Services
Speech-Language Therapy
Lindsy Wathan
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) in the school setting diagnose and treat children through special education. The SLP works with children from birth to age 21. They work with children who demonstrate receptive and/or expressive language, articulation (production of speech sounds), fluency/stuttering, voice, and swallowing disorders. A speech-language pathologist may be a part of a team for a child with hearing loss, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, autism, down syndrome, developmental delays, or traumatic brain injury. Children are identified as having difficulty in these areas through routine screenings and parent and teacher referrals.
The school district offers free screenings throughout the year and appointments can also be set up with the SLP by calling the school.
Helpful Links
American Speech Hearing Association:
Developmental Articulation Norms: www.mpsaz.org/entz/staff/sabevier/.../files/iowa_artic_table
Developmental Speech/Language Milestones:
Physical therapy is provided to a student if assistance with motor function such as walking or sitting up tall is needed to learn in the classroom or school. Physical therapists can work one on one with a student or may consult with school staff. A student must qualify for special education and have a functional need to receive physical therapy. A school team comes up with a plan that can help the student with motor skills so to function and learn in the school environment.
Hill City School also provides physical therapy to those children under the age of 3 with more severe developmental needs that reside in the school district.
ABCs of Pediatric PT and Fitness: Resources for Young Children (Consumer Resources)
Gross Motor Milestones
http://www.kidscando.org/milestones-grossmotor.html
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Susan Hans
Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping students with a physical, motor, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
Some people may think that occupational therapy is only for adults; kids, after all, do not have occupations. But a child's main job is playing and learning, and occupational therapists can evaluate kids' skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.
A child can be referred to occupational therapy for a free screening or evaluation through special education. A child will qualify for OT services through special education when there is a delay in fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual motor and/ or sensory processing skills that impact their performance at school (i.e. attention to task, handwriting, reversals, reading difficulties, etc). OT provides direct services to the student and consultation to staff/teachers.
Helpful links:
American Occupational Therapy Web Site
http://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients.aspx
Star Center for Sensory Processing – Parent Information
Handwriting Without Tears – Information for Parents to use at home to facilitate handwriting skills
https://www.hwtears.com/hwt/parents
Developmental milestones for Fine Motor & Visual Motor skills birth to 8 years old
http://www.childdevelopment.com.au/hand-dexterity-fine-motor-skills/188