Comments on: Services in the Classroom http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:01:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Holly http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-565696 Holly Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:46:14 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-565696 This article is talking about my sister, MaKayla. She is 10 years old now. We credit a lot of her succes to the Vista School in Hershey, PA. The Vista school is an autistic school, only one in this area, that helped her along the way. She is where she is today because of the hardworking, dedicated teachers there. She also has an amazing support system at home!! Holly This article is talking about my sister, MaKayla. She is 10 years old now. We credit a lot of her succes to the Vista School in Hershey, PA. The Vista school is an autistic school, only one in this area, that helped her along the way. She is where she is today because of the hardworking, dedicated teachers there. She also has an amazing support system at home!!

Holly

]]> By: Julia http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-541642 Julia Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:38:48 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-541642 My older son has pullout services in speech and OT, about once a week for each. My younger children, in a preschool program, get pullout speech and OT once a week most weeks, and group speech, OT and PT in the classroom each week. (Class size is 6 for each of my 3 kids now.) When each of them was judged to no longer need physical therapy individually, the therapist told me she'd enjoyed working with them. This is always nice to hear. :) They all have the same speech therapist, and we all like her. Occupational therapists get shuffled around more for some reason, but I haven't had one working with any of my kids who didn't tell me she enjoyed them. My older son has pullout services in speech and OT, about once a week for each. My younger children, in a preschool program, get pullout speech and OT once a week most weeks, and group speech, OT and PT in the classroom each week. (Class size is 6 for each of my 3 kids now.)

When each of them was judged to no longer need physical therapy individually, the therapist told me she’d enjoyed working with them. This is always nice to hear. :) They all have the same speech therapist, and we all like her. Occupational therapists get shuffled around more for some reason, but I haven’t had one working with any of my kids who didn’t tell me she enjoyed them.

]]> By: Emily http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540173 Emily Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:37:59 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540173 Our son has pullout services for both speech and OT, OT more than speech because he's doing both motor work and social skills. He also is pulled out for "special ed" one-on-one reading work, and he has to take frequent breaks in the afternoons and walk around with a backpack on to calm down enough for desk work. Our son has pullout services for both speech and OT, OT more than speech because he’s doing both motor work and social skills. He also is pulled out for “special ed” one-on-one reading work, and he has to take frequent breaks in the afternoons and walk around with a backpack on to calm down enough for desk work.

]]> By: athina http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540245 athina Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:42:58 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540245 My son currently attends a mainstream kindergarten, so he doesn't get any services there. He receives ST twice a week and OT three times a week at a private center that offers services to special needs children. He works alone with his therapists in specially equiped rooms, especially for sensory integration. So far, I don't see any dramatic improvement in his speech because of his therapies, but OT and sensory integration are doing miracles with him. My son currently attends a mainstream kindergarten, so he doesn’t get any services there. He receives ST twice a week and OT three times a week at a private center that offers services to special needs children. He works alone with his therapists in specially equiped rooms, especially for sensory integration. So far, I don’t see any dramatic improvement in his speech because of his therapies, but OT and sensory integration are doing miracles with him.

]]> By: Leanne http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540260 Leanne Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:19:13 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540260 I'm in Canada. Patrick would get Speech through the school if he had a "speech" problem. Because his problems now revolve around language there are no services for him at all. I could hire a private speech/language therapist, but my respite/support funding could not cover it. Before he started Kindergarten, he got speech and launguage through the treatment centre in our children's hospital. I’m in Canada. Patrick would get Speech through the school if he had a “speech” problem. Because his problems now revolve around language there are no services for him at all. I could hire a private speech/language therapist, but my respite/support funding could not cover it. Before he started Kindergarten, he got speech and launguage through the treatment centre in our children’s hospital.

