Supporting Language & Communication
Tips for School and Home
In School
For children who have experienced CVAs, communication may be impaired to varying degrees. Specifically, children may have difficulty producing and understanding speech and/or language. These students may require more time to process written and verbal information, as well as more time to complete tasks. These children may experience motor, vision, or auditory problems as well, necessitating classroom modifications.
Some examples of classroom techniques could include:
Some examples of classroom techniques could include:
- Providing written directions with verbal instructions (and vice versa)
- Preferential seating in the classroom
- More focused and longer reading instruction (Learning Differences, 2015)
- Giving more time on tests and assignments
- Providing accommodations for testing. For example, IQ testing may not be valid due to timed portions and the measurement of quick motor movements (Learning Differences, 2015). In other words, make sure tests appropriately measure child's abilities before making official decisions based on testing results.
- Using social stories to encourage appropriate social interaction with peers.
Remember: All children are different and will have different strengths and needs to take into account!
At Home
In the home, accommodations and strategies are going to be similar to strategies used in the child's school. Because of this, teacher-parent communication is very important to create a consistent environment for the child. Similar to the above, these strategies may include:
- Allowing for longer times during daily activities (bedtime routine, mealtimes, etc.).
- Incorporating more reading, writing, and language learning activities in the home to boost the knowledge being taught in the school curriculum.
- Using visuals in the home to boost understanding of concepts (i.e. label items in the house, incorporate visuals into directions for games and activities).
- Fostering independence by allowing the child to help with certain tasks around the house such as cleaning and cooking.