

mac·​a·​ron·​icˌma-kə-ˈrä-nik

1: Characterized by a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words or with non-Latin words having Latin endings

2. Characterized by a mixture of two languages

Example sentence: “The play was a macaronic mix of English and Latin that confused some audience members.”

While this word sounds like it might be delicious covered in cheese, it is actually just a fun way of saying two different languages are being combined!

In this age of technological advancements, most of us have given up the art of handwriting for typing- whether that be on mobile device or actual keyboard. Nothing wrong with that switch. Right?

Turns out, “giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that’s uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults” (NPR).

Even though both handwriting and typing involve movement from our hands and fingers to create words, handwriting actually creates a deeper engagement of the brain by requiring more fine-tuned coordination between motor and visual systems.

Given handwriting’s shown cognitive benefits, it is w

Our word of the week is 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧.

ses·qui·pe·da·li·an/ˌseskwəpəˈdālyən/

1: having many syllables : long

2: given to or characterized by the use of long words

Isn’t it ironic that a word describing long words is 6 syllables? Try saying it five times fast!

This week’s fun fact about memory should be especially exciting for all the chocolate lovers out there. Did you know that dark chocolate can help you study better?

The flavonoids found in dark chocolate with high-cocoa content have been shown to improve cognitive function, memory, and focus. An online article from Harvard states that “several studies demonstrated evidence of improved brain blood flow, oxygen levels, or nerve function” in those who consumed cocoa drin

Our fun word of the week is 𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧.

abe·​ce·​dar·​i·​an

ˌā-bē-(ˌ)sē-ˈder-ē-ən

As a noun, it means “one learning the rudiments of something (such as the alphabet).” So, if you decide to pick up a new hobby or skill, you might just find yourself as an abecedarian.

Did you know? “Sixty percent of the human brain is made of fat. This makes it the fattiest organ in the human body. These fatty acids are crucial for your brain’s performance, so make sure you’re fueling it with healthy, brain-boosting nutrients.”

Here are a few examples of good “brain food”:

-Salmon 

-Eggs 

Did you know that sleep plays a critical role in learning?

A case study found in a National Geographic article states that, “If your brain is an email account, sleep- more specifically, a nap- is how to clear your inbox.” While sleeping, your short-term memory storage can move memories to the long-term cache which makes room for more thoughts and ideas to come into your brain.

So, if you have a big test coming up, or an important work meeting that will bring on lots of information, you might want to take a nap!

Source: 𝐽𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎. “𝑁𝑎𝑝𝑠 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 ‘𝐶𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒.’” 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑐. 2007.

Today marks a major milestone for one of our patients, who has successfully had their feeding tube removed!

We shared their inspiring story with you recently, and we’re thrilled to provide this update on their remarkable progress.

“Today’s coffee toast is truly a miracle! A patient who is battling a rare, genetic disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, affecting approximately 2 in every 100,000 people in the United States has defied the odds! The patient came to us with a feeding tube and an inability to swallow their own saliva. They had to suction their own secretions all day and all night long and were only getting fo

 I’m thrilled to celebrate the outstanding progress of a pediatric client who has worked tirelessly to overcome communication challenges.

𝐖𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫! 

Yesterday, I experienced a profound mix of sadness and motivation as a patient I worked with passed away after a courageous fight against cancer.

Despite our brief time together, her impact on me will be lasting. The challenges she faced in swallowing due to radiation only strengthened my commitment to raising awareness about the importance of timely swallowing therapy for those undergoing head or neck cancer treatment.

Her daughter’s poignant words - “If only we had been sent to you sooner” - continue to echo within me, solidifying my determination to educate doctors, nurses, and patients alike. I am compelled to share this vital information with everyone, especially those navigating head or neck cancer, and to express my deepest gratitude to the daughter for her

Today marks a bittersweet milestone for DSSS as we bid farewell to our office assistant, Anna, who has been an integral part of our team.

The exciting news is that she is working towards the completion of her schooling to become a future SLP.

Anna initially joined us around 2 years ago as our first student in need of observation hours. After completing her required hours, her passion and dedication led her to volunteer with us, and her exceptional enthusiasm paved the way for her appointment as our first office assistant during her gap year from studies.

We will deeply miss Anna and feel grateful for the opportunity to have had her as part of t