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Curriculum | Language
Arts | Math | Reading
| Science |
Social Studies | Enrichment
Overview
Many of the children at the Center have language based learning
disabilities, therefore speech and language services are provided
to facilitate the children's speech and language development. In
the speech and language program, the therapists assess and determine
each child's strengths and weaknesses, establish goals and provide
the appropriate speech and language therapy. For the most part,
therapy focuses on improving language skills. Students who receive
speech / language therapy attend half hour sessions twice weekly
in small groups of two and three children. The therapists each have
their own office located on the second floor of the Center where
the children attend therapy at their scheduled times. In addition,
classrooms take part in a whole group language lesson once a week
for thirty minutes.
A number of the children at the Center have been diagnosed with
Central Auditory Processing Disorders ( CAPD ) while many others
exhibit behaviors that may be signs of CAPD. CAPD is defined as
the inability or impaired ability to attend to, discriminate, recognize
or comprehend information presented auditorily even though the person
has normal intelligence and hearing sensitivity. To address CAPD,
Sound Field FM Amplification Systems were installed in each classroom,
the science room and speech therapy rooms to create an ideal listening
/ learning environment in the classroom. This is done by mildly
amplifying the teacher's voice through speakers strategically placed
in the classroom, which at the same time reduces the effects of
background noise. Studies have reported that all students benefit
from having an FM Amplification System used in the classroom.
The speech therapists role at the Center also includes making recommendations
to the classroom teachers in regard to such things as classroom
seating for individual children, auditory processing strategies
and simplifying language in the classroom.
Speech and Language areas that may be addressed include the following:
- Fluency
- Oral Motor Skills
- Articulation
- Voice
- Auditory processing
- Receptive language
- Expressive language
- Pragmatic Language
Skills Taught
Language involves the interaction of content, form, and use, and
the many underlying skills in each of these areas that come together
enabling individuals to be effective communicators. Children at
the Center may demonstrate strengths in certain areas of language
while exhibiting weaknesses in other areas. Some children at the
Center have difficulties with oral motor or articulation skills.
Skills that are most commonly addressed include the following:
- Auditory Attention
- Phonemic Awareness
- Auditory Discrimination of Sounds
- Auditory Figure Ground Listening
- Auditory Memory
- Following Direction
- Listening Comprehension
- Linguistic Concepts
- Sequencing
- Vocabulary
- Categories
- Antonyms
- Synonyms
- Homophones
- Analogies
- Describing
- Comparing
- Grammar
- Syntax
- Critical Thinking
- Paraphrasing
- Story Narratives
- Oral Motor Skills
- Articulation
- Social Language (eg. greetings, topic maintenance, ending a
conversation, being a good listener, saying thank you, eye contact,
handling your feelings etc ).
Teaching Techniques
Therapists use a variety of techniques to achieve speech and language
goals depending on each child's needs.
- Earobics Computer Programs
- Strategies For Memory ( including self- repetition, visualization,
chunking )
- Role Playing
- Verbal Modeling
- Visual Cues
- Verbal Prompts
- Questioning by the Therapist
- Drill Work
- Art Activities
- Writing Activities
- Visual Outlines
- Conversation
Materials
A variety of materials are used to work toward the accomplishment
of short - term speech and language goals.
- FM Amplification System
- Worksheets
- Memory Games
- Listening Activities
- Barrier Games
- Crossword puzzles
- Articulation Picture Cards
- Language Board Games
- Card Games
- Earobics Computer Programs
- Sequencing Activities
- Auditory Cassette Tapes
- Therapist-Made Materials
Assessment
The children are evaluated in the beginning of the school year so
that appropriate speech and language goals can be established according
to the child's individual needs. Assessment is an ongoing process
throughout the school year as short term goals are met and new goals
may be established.
- Classroom Observations
- Teacher Input
- Formal Standardized Testing
- Informal Assessment
- Language Sampling
- Outside Evaluations
The formal tests most often administered at the Center include
the following:
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 3 ( CELF 3 ) -
The Psychological Corporation
- Test of Language Development Primary ( TOLD P : 3) - Pro-Ed
- Test of Language Development - Intermediate ( TOLD I:3 ) - Pro-Ed
- Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills Revised ( TAPS- R ) - Psychological
& Educational Publications, Inc.
- Test of Problem Solving ( TOPS ) - LinguiSystems
- The Listening Test - LinguiSystems
- SCAN - The Psychological Corporation
- Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation - American Guidance Service
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Mary
McDowell Center for Learning
