Positively Speaking is a private speech-language pathology practice in Farmington Hills, Michigan Please contact us if you would like additional information.
Sharon Kramer is the owner, and sole therapist at Positively Speaking speech therapy. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), and is endorsed by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She is licensed to practice speech-language pathology in Michigan. Sharon works as a public school SLP in addition to running this private practice. She has experience treating a variety of communication disorders and delays, including articulation disorders, receptive/ expressive language delays and disorders, cognitive impairments, non-verbal children, fluency disorders, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and children on the Autism spectrum. Positively speaking does not accept insurance, session rates are set as low as many insurance co-pays, and HSAs are accepted.
02/21/2026
Calling all Girl Scouts! The Big Smile is in the market for cookies, and lots of them! We'll buy 3 boxes of cookies for each Girl Scout that comes to our office and takes a photo with our team. It's easy!
1️⃣ Send us a message by March 13 with your troop number, what level scouts you have in your troop, and how many scouts will be joining us
2️⃣ Our team will help coordinate a date and time for your troop to come into our office
3️⃣ Join us for a photo and complete the cookie exchange!
Tag your favorite troop leaders below and help us spread the word!
02/21/2026
"She was 9 when she noticed kids covering their ears in bathrooms. At 13, she proved they were right—in a medical journal."
Nora Keegan from Calgary noticed something adults kept ignoring.
In fourth grade, she watched children rush out of public restrooms with their hands clamped over their ears. She felt it herself—after using hand dryers, her ears would ring for minutes.
Adults said it was fine. "They're just loud."
But Nora wondered: What if they're not just loud—what if they're dangerous?
So in fifth grade, she turned her observation into a science experiment. She convinced her parents (both doctors) to drive her to 44 public bathrooms across Alberta. She brought a professional decibel meter, a ruler, and a hypothesis: hand dryers hurt children's ears because children stand closer to the sound source.
For two years, she took measurements. 880 of them. Different heights. Different distances. Hands in the airstream, hands out. She measured at adult ear level. Then at children's ear level.
The results stunned her.
Xlerator dryers measured over 100 decibels—every single one. Several Dyson Airblade models hit 105 decibels at a 3-year-old's height. The loudest? A Dyson at 121 decibels—as loud as an ambulance siren.
Here's what makes this terrifying: Health Canada prohibits children's toys from exceeding 100 decibels because they know it damages hearing. Yet hand dryers in public spaces where children go daily—libraries, schools, restaurants—were routinely blasting sounds that could cause learning disabilities, attention difficulties, and ruptured eardrums.
Manufacturers claimed their dryers operated at 70-80 decibels. Nora's real-world testing proved otherwise—many were operating at levels four times louder than advertised.
In seventh grade, she didn't stop at exposing the problem. She started building a solution—a synthetic air filter prototype that could reduce the noise by 11 decibels.
Then she wrote a scientific paper. She submitted it to a journal. They rejected it.
She revised. She resubmitted.
In June 2019, Paediatrics & Child Health—Canada's premier peer-reviewed pediatric journal—published her study. The title? "Children who say hand dryers 'hurt my ears' are correct."
She was 13 years old.
Dyson responded by inviting her to meet with their acoustic engineers. Health officials took notice. Nora's research is now cited by the National Institutes of Health and used to educate parents worldwide.
All because a 9-year-old believed children when they said something hurt.
The next time a child tells you something's wrong, maybe—just maybe—you should listen.
02/14/2026
I've been asked to share my experience with requesting accommodations and accessibility options for my kids who have hearing loss, now that they are both attending college.
Most of what was needed was done long before the day they committed to their prospective universities.
For parents, it is all of the things you'll do from K-12, that will pay the huge dividends.
Make your advocacy sturdy and solid. Make sure to model it for your child.
Leading up to college, we worked with our audiologist to create a list of things we asked the universities to provide.
Here is a snap shot of some of the accommodations we requested:
•Access to classrooms with appropriate acoustical modifications to minimize background noise;
•Access to priority registration as needed to ensure placement in appropriate classrooms with appropriate instructors;
•Access to preferential seating in instructional classes;
We designed a You can get a Digital Resource Guide with a list of accommodations here:
My kids worked directly with their college disability services coordinators to fine-tune the list.
They requested more than they might need (because it is easier to take things away than to add them).
Throughout the journey, I recommend parents slowly pass the torch to your kids in increments, encouraging them to use their voice to ask for what they need.
I encourage parents to lay the groundwork now (no matter the grade level) in their IEP's & 504s. Those will serve as your future guides.
I cannot stress enough how important it is for your kids to watch you model what advocacy looks like. Work as a team with those who are involved in providing their accommodations. These people are on your team!
Rest assured, I am a typical mom, who is worried about the typical things: Will they get along with their roommates, will they get enough sleep, what will happen when they get sick.
Sure, they might have equipment issues and parts that malfunction, but at the end of the day, I mostly feel like they're typical kids--who with proper accommodations-- are set up to thrive!
