The HOPE Learning Center

Speech and Language Therapy

	Speech therapy is a therapy that is utilized to teach communication skills. The goal of speech therapy is to improve all aspects of communication. The National Research Council has identified 4 aspects of beneficial speech therapy: Speech therapy should begin early in a child’s life and be frequent. Therapy should be rooted in practical experience in the child’s life. Therapy should encourage spontaneous communication. Any communication skills learned during speech therapy should be generalizable to multiple situations. At The Hope Learning Center, we are committed to establishing a strengths based approach in developing individualized treatment goals to enhance each child’s communication skills.

Speech therapy is a therapy that is utilized to teach communication skills.

The goal of speech therapy is to improve all aspects of communication.

The National Research Council has identified 4 aspects of beneficial speech therapy:

Speech therapy should begin early in a child’s life and be frequent.
Therapy should be rooted in practical experience in the child’s life.
Therapy should encourage spontaneous communication.
Any communication skills learned during speech therapy should be generalizable to multiple situations.

At The Hope Learning Center, we are committed to establishing a strengths based approach in developing individualized treatment goals to enhance each child’s communication skills.

Click the links below to find out more about each topic:

Language and Speech Disorders
Pragmatics
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems
Non-Verbal Social Cues
FastForWord

Language and Speech Disorders

A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds.

A language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas.

**Language disorders can be either receptive or expressive**

Receptive disorders refer to difficulties understanding or processing language.

Expressive disorders include difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way.

Pragmatics

The social use of language

Pragmatics involve 3 major communication skills:

Using language for different purposes:

greeting (e.g., hello, goodbye)
informing (e.g., I'm going to get a cookie)
demanding (e.g., Give me a cookie)
promising (e.g., I'm going to get you a cookie)
requesting (e.g., I would like a cookie, please)

Changing language according to the needs of a listener or situation:

talking differently to a baby than to an adult
giving background information to an unfamiliar listener
speaking differently in a classroom than on a playground

Following rules for conversations and storytelling:

taking turns in conversation
introducing topics of conversation
staying on topic
rephrasing when misunderstood
how to use verbal and nonverbal signals
how close to stand to someone when speaking
how to use facial expressions and eye contact

(Provided by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association)

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems

Any device, system, or method that improves a child’s ability to communicate effectively.
NOT a substitute or a replacement for spoken language, but part of a comprehensive therapy program to develop functional communication skills.
Provide an alternative means of communication for non-verbal children.
Provide options that may assist the non-verbal child with language delays in developing spoken language.
Strategies include:
- American Sign Language: a visual mode of communication that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body.
- Communication Boards: boards that are pre-printed with symbols and icons. They are visual supports for communication that allow an individual to point to a symbol to make their wants and desires known.
- Voice Output Communication Devices: an electronic device that speaks for an individual.
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): an icon based visual system which uses pictures to communicate. PECS requires the child to exchange the picture card with the listener, thereby generating a social interaction.

Non-Verbal Social Cues

Nonverbal communication (NVC) is the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.

Such messages can be communicated through:
- Facial Expressions: messages of the face that provide commentary and illustration about verbal communications.
- Gestures: non-vocal bodily movements intended to express meaning.
- Paralinguistics: the non-verbal elements of communication used to modify meaning and convey emotion. Paralanguage may be expressed consciously or unconsciously, and includes the pitch, volume, and intonation of speech.
- Body Language/Posture: communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language, or other communication.
  - Posture can be used to determine a participant’s degree of attention or involvement, the difference in status between communicators, and the level of fondness a person has for the other communicator.
- Proxemics: “personal space,” or the amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us.
- Eye Contact: a direct form of non-verbal communication that plays an important role as the regulator of turn taking. Eye contact can also indicate interest, attention, and involvement.
- Haptics: the study of touching as nonverbal communication. Touches that can be defined as communication include handshakes, holding hands, kissing (cheek, lips, hand), back slapping, high fives, a pat on the shoulder, and brushing an arm.

FastForWord

The Hope Learning Center is a registered provider of the FastForWord system of language processing software.

FastForWard is an integrated, software-based training program which builds the necessary skills for language competence in children.

It develops and strengthens memory, attention, processing rate, and sequencing – the cognitive skills essential for learning and reading success.

The strengthening of these skills results in a wide range of improved critical language and reading skills:

phonological awareness
phonemic awareness
fluency
vocabulary
comprehension
decoding
working memory
syntax
grammar

If you'd like to learn more about FastForWord, please visit: www.scilearn.com

Daily Living Skills

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are defined as:

"The things we normally do in daily living including any daily activity we perform for self-care, work, homemaking, and leisure."

Basic living skills include the ability to:

Feed Yourself

Bathe Yourself

Dress/Undress

Use the toilet

Play Skills

A child's main job is playing.

Play is an innovative way to introduce new skills and allow a child to “practice” these skills.

Play is also a vehicle utilized to promote social interactions and peer interactions.

An occupational therapist can evaluate a child's skills level regarding play activities, compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group, and formulate a treatment course to enhance a child’s ability to “play.”

Motor Skills

There are two categories of motor skills:

Gross Motor Skills refers to the function of large muscle groups
Fine Motor Skills refers to the coordination of small muscle groups.

Deficits in motor skills can impede a child’s social and academic performances.

An Occupational Therapist will develop an individualized treatment plan which will include innovative and creative techniques to address motor skills deficits.

Anger Management

Anger is a difficult emotion to identify, understand, and express.

An Occupational Therapist can provide different techniques and positive approaches to express anger such as deep breathing techniques, physical exercises, and keeping a “feelings” journal.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-Eye Coordination is defined as the ability of the vision system to coordinate the information received through the eyes to control, guide, and direct the hands in the accomplishment of a given task, such as handwriting or catching a ball. Hand-eye Coordination uses the eyes to direct attention and the hands to execute a task.

Hand-Eye Coordination is required in almost every daily activity, from eating, dressing, and using the computer. Children with a hand-eye coordination deficit attempt to avoid such activities, however this increases the severity of the problem. Although children develop at varying rates, an Occupational Therapist will teach hand-eye skills and utilize repetition as a means to ensuring mastery.

Sensory Integration

We utilize our senses to learn and process information about the world. The goal of sensory integration therapy is to help the child better absorb and process this information.

Children with sensory integration dysfunction do not process the information correctly; therefore incorrect information is sent to the brain. There are two types of sensory disorders:

Hypersensitivity – overreact to stimuli
Hyposensitivity – inability to utilize sense to process information

Children with autism tend to either seek out or avoid certain stimuli in an effort to satisfy their nervous system.

To address sensory integration disorder, occupational therapists will develop an individualized treatment plan to address challenges with:

touch (tactile)
movement
motor planning
balance (vestibular)
vision
hearing
smell and taste)
body position (proprioceptive)