Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues in
Your Setting
Blog Assignment 2
I have been observing a two year
old classroom for two weeks, as I sat with the teacher to discuss the childrens
development she informed me that two of the children in the classroom receive
speech therapy, and one receives developmental therapy. Two of the children receive therapy from
early intervention services and the other child gets the therapies from the
agency speech-language pathologist. It was interest to know that the agency
where I’m doing my field work has their own speech-language pathologist because
that way the children can get the services as soon as the teachers detect a language
delay in a child. The host teacher informed me that they were lucky to have a
speech-language pathologist thanks to a grant they won; the therapist serves to
only 15 children in the program.
I asked the host teacher to share with
me about her experience with early intervention services and she said that the referral
process is kind of slow in her point of view. It is because a lot of factors
first of all the parent consent for the child to be referred, then they need to
wait until EI services evaluate the child. My host teacher thinks the parents
need to be educated about the benefit of the children to get EI services at an
early age in order for the child minimize the need for special education later
when a child enters school.
Moreover I had the opportunity to
see the speech language pathologist from the agency; I saw her giving therapy to
one child. I noticed the therapist didn’t bring a bag full of special toys to
work with the child; instead she used the toys and materials from the classroom.
I also noticed the therapist gave the therapy in the classroom she didn’t take the
child out to another room. After the therapy was finished I talked to the
therapist and she shared with me her beliefs regarding how a quality therapy
should be. She said that she didn’t take the child out from the classroom because
the therapy must be in the child’s natural environment, in this case is the
classroom where the child spends most of the time. Also she said she likes to
work with the materials the child uses on a daily basis and that way the
teachers can implement the same activities even when the therapist is not in
the classroom.
One insight that I gained is that
the teachers, therapist and parents need to work together for the benefit of
the child. The therapist and teachers need to have a lot of communication
regarding the activities that can help the child to develop as well when individualizing
in the lesson plan teachers can write activities that are an extension to what
the therapist is working with the child.
Another insight I gained is about
the child’s natural environment. In the
past years I had the experience of working with EI therapists and every time
they come to give the therapy they took the child out of the classroom. I think
that by giving the therapy in the child’s natural environment the child will be
more likely to collaborate with the therapist and the child is being inclusive
to the classroom.
The therapist appears to be very efficient and in tuned to the children's needs. Working with the child in their natural environment is the ideal situation. Children need to feel comfortable to be able to respond and benefit from the therapy. Early intervention was one of my choices to research also. It is so important for children with special needs to receive services as early as possible.
ReplyDeleteRosario,
ReplyDeleteAt a day care center I worked for, I also observed a child receive speech therapy outside of the classroom. However, I think that observing a child in his/her natural environment is a great idea. This would allow the therapist to work with the child as well as the teacher to plan and implement activities for the child. Also, when services are provided inside a child's classroom with his/her peers, it could alleviate a child being looked upon as being an "outcast". The therapist could implement activities that enhances learning for all children.
It's sad that this program only receives a speech therapist because of a grant. Do children over 3 receive speech services as IDEA - states that children with special needs can start receiving services starting at age 3?
ReplyDelete