THERAPY | junior phase

A. SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY
The aim of speech-language therapy is to develop individual speech, language and communication program’s for each child, in addition to creating communication resources both for the classroom and for therapy purposes.

THERAPY FOCUSES ON 3 MAIN AREAS:
1. SPEECH DISORDERS

• Articulation errors: The child substitutes one sound for another consistently in his speech. E.g. : thun / sun
• Phonological errors: Errors with sound classes. For example all sounds produced at the back of the mouth are made in the front.
  E.g.: tup / cup & done / gone
• Oral Apraxia: An inability to control the voluntary movements of the mouth necessary for speech. Imitation of sounds and oral movements as well as connective speech is affected. Therapy may include SSB (sucking, swallowing & blowing) techniques.
• Voice disorders & fluency disorders (E.g. stuttering)

2. LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
Children often have difficulty both with the understanding and expression of language. This can be in any or all of the following areas:

• Form of the language: The syntax or grammar of the language. Many of the children have persisting difficulty with word order, regular and irregular past tense, verb agreement, pronouns & prepositions.
• Contents of the language: The meaning of language. For example – vocabulary development, understanding of concepts such as opposites, associations, categorisations etc.
• Use of language: The way language is used in different contexts and the general understanding of the rules of communication (pragmatics) this includes things like: eye contact, initiating conversation, gauging the quantity of information to give, turn taking skills. Different contexts have different rules. e.g. speaking to a respected elderly professor as opposed to a life long friend.

For young children who are non-verbal augmentative modes of communication would be used to enhance their independence and reduce frustration. e.g. Makaton signs, PECS, communication boards, etc.
 

3. AUDITORY PROCESSING SKILLS

• Therapy focuses on building up concentration and attention skills through focusing on listening, e.g. whole body listening.
• Auditory memory (rote recall, memory for instructions and story recall).
• Phonological awareness is created by working on sound related activities such as nursery rhymes, songs, rhyming, alliteration, spoonerisms etc.
• The auditory perceptual skills necessary for reading and spelling are targeted by work on the following areas:
  Auditory analysis: e.g. cat = c + a + t
  Auditory synthesis: e.g. c + a + t = cat
  Auditory discrimination: e.g. cat / mat (rhyming skills)
  Auditory closure: e.g. ele_ant = elephant

Therapy may occur on an individual, a small group and/or a class group level.

Often the therapist integrates into the class activities to assist with the transfer of skills taught on an individual level. Homework and communication occurs within the speech book, please read these comments

B. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
The aim of Occupational Therapy is to develop individual programs for each child in order to address difficulties the child faces within the classroom.

THERAPY FOCUSES ON FOUR MAIN AREAS:
1. GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
The following areas are addressed:

• Muscle tone
• Postural control
• Balance
• Bilateral integration
• Crossing of midline
• Ball skills – throwing, catching, and bouncing.

2. FINE MOTOR SKILLS
These would include the following areas:

• Finger strength
• Pencil grip and pencil control
• Block building
• Threading
• Colouring skills
• Handling of scissors and cutting skills
• Tracing
• Eye hand co-ordination

3. PERCEPTUAL AREA
This would include the following:

• Body awareness – includes body image, concept, schema
• Concepts – shapes, colours, numbers, size
• Directionality – left and right concept
• Spatial awareness – which enables the child to orientate his body in relation to other objects, as well as orientate objects in relation to one another e.g. concepts like above, under, behind, in front, next to, on top, inside are used.
• Visual figure ground – is the ability to focus one’s visual attention on one object, which is a skill the child will need later to enable him to focus on one word at a time while he reads.
• Visual discrimination – the ability to perceive the similarities and differences between objects, shapes and symbols. At school the child will use this skill to discriminate between numbers and letters and also to see differences between two words which are very similar e.g. “sand” and “land”
• Position is space – enables the child to orientate his body or an object in space. This skill is used to discriminate between the “b” and the “d”.
• Visual closure – the ability to complete a figure, word or sentence which is perceived as incomplete. The child will use this skill when reading different handwritings.
• Visual motor integration – the ability to integrate the functions of the visual system and motor skills in order to enable the child to copy pictures or drawings. This will enable the child to copy what his teacher has written on the blackboard.

4. SENSORY INTEGRATION
Another area of focus is the sensory integration, with which many children have problems.

WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION (S.I.)?:
Integration is a type of organisation. When something is well integrated, different parts work together in a co-ordinated manner to form a whole. Sensory integration (S.I.) is therefore the organisation of different sensations. The central nervous system (CNS), specially the brain, is designed to organise the endless amounts of sensory information.

The sensory integration ability of most children develops through participation in every day activities to which he/she is exposed. Some children’s sensory integration abilities, however, do not develop as effectively as they should.

HOW CAN S.I. THERAPY HELP A CHILD WITH SUCH A PROBLEM?
S.I. therapy is aimed at helping the child’s brain to function more effectively so that better integration takes places and you have a happier child.

It often appears as if the child is only playing during the therapy and home assignments. The directed “play” is aimed at providing the child’s brain with sufficient vestibular (movement), proprioceptive- or tactile (touch) stimulation according to his needs. Each child’s needs differ. A therapy programme is compiled for each child according to the particular problems found during the initial evaluation. The programme consists of different activities aimed at meeting his specific needs.

Sufficient stimulation is provided during normal daily play for children without a Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID). A child however, with a SID needs extra stimulation, which can only be provided by a qualified SI therapist. All activities used in therapy are thus aimed at involving the child in the activity, which will best help him to make the necessary adaptive response with greater ease than he did previously. At the end of the therapy programme the chid will function better in daily activities and will feel better about him/herself and also his/her surroundings.

Therapy may occur on an individual, a small group and/or a class group level. Often the therapist integrates into the class activities to assist with the transfer of skills taught on an individual level. Homework and communication occurs within the homework book, please read these comments.

C. THE ROLE OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST AND
    SOCIAL WORKER
The psychologist and social worker form a team that is responsible for the personal and social well-being and development of the learners, parents and staff of Unity College. Psychotherapy, play therapy (individual and in groups), parent counseling and life skills groups all form part of this therapy. The psychologist is also responsible for psycho-educational, emotional and career assessments. These assessments are used to gain understanding of the learners’ functioning, ability and interventions needed.

The therapists focus on behaviour difficulties (e.g. anger outbursts, bullying, poor self-esteem), relationship problems (e.g. friendships, child-parent relationships, family interaction, sibling rivalry), loss (e.g. divorce, death), trauma (e.g. accident, hi-jacking), sexuality and substance abuse. Through intervention and by working hand-in-hand with parents, teachers and other therapists, the psychologist and social worker aim to achieve the following goals:

• Development of self-acceptance and self-awareness
• Self-empowerment
• Identification and expression of feelings
• Development of decision-making skills
• Conflict resolution
• Self-assertiveness
• Goal-setting
• Independence and responsibility
• Positive attitude towards life and others
• Effective communication
• Team work
• Helping and caring for others
• Effective communication
• Team work
• Helping and caring for others
• Respect for authority
• Acceptance of limits and rules
• Values
• Dealing effectively with relationships