The start of a new year is a great time to take a fresh look at your students and to develop new resources to help everyone succeed. No doubt, most of the children are doing well. Others may be struggling. For those who are still having trouble following the classroom routine, it might be time to try a picture schedule. For children who are having trouble with comprehension questions at story time, try giving choices. For the child having difficulty with social communication and peer interactions, consider inviting in a speech-language pathologist to observe.
Several years ago I spent many hours preschool classroom assessing the interactions of a particular child. This child would tear down the block structures built by others. He was trying hard to play with them, but didn’t know how. To help with this we developed turn-taking activities at home and in the speech therapy sessions that could be transferred to the classroom. When the timing was right, we taught the skills in the classroom. What a sight to see! This was the start of regular communication with the teacher and parents to identify the next step. This child was eventually diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but this early partnership provided the tools for him to remain in the class with his peers. His preschool teacher was an integral part of his success!
His mother reflected on her son’s preschool time and shared this:
“I cannot say enough about the positive impact the therapists at Speech Connections had on my son. From day one it felt like a team effort. Not only were my husband and I included in decision-making processes, but also included were therapists who were not directly involved in his care. Everyone knew him and was invested in his progress. This level of care extended beyond the doors of the Speech Connections office and into his preschool where he had the most contact with peers his age. Kathy worked closely with his teachers to help facilitate authentic peer-to-peer conversations and develop appropriate play routines. Connecting these two caregivers was a gift for our son. I firmly believe that the progress he made in developing peer relationships was a direct result of this specially designed therapy. We are forever grateful to Kathy and the entire Speech Connections team.“
• to respond to greetings,
• engage in role-playing activities,
• make requests using words,
• take turns during play,
• follow commands, and/or
• attend to tasks?
If you recognize some of these challenges, a referral to a speech-language pathologist for an evaluation may be indicated. At Speech Connections we have extensive experience in identifying pragmatic language disorders. We work to uncover underlying issues that may be affecting a child’s development of social language skills.
We will schedule a time to talk with you about your questions and concerns. We are committed to providing the highest quality services to children and the families in the Richmond area.