]]> By: Marla http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540400 Marla Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:56:07 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540400 Our daughter was pulled out for speech therapy, OT, PT and Resource Room work all while being in a special needs classroom. Most of the services did not have set rooms to go to. In Indiana and New Jersey I often found her getting services in noisy hallways and OT in cramped, tiny areas. Considering her severe sensory issues I was always advocating for a more reasonable area to do speech thearpy. There were also weeks where I thought she was getting services, dropped in during the alleged service time only to find that the services were not being followed through with. I felt like I had to monitor just to see that the services were actually taking place. For me it felt like advocating was a full time job. Advocating to get her the services was hard and usually the school was cooperative and caring but then when it came to follow through...well, it was not so great. Our daughter was pulled out for speech therapy, OT, PT and Resource Room work all while being in a special needs classroom. Most of the services did not have set rooms to go to. In Indiana and New Jersey I often found her getting services in noisy hallways and OT in cramped, tiny areas. Considering her severe sensory issues I was always advocating for a more reasonable area to do speech thearpy. There were also weeks where I thought she was getting services, dropped in during the alleged service time only to find that the services were not being followed through with. I felt like I had to monitor just to see that the services were actually taking place. For me it felt like advocating was a full time job. Advocating to get her the services was hard and usually the school was cooperative and caring but then when it came to follow through…well, it was not so great.

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540407 Kristina Chew, PhD Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:09:58 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540407 Thanks for all the responses----this is the first year that Charlie has had his speech services delivered exclusively in the class room. Last year, the speech therapist started to more actively train the aides, so that they could work on programs more. I was initially hesitant about this new arrangement; some students end up working less with an actual speech therapist, as they do more work on speech program with the aides. Charlie does almost all of his speech sessions with the speech therapist---I just finished a process of back and forth emailing, observations, questions, to get the speech services specified (also in terms of minutes and frequency) as we felt necessary in his IEP---a drawn-out process, but worth it. Thanks for all the responses—-this is the first year that Charlie has had his speech services delivered exclusively in the class room. Last year, the speech therapist started to more actively train the aides, so that they could work on programs more. I was initially hesitant about this new arrangement; some students end up working less with an actual speech therapist, as they do more work on speech program with the aides.

Charlie does almost all of his speech sessions with the speech therapist—I just finished a process of back and forth emailing, observations, questions, to get the speech services specified (also in terms of minutes and frequency) as we felt necessary in his IEP—a drawn-out process, but worth it.

]]> By: Rose http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540477 Rose Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:04:11 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540477 Ben got pull out speech therapy 2x week and OT 1X up until the end of third grade, often in a small group. He always had the resource room 1 period a day or as needed. As a teacher, I prefer the intensity and individualization of pull out. You can accomplish a lot in a little time. I love the Language Master, but wasn't aware of it. Ben got pull out speech therapy 2x week and OT 1X up until the end of third grade, often in a small group. He always had the resource room 1 period a day or as needed.

As a teacher, I prefer the intensity and individualization of pull out. You can accomplish a lot in a little time.

I love the Language Master, but wasn’t aware of it.

]]> By: Karen http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-548968 Karen Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:06:14 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-548968 My son gets push-in therapy in a small group -- I have found this is exactly what he needs as his weakness is in pragmatic/social language and he can't really practice without other kids around. My son gets push-in therapy in a small group — I have found this is exactly what he needs as his weakness is in pragmatic/social language and he can’t really practice without other kids around.

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.blisstree.com/articles/services-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-540489 Jennifer Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:52:43 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/services-in-the-classroom/#comment-540489 In my district, it varies by therapist. Our current speech therapist pulls everybody she can out of class for speech therapy, and only reluctantly provides in-class services for two students. In my first year of teaching, though, and until one of her speech assistants left, I had several therapists in and out of the classroom providing in-class services. This year our OTs mix pull-out with in-class services and even provide a whole group activity once a month. I prefer the in-class model because not only can all of the adults in class see and model what is being done, very often a child's communication in class is different than it would be one-on-one in a speech room, and it's a more realistic view of the child's abilities in a real-life setting. That said, for certain children for whom generalization is a huge issue, I think a mixed approach is best so that skills can be practiced in a variety of settings. In my district, it varies by therapist. Our current speech therapist pulls everybody she can out of class for speech therapy, and only reluctantly provides in-class services for two students.

In my first year of teaching, though, and until one of her speech assistants left, I had several therapists in and out of the classroom providing in-class services.

This year our OTs mix pull-out with in-class services and even provide a whole group activity once a month.

I prefer the in-class model because not only can all of the adults in class see and model what is being done, very often a child’s communication in class is different than it would be one-on-one in a speech room, and it’s a more realistic view of the child’s abilities in a real-life setting.

That said, for certain children for whom generalization is a huge issue, I think a mixed approach is best so that skills can be practiced in a variety of settings.

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