National Stuttering Association Lansing Chapter will be holding its January meeting this Wednesday January 21, from 5:30 - 7:00 over Zoom. This is a relaxed supportive space where we can stutter openly, share how our holiday went, or simply enjoy each other's company. Reply here, and I'll send you the link, or put you in touch with the organizer.
Send a message to learn more
10/20/2025
Lego’s MRI scanner play sets, which launched in 2023, are significantly reducing anxiety and the use of sedation in children, the company said. cnb.cx/4h9YyXW
09/09/2025
Kids ask Why questions, and Vermont Public Radio answers!
08/27/2025
A local, pay-what-you-can conference for people who stutter and their families!
08/11/2025
04/07/2025
Last summer (2024), LittleGuide Detroit featured '10 Themed Playgrounds in the Metro Detroit Area,' and our Playful Dragon Pocket Park made the list: "Orion Township’s pocket park along the Baldwin corridor is called the Playful Dragon because the giant green dragon has a long red tongue that kids can slide down and wings that are perfect for climbing all over. In addition to the dragon, you can also walk the short storybook path."
This year, the Playful Dragon shares a corridor as Orion Township Parks & Recreation's and Great Lakes Athletic Club--all of which are connected via safety paths and roundabouts--Baldwin walking/biking adventure soon, anyone?
When children struggle emotionally, they may not have the words to explain what they’re feeling. Creating a safe space for open conversation starts with validating their emotions—saying, "I see you're upset" can help them feel understood.
Encourage expression through words, drawings, or play, as different children communicate in different ways. Asking gentle, open-ended questions like "What made today hard?" instead of "What's wrong?" can invite them to share without pressure.
Modeling emotional expression yourself teaches them that feelings are normal and manageable. With patience and support, your child will gain the confidence to express their emotions in healthy ways.
02/23/2025
Team GUTS Fun and Fitness Camp - Registration Now Open
Team GUTS offers several camp opportunities for children, teens and adults with special needs and disabilities. Our camp themes all center on physical fitness, exercise and sports activities. These activities are especially important for the special needs community given the unique challenges they face in remaining fit. Our experienced, caring staff works with campers to help them build self-confidence, create lasting friendships and try a variety of fitness and sports options. Our goal is to provide a safe and inclusive place where fitness is fun and campers can be themselves.
Address
23700 Orchard Lake Road, Suite I Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Positively Speaking, PLLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Sharon Kramer, MA, CCC-SLP, the owner and sole therapist at Positively Speaking, (est. 2014), holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology, and is endorsed by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She is a 2020 recipient of ASHA’s Award for Continuing Education (ACE), for demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning. Sharon is a member of the Michigan Speech Hearing Association (MSHA). She is licensed to practice speech-language pathology in Michigan, and is also certified teacher. Sharon has experience working with children and adults who have a variety of communication disorders, including: articulation disorders, receptive/expressive language delays and disorders, Down Syndrome, cognitive impairments, non-and-low-verbal children, Apraxia, Aphasia, and Autism. Positively Speaking offers one-hour and half-hour private sessions. The Practice does not accept insurance, but our half-hour session rates are set as low, or lower than, many insurance co-pays, and patients can contact their insurance company about being reimbursed. Many patients use their Health Savings Plan (HSA) to pay for sessions. Sharon is happy to work with both children and adults. Please contact us at 248-470-9670 if you would like additional information.
Testimonials:
“[Our daughter] is progressing and we are pleased with her progress. Thank you for all you've taught us.” - CD 2/22/17
“It was so nice to meet with you. I really enjoyed the visit, and felt hopeful based on your evaluation.” - ST 3/21/17
“Thank you so much for your help and for the information. [My son] was very nervous about coming on Wednesday. When we left, he was actually sad that he was not going to come back. He had a lot of fun. He talked about the morning so much that my 5 year old asked if he was going to get a chance to go. Thank you for making the time so light and fun!” -CM 8/17/17
“You are very wonderful therapist. Thanks for your support and therapy, which has helped [my son] a lot. Thanks.” -AS 1/3/2018
“Thank you for everything you have done, we were happy and appreciate it.” –MP 1/4/2018
“We really appreciate your efforts and the work you are doing with [our son].” -GS 1/12/2018
“Your expertise and assistance is greatly appreciated. Words cannot express my sincere gratitude.” –GF 10/2018
“Thanks, Sharon! I’m so glad that we brought him to you.” –SB 11/16/2018
“Thanks so much. People are starting to notice her speech getting better.” -JS 11/16/2018
“Thanks for all you do to improve [my son’s] communication. I think he has made great strides.” -LA 12/20/2018
“We are so happy how far a long our daughter has come with her speech. More and more people can understand her and we can have conversations with her.” -AK 3/23/20
“I wanted to thank you so very much for everything you have done for [my daughter] throughout the years.” -KP 6/4/20
