The Hillside School employs two full-time speech/language pathologists.
Students’ speech and language skills are evaluated on an on-going basis.
An initial evaluation is completed using standardized tests after being enrolled in the school.
Focus areas are identified from the evaluation, observation, and teacher input.
Students are re-evaluated every other year thereafter and upon exiting to a new school.
Students receive a minimum of one small group therapy lesson and one collaborative classroom lesson each week. Teachers are provided with information from the collaborative lessons and are encouraged to use the language skills in their classrooms. Areas of focus include the following:
· Semantics and verbal expression
· Syntax and grammar
· Auditory memory and processing
· Phonological awareness
· Concepts
· Pragmatics
· Critical thinking
· Articulation
· Fluency
· Voice
The speech/language pathologists provide information regarding students’ language skills to parents, teachers, and other professionals on a regular basis.
The Hillside School uses the Earobics software program to assist in teaching phonological awareness and auditory processing skills. This software program is individualized for each student who needs extra practice with phonological awareness, and is used in the classroom. In addition, the service of a Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit speech/language pathologist is provided for articulation therapy once a week.
Website: www.asha.org