Speech and Language Support

This class is for any child with actual or perceived speech or language delays.  This class will focus on adding additional communication tools for the student and his or her family members.  A parent or adult caregiver is required to attend class with the student.  The class will be divided by age/ability/skill level as necessary by the instructor after registration closes.  This class is limited to 10 student pairs (student & adult).

Autism/ASD Signing Class  

This class is geared to address the needs of students with autism or diasgnosed as being on the autism spectrum and their caregivers and focus on adding additional tools for communicating with the non-verbal and/or limited speech student. Parent or adult caregiver is required to attend class with the student.  The class will be divided by age/ability/skill level as necessary by the instructor after registration closes.  This class is limited to 10 student pairs (student & adult).

Autism/ASD Signing Class

This class is geared to address the needs of students with autism or diasgnosed as being on the autism spectrum and their caregivers and focus on adding additional tools for communicating with the non-verbal and/or limited speech student. Parent or adult caregiver is required to attend class with the student.  The class will be divided by age/ability/skill level as necessary by the instructor after registration closes.  This class is limited to 10 student pairs (student & adult).

Down Syndrome Signing Class

This class is geared to address the needs of students with Down syndrome and their family members or caregivers and focus on adding additional tools for communication.   A parent or adult caregiver is required to attend class with the student.  The class will be divided by age/ability/skill level as necessary by the instructor after registration closes.  This class is limited to 10 student pairs (student & adult).

Down Syndrome Signing Class  

DOWN SYNDROME SIGNING (Excerpt from “Using Signing Time! With Children who have Down Syndrome”)

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by having an extra copy of chromosome 21. Down syndrome occurs in every one out of 733 births. Individuals with Down syndrome generally have some impairment of cognitive ability and physical growth, weak muscle tone, and a hallmark set of facial characteristics. Health concerns for individuals with Down syndrome include: a higher risk for congenital heart defects, gastro esophageal reflux disease, recurrent ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, and thyroid dysfunctions. With the support of modern medicine and emerging interventions, most people with Down syndrome can lead long healthy lives.

While there are many areas of potential need that are targeted by early intervention services, supports in language development have proven to be particularly crucial for children with Down syndrome. This is because they tend to have more difficulty with language than any other developmental skill. In particular, children with Down syndrome often experience the following:

Speech delays Children with Down syndrome often learn to talk later than typically developing children. In some cases, spoken language is severely impacted to the point where the child has limited vocabulary or a great deal of trouble with articulation. Other children are able to learn to express themselves verbally, but this process may take more time and intervention than it does for typically developing children.

Uneven language development When it comes to language, it is important to understand that there is no single pattern of development. Some areas of language skills will be more advanced than others, and development across several areas can be uneven. This means that when it comes to spoken language, children with Down syndrome tend to understand what they are hearing more than they can express what they want to say verbally. For example, your child may use vocabulary appropriate to a six-year-old but have the receptive language skills of an eight- year- old. Because of this split in ability, it is easy to underestimate what a child with Down syndrome knows and understands.

Articulation difficulties  Children with Down syndrome often have difficulty with articulation - their  speech is often difficult to understand, and production of sound can be inconsistent. They may struggle with the proper phonological sounds and often have some level of dysfluency (stuttering).

Hearing loss In addition to challenges with expressive language, an estimated 60–90% of children with Down syndrome have some degree of hearing loss, primarily due to fluid in the ears. Because this fluid can shift, the hearing loss is not always constant. However, it does have a significant impact on the child, perhaps making it difficult at times to hear instructions in the classroom or important social interactions amongst their peers.

Signing makes communication possible – or easier Some children with Down syndrome may never learn to speak clearly – or at all. ASL signs open up a world of communication which allows them to express wants, needs, interests and preferences. For verbal children with articulation difficulties, signs help them clarify their spoken words.

Signing capitalizes on learning strengths Children with Down syndrome are visual learners. Since sign language is a very visual form of communication, it naturally capitalizes on this learning strength. When verbal instructions and social interactions are supported by signs, it helps them better understand what is being communicated and allows them to better express what they already know, but may lack the actual vocabulary for.

Signing allows more time for processing Children with Down syndrome often need more time to process verbal information. With signs, you can actually pause the hand shape and hold it in front of the child, or repeat the motion to give a child extra time needed to process the message.

Signing supports memory Children with Down syndrome have difficulty remembering, categorizing, storing, and retrieving information in the same way as other children. Think of it like storing information in a bucket instead of a file cabinet. When learning is supported with signing, children are engaging visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning modalities, thus making it easier for them to remember what they learned. In addition, because signing is fun and engaging, it’s easier for parents and teachers to provide practice activities that involve repetition. This allows the information that is being taught to be brought to the top of “the bucket” repeatedly and in an orderly fashion, thus supporting the memory and retrieval process.

SPEECH & LANGUAGE DELAYS (Excerpt from “Using Signing Time! in Speech and Language Therapy”)

If a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly, has difficulty with fluency, or has problems with his voice, he has a speech disorder. If a person has difficulty understanding others, sharing thoughts ideas, and feelings, then he has a language disorder. Speech and language disorders can be found in both children and adults. Many speech and language disorders have no known cause, however, some may occur as a result of a medical problem. The following are speech and language disorders found in young children that can be remediated through the use of ASL.

Often the goal of therapy is to improve a child’s overall ability to communicate through functional communication strategies. Functional communication is a “by any means necessary” approach which does not limit a child to using verbal communication. It allows children to get their messages across using spoken words, printed words, gestures or pictures on a communication device. The use of ASL as a functional communication strategy has grown in popularity in recent years because both parents and professionals appreciate the convenience it affords. With signs, there is no communication device or book to tote, no charging or replacing batteries, no forgetting it at home. Your hands are always with you! In addition to providing a convenient form of functional communication, signing helps children with speech and language disorders improve both their receptive and expressive language skills:

Receptive Language

Signing contributes to the development of receptive language skills - the ability to understand what is being communicated. For children with receptive language disorders, parents and therapists must help children connect the printed words, spoken words, signs and pictures with their meanings. Children learn best when their senses are engaged, by doing and experiencing life. By adding ASL to a child’s communication options, you are giving them the opportunity to hear the word (when spoken), see the word (on both the lips and hands) and “do” the word by signing it. This multi-sensory form of communication helps children acquire vocabulary more quickly and efficiently.

Expressive Language

Signing is also useful for helping children develop expressive language– the ability to effectively communicate thoughts and feelings to others. It is especially helpful for children who have good receptive language skills and can formulate their thoughts, but lack the oral skills to speak clearly. A child may choose to only use signs, or may mix signs and spoken words to form their first phrases. With signs, children can overcome barriers to spoken language and successfully communicate.  This success gives them a sense of empowerment, which can lead to increased self-esteem and confidence.