Michael Gravante has a passion for the theater. The high school student enjoys acting in on-stage roles for The Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham. Gravante has appeared in productions since elementary school and his mother, Elaine, says the high school performer will pursue theater once he enters college in 2019.

Thirty percent of Australia's population live in rural areas, some of them quite remote. This can cause problems for people who need specialized medical services. One of the services in short supply for students is speech and language pathology.

When you're in a room full of people, where do you start? Do you form a tight little circle with the people you know? Do you slide over to the punch bowl and stay there all night? Or do you reach out to others, embracing the opportunity to meet new people? Even people in the last category, those natural networkers, sometimes run into a problem. How do you start a conversation with someone you don't know? Here are some tips gleaned from "The Muse" which you might find useful the next time you're in a room full of people.

Traveling with an autistic child can be a challenge. Sensory issues often hamper the enjoyment of activities that non autistic kids take for granted, things like going to the beach, an amusement park, or the zoo. Now Zoo Miami has become an Autism Certified zoo, the first such institution in the state of Florida. It's employees have been trained to deal with guests on the Autism Spectrum and their families; as well as other differently challenged visitors.

Every year, chronic stroke patients lose the ability to express or understand language due to brain damage. Neurologists call this speech-loss phenomenon, "aphasia." According to a Weill Cornell Medicine study, robotic arm therapy improves the prognosis for stroke survivors with aphasia. NYU, MIT, Harvard Medical School, and five medical centers co-authored the study. Frontiers in Neurology published the research findings.

Don't Worry, Be Happy. Or so the song tells us, but that is easier said than done. Sometimes circumstances seem to keep us in a rut, or an unsatisfying job, a toxic relationship, a worrisome legal situation, etc. etc. etc. You can feel like a prisoner of your environment, unable to make things different, make a move, or get away. And it might be true for the moment that there are things you don't have control over. But there is one thing you do have control over; that is the way you think. You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you can change your mindset.

Difficulty falling and staying asleep is an all-too-common complaint. What many don't realize is how often sleep problems may be related to anxiety. Maintaining good sleep hygiene and managing anxiety don't always go hand-in-hand, leaving many feeling tired and frustrated in the morning.

In a restaurant, at the movies, a sports event, on the plane, train or bus - everyone has one thing in common - their heads are bent over their cell phones, tablets and other digital devices. This phenomenon has produced an actual physical ailment; it's call Text Neck. And it is affecting millions of people all over the world.

Having a bad day? Take a few pointers from this Muse article on what not to do today, and ways you can get through the things you absolutely must do.

In the US social workers have been used for years. Sometimes they are in the role of monitoring the welfare of children or working with the parent or parents to work on issues to give family reunification. Social workers serve both children and adults in many areas.

King Sardea lost his ability to speak in a devastating accident. The Filipino student was smoking a vaping device when it exploded in his face. The e-cigarette had a defective battery which caused catastrophic burns to the lower half of his face. His mother, Grace Sardea said his 17-year-old son will undergo speech therapy following the incident.

Being a leader can be great for your ego; you get your business working and you push new ideas forward into action. However, being a leader is also about leading real people, not just cogs in the wheel of your genius. How do you lead people without treating them like objects? The answer lies in the term "humble leadership."

Anxiety, depression, behavioral problems and other mental health issues are becoming more prevalent in emergency rooms across the country. From 2012 to 2016, the rate of children seeking urgent care treatment for mental health issues increased by 55%, states a study headed by Anna Abrams, M.D., resident physician, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C.