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CLASS, Inc. designs service delivery to meet each child's needs. We recognize that the needs of today may be different from those of tomorrow. Each child's program is thoroughly reviewed regularly to determine the best menu of professionals and treatments that will build on current learning potential.
Click on a category title below to learn more about our services.
Services include, but are not limited to:
Children
- Art Therapy
- Consultation
- Evaluation
- Individual treatment
- Short Term Intensive Therapy
This progressive model produces extraordinary results in a condensed period of time. Consisting of 8 weeks of twice-daily fun and motivating therapy sessions with a select team of clinicians, skills are introduced, taught, reinforced and generalized within days with astounding outcomes. Short Term Intensive Therapy is ideal for the child who is just entering therapy, has made little progress in traditional therapy or is making good progress and is ready to ramp up their functional communication skills.
The teacher of one participant stated, "I wish that I could send all of my students to CLASS, Inc. for intensive therapy". The dramatic progress made by children participating in CLASS, Inc.'s intensive therapy program has literally brought tears to the eyes of family and friends.
- Therapeutic Dyads
The individual strengths/needs of two children are matched to support the progress of both learning partners during one or many therapy sessions. These sessions are often the first place that a child successfully practices new communication skills with a peer. This foundation of success paves the way for enhanced communication success at school, home and in the community. - Social Language Groups
Skillfully orchestrated weekly peer group sessions enhance self esteem of elementary, middle and high school aged children as they improve their social interaction skills. These groups foster the ability to make and maintain friendships in a fun and supportive setting. A certified speech-language pathologist implement research based methods via engaging activities to meaningfully facilitate the acquisition of critical social skills such as: initiating and maintaining conversations, turn-taking, using non-verbal language, self regulation, feeling good about yourself, having patience, giving compliments, understanding the emotions of others and negotiating.
Systematically introduced topics build upon each other from week to week. This provides a framework for learning and opportunities for practice. Parents/caregivers are provided individualized feedback after each meeting so that newly acquired skills can be readily practiced and generalized at home. During the session, data is regularly collected and reviewed to guarantee progress.
After completion of each eight to ten week session, parents/caregivers will receive a written progress report that summarizes positive changes made in areas such as: non-verbal communication, giving compliments, accepting criticism, polite interruptions, making introductions, conversational turn taking, conflict resolution, changing conversational topics, asking questions, joining in, losing, being a good listener, etc.
- Play Groups:
These highly motivating eight to ten week play sessions for toddlers and preschoolers are led by certified speech language pathologists to develop social and play skills. Stimulating toys, enticing sensory experiences and developmentally challenging semi-structured play activities provide the framework for teaching social interaction skills, pretend play skills, problem solving and appropriate group participation. Specific skills addressed include: successfully managing transitions, shared play, negotiating, emotional regulation, using imagination and respecting others Progress data is collected and evaluated on an ongoing basis to guarantee progress and parents/caregivers will receive a written progress report at the end of each 8-10 week session. These sessions develop lasting friendships.
- Augmentative Communication User's Groups:
These semi-structured groups allow children teens and young adults that use augmentative communication systems to participate in social and leisure activities with other users. Functional practice in a safe, supportive setting encourages the individual to use his/her device faster and with greater fluency. During the groups, the participants practice social interaction and conversational skills while learning new, age-appropriate leisure skills both within the clinic and out in the community where the generalization of learned skills is practiced. These eight to ten week sessions build competence and confidence! - Pre-literacy & Language Learning Group:
Children enjoy the colorful illustrations and rich text of fanciful picture books as a backdrop for participating in engaging activities that develop core literacy concepts and oral language skills. This eight to ten week session instructs children in essential pre-reading and beginning reading skills. Based on current research on teaching children to become good readers, the curriculum for this class focuses on phonological awareness skills such as rhyming, segmenting words, blending sounds and syllables into words, and letter/sound correspondence. The children spend time exploring emergent reading and writing activities as they predict events, re-tell stories and write simple narratives. Listening and thinking skills are enhanced via small group cooperative projects. Each targeted skill is measured regularly and parents receive daily verbal feedback as well as a written progress report at the end of the session that summarizes documented progress. The children develop a love for books and stories that will support their learning throughout their lives.
- Language and Literacy Learning Group:
Students develop an appreciation for classic literature as well as expository text during this eight-ten week session. We utilize research-based strategies to assist children in becoming fluent readers of a variety of print materials. These groups are ideal for children with language delays, those who are struggling readers and children needing an extra boost in the kindergarten through early elementary years. Participants will practice oral and silent reading, cooperative learning, have opportunities to generate narratives and other written works of personal reflection, critiques and fantasies.
- Advanced Language and Literacy Group:
Designed for the more advanced, but still struggling reader, this group revolves around the reading of one or more classic chapter books such as those by Roald Dahl, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis and Judy Bloome. Basic literary terms will be introduces such as "setting, voice, simile, metaphor, point of view", etc. Participants engage in active learning activities to improve comprehension and analytic skills. Critical thinking skills are practiced and the children write individual and group narrative works that require critical thinking skills, applying logic, making inferences and drawing conclusions.
Adults
Evaluation, therapy and consultation services are provided for adults with communication impairments associated with the following areas:
The CLASS, Inc. staff has extensive background and training in:
A guiding principle at CLASS, Inc. is the concept of Family Centered Service Delivery. This means that we believe that:
- Parents & caregivers are the experts on their children; they know their children better than anyone else
- Every family is unique
- Families have the right to be included in all decision making and planning
- Parents & caregivers are welcome participants in all therapy sessions
- All children have strengths and the ability to learn
At CLASS, Inc., every family and each individual family member is treated with respect. