I was hoping to take a poll on what kind of activities your kids do during speech therapy at school (not outpatient/hospital based).
I am meeting with Jack's teacher and speech therapist on Friday to discuss how his sessions are going. I am just curious to find out how other schools conduct speech therapy.
At Jack's school speech is done in a group setting. I've only come to realize (this week) that he does not get his speech 1 to 1 like he did in preschool or during early intervention. I have a lot of questions on how he's doing with his goals and whether this is an appropriate setting for him.
The group session consists of 6 or 7 kids from two classrooms with about 5 switches on the table. They take turns hitting the switch to "read" a story. While the activity in itself is nice, Jack needs SO MUCH MORE than this during his therapy time. Much less in a group of 6 or 7 where he's the only VERBAL child.
Here's our experience PRIOR to this school year with school based therapy:
Oral Motor stuff like working in front of a mirror sticking his tongue out or imitating a "O" with his lips. Using a "horn hierarchy" to build muscles around his mouth. Blowing cotton balls across the table with a straw, etc.
The other things were receptive language stuff: like point to the bird, what is the boy doing in this picture, etc.
Then there's the pronunciation and just repeating sounds.
He has so many motivators too like bubbles, music, toys, balls, etc. And his TSS is there to help with the behavior and redirecting so I feel he needs to be in a different situation at speech time.
Thanks for your input -- I'll keep you posted!!!
If his goals were to be working on the cause and effect of switch use, then I would say that was a perfectly appropriate activity for him. However, I am assuming based on what I "know" of Jack, that he is certainly beyond the point of cause and effect switch use.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't have a child in speech therapy, I have worked with children like Jack in speech settings. The number one thing is that it doesn't sound like this SLP is actually focusing on his goals, you know, those individual ones, that were written into his IEP. Silly to me that people forget what that "I" stands for.
I do a speech group every week with 3-4 kids. At this time, we read a book, the students have picture adapted text to follow along and read aloud with me. After reading, we discuss the book using premade communication boards to assist them in case they have trouble with word finding or speech production. After discussion, we go to the computer and we write a retell or answer questions about the story to focus on comprehension, using INtellitools. The students then print their work and take it home.
I think there is a lot of benefit in doing speech activities within a group setting, but these kids still get their one on one time that they need. Specifically for those things you mentioned like oral motor skills, etc.
Is it possible that this SLP just doesn't know what to do with him? I have found that when that is the case, they have a tendency to take things to a much lower level than the child is capable of. She should most certainly be working on communication skills with him.
What are his speech goals like?
Speech therapy at school [group] is very different to private [one on one] I think we're run the gamut over the years, as certainly in the very beginning I distinctly remember paying for 50 minutes private therapy when he didn't utter a single syllable!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
[and the video was a delight!]
legally...your son is entitled to receive services that work on his goals and meet his needs in academically impacted areas. if they are doing the exact same thing each session then they can not be working on IEP goals. If your son is verbal and the other students are not then they can't possibly be working on his goals. many schools (due to the number of children on the caseload) have been forced to move to group settings. BUT, a group of 6 and a group of 2 is very different. Not only that but verbal vs. nonverbal is very different. you have every right to object to his placements and his learning setting.
ReplyDeleteHi. Sorry I am late getting to this, I hope the meeting went well. I agree, you have every right to request a private setting. Max has two private and one group at his school. It's been that way since forever. I wouldn't have it any other way, neither should you! One on one is critical.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments!! The meeting went very well. The speech therapist was really genuinely a nice person. She came to the table with ideas for each of my concerns. She was open to suggestions and our plan is to have Jack receive individual therapy as well as small group therapy (one other verbal student and Jack) and he will continue to participate in large group therapy. The teacher was helpful too and over all I think it went well. She also let me take an adapted computer mouse home and they'll use one in the class room too. Also, our next IEP meeting is in May so I will be writing some specially designed instruction regarding individual vs. group therapy for all of his therapies.
ReplyDelete