Winter Springs Expert Addresses Annual Convention of Florida Assn. of Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. --- Sydney Birr, MA, CCC, president of Sydspeak, Inc. in Winter Springs, was invited to address the annual convention of Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists recently to detail her two-year study of new techniques that help special needs children accelerate their grasp of basic skills.

Birr, who has more than 35 years of experience as a speech therapist and language pathologist, has pioneered a speech therapy process that utilizes 100 essential words in repetitive daily conversations to teach children to understand them.

Birr refined her technique in the development of Talk to Me 100®, an electronic communication board and smart phone app available to parents as well as speech therapists. The device, priced at $59, helps parents, professionals and students focus on the essential 100 words that are paired with graphic symbols and voice repetitions to teach pronunciations.

Birr’s paper, “Mainstreaming Beginning ACC” outlined her pioneering study during the 2010-2011 school year, which included more than 50 students located throughout the U.S.

“Results reflected significant increases in communication skills and improvements in alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) application Birr told the group.

“This interactive teaching strategy helps parents, teachers and therapists enhance language development for children who have difficulty learning to talk,” she said.

Sydspeak, Inc. is a member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation program in Winter Springs.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.