A Speech-Language Pathology Practice
I am holding up a bright yellow jacket at the LL Bean outlet in New Hampshire. “Hey look this is really bright it will be great for biking,” I say to my daughter. “No, it’s dull she says!” I’m puzzled and confused. I look at the jacket again and then walk off to pay the cashier. I’m …
Continue reading “Vocabulary Development: Teachable Moments”
“I’m dumb!”  “I can’t learn!”  Often underserved in public schools, twice exceptional children of color,  especially children of color who are of African or Hispanic descent spend their entire academic career unidentified and underperforming. Twice exceptional is a term used to refer to students who are gifted in some areas, but also have learning disabilities as …
Continue reading “Unidentified: Twice Exceptional Children of Color”
Parents fear that their child’s language based learning disability will limit opportunities, but with additional supports like speech/language therapy this is not true.  Even if the distinction between learning disabilities and intellectual impairment is made clear to children, they will pick up on the fact that in school they are having more problems than their …
In the documentary called “Embracing Dyslexia,” a father asked the principal of his child’s school if he should tell his child that the child has dyslexia. The principal says, “No!” Should you tell children with dyslexia, who are aware of their struggles that they have dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities? Children know when they are …
The value of reading fiction for people with Asperger Syndrome is that reading this genre offers them the opportunity to improve non-verbal skills, in spite of the fact that some people with Asperger Syndrome do not enjoy reading fictional books. However, they may find comfort and interest in reading about characters with the same personality traits and …
Why are we trying to decide whether whole language or phonetic based reading instruction is the right kind of reading instruction. Kids should have both. The difference between the two forms of training is that whole language instruction means that reading instruction is done within the  context of whole- language. Phonetic-based instruction, like Orton-Gillingham is reading …
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Students with language-based disabilities often struggle with the acquisition of written language skills. Writing is difficult because there is no ability to repair a breakdown in communication which we do so often in in oral speech. If a reader does not understand a person’s writing, there is no opportunity to question or revise. Â When writing …
It is a fact that students with language-based learning disability require more intense structured instruction over a longer period of time in order to acquire many aspects of language. In first grade my daughter was given the tools to be an engaged reader, but by 3rd grade she was using none of them. It was …
Continue reading “Reading words or learning to read? Part III”
I’ve been frustrated this year with the level of reading instruction my daughter has received. What did I notice about my daughter’s reading abilities? She skipped words she didn’t know, and she confused small words like “of” and “off.” When I asked her indirect questions about stories she had read, she’d fall out on the floor screaming. Okay, I …
Continue reading “Reading words or learning to read? Part II”
My daughter’s reading instruction at school has been frustrating this year. She is a fluent reader, but when you ask her what she has read. Her answer is sometimes, “I don’t know!” Her comprehension is not equal to her fluency level. Is this normal? Yes, she has been working on learning to read the words, …
Continue reading “Reading words or learning to read? Part I”
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