Speech-Language Services
Child Study Institute offers comprehensive speech-language assessment and therapy to children who have a wide range of communication difficulties. Appropriate referral problems include delayed receptive and expressive language, auditory comprehension deficits, articulation difficulties, dysfluency, pervasive developmental disorder, and language language-based learning difficulties. In addition, CSI offers several classroom programs for preschoolers who have speech and language problems likely to hinder their participation in a traditional program, as described below.
Preschool Language Groups
CSI offers an intensive and individualized preschool experience for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years for whom language delays, attention problems, social skills deficits, and difficulties with behavioral self-regulation compromise functioning in a traditional preschool setting. Younger children meet twice a week, whereas older children meet three times per week for 3 hours. Class size is limited to five children. Each class is taught by a speech-language pathologist and classroom assistants.
Specialized Prekindergarten Program
This program, which meets four afternoons per week, serves a maximum of five children (ages 4.5 to 6). The program uses a transdisciplinary model and is staffed by a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, and an assistant teacher. The program is designed for children with delays in one or more areas of development who need additional support in learning how to learn. Children are expected to have some experience participating in a classroom environment and to have acquired basic skills in following routine directions in a group setting. The program has three main curricular domains: fine motor and perceptual skills, speech and language skills, and pre-academic skills.
Social Communication Group
This 8-week social communication group is designed for kindergarten and first grade children with Asperger’s disorder and high functioning autism. While some children seem to acquire verbal and nonverbal social communication skills through their everyday interactions, children along the autistic spectrum often need to be systematically taught rules for social communication. The aim of this program, which is led by Christine Miehle, M.A./CCC, is to help children to identify feelings, problem-solve in social situation, give information, make requests, use politeness, identify body language cues, share and take turns, maintain a topic of conversation, and maintain a play scheme. The group, which has a maximum of 6 students, meets on Tuesdays at 5 pm.