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My child receives speech-language services in school, what can I do at home?

So, your child has just been evaluated for special education services in the school setting and is receiving speech therapy in school. There are many different ways that you can help your child’s therapy carryover at home! First, make sure you have a copy of your child’s “Individualized Education Plan,” or IEP. This will list each goal/objective that your child is working on at school. Using what you know your child is working on at school, here are a couple different ways to work on speech and language activities at home:

Expressive Language

Throughout your day to day activities, have your child use longer phrases and sentences to describe what is going on around them. For example, if you are on a play-date at the park and see a dog, have your child describe the dog. Feel free to prompt them if they need a little help. Here are a couple ways to use describing words in sentences: “I see a black dog. The dog is eating grass. The boy is walking the brown dog. There is a big dog under the table. The black dog is standing on top of the hill.” Ask your child questions like, “who drives your bus, what do you use a crayon for, where do we go when we’re sick, why do we go to bed, when do you go to the doctor?

 

Receptive Language

Have your child follow a variety of directions with conceptual vocabulary. If you are coloring with your child, give them directions such as “Give me the blue crayon,” or “Find the crayon under the table.” Use conceptual vocabulary (in, on, under, etc.) frequently when talking with your child.

 

Literacy and Reading Comprehension

If your child is showing some difficulty with reading in school, read to your child more frequently at home. If your child is reading to you, make sure that the stories that they select are very simple and below their reading level in school. Choosing books that are simple decreases the frustration at home and encourages your child to read. Have your child pick the books that they want to read. Check with your local librarian because they can help you find books at certain reading levels. When you are done with the story, begin to ask your child simple “who, what, where, when, and why” questions. Talk about the events and characters in the story.

 

Articulation/Phonology

If your child is having difficulty pronouncing some of their speech sounds, begin to model those sounds for your child and have them practice. Even 5-10 minutes of practice a couple times a week can help your child’s speech production skills! Ask your school speech therapist to send home some of the words that they are working on in speech so that your child can practice that sound at home.
Those are just a couple ways to address your child’s speech and language skills at home. If you have questions or need more resources or training on how to implement strategies at home, reach out to your school-based speech therapist for help.
 
Written by school-based speech-language pathologist, Karissa Milliron

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Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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