Articles & News
Lear supports the Brain Injury Association of Niagara!
Oops, we've done it again! Lear Communication found another way to support the Brain Injury Association of Niagara (BIAN)! Join us at the Birmingham Invitational Golf Tournament sponsored by Thomson Rogers on September 15, 2016 at Legends Golf Course in beautiful...
Thank you Jeff Lear & Justine Hamilton
On June 1, 2016 Jeff Lear and Justine Hamilton entrusted Lear Communication to me. I have felt overwhelmed by the support of the staff, the excitement of the community and the trust and confidence of Jeff and Justine. Over the last 8 years, I now realize that Jeff and...
Exciting News about Lear Communication!
There are exciting times ahead at Lear Communication! Jeff and I are thrilled to announce that Julie Venhuizen is taking over the Waterloo operations of Lear Communication on May 1'16 and Jennifer Horton is taking over the Hamilton and Niagara operations on June...
More on Engineered Vocal Cord Tissue
In November we posted information about an amazing breakthrough in creating vocal cords in a lab. We recently came across a video that demonstrates the sound that can be produced - it may not be perfect voice, but it's pretty darned good! The video also shows...
Excellent Resource for the Healthy Aging Brain!
McMaster University has developed an excellent on-line tool with scientifically-validated information about healthy aging. There is so much information available on the internet and it's often difficult to determine what is accurate, what is a sales pitch and...
Medical breakthrough – vocal cord tissue grown in a lab!
The University of Wisconsin at Madison released amazing new research this week. They have successfully grown tissue in a lab that mimics vocal cords! While it felt and looked like normal vocal cord material, the true test was in how it would vibrate with air passing...
Justine and Jeff receive Certificates of Appreciation from OSLA!
On October 22, 2015, OSLA held its annual AGM, but with additional celebrations in honour of its 50th anniversary. OSLA members who had served as President and/or received the prestigious Honours of the Association were presented with Certificates of...
3-Week Voice Course – Running in November
Our 3-week voice course is running in November! While this course doesn't replace 1:1 assessment and treatment, it certainly provides a tremendous overview of how the voice works and things you can try yourself to prevent damage. See the flyer here and contact us...
What Does an SLP Contribute to Brain Injury Rehab?
The profession of speech-language pathology is often a mystery to people! Click on these 2 links for articles that Justine wrote that describe how speech-language pathologists provide tremendous help to those with brain injuries: Why On Earth Do I Need an...
Have you heard of Vocal Cord Dysfunction?
This has been around for years and was previously called Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement. The word “paradoxical” was used because the vocal cords seem to behave in the opposite manner to which they should – they close when they should...
The Importance of Managing Reflux
Reflux is an uncomfortable condition for anyone experiencing it, but it can also lead to changes in voice production. The acid can damage the tissue in the voice box, but even if the tissue is undamaged, the irritation can result in people changing how they use the...
How Many Words Should a 2-Year Old Know?
Parents often wonder about their toddlers’ speech and language development. A nice summary is available on our Preschool handout on the Services page of our website, and an interesting article was in the Globe and Mail: How many words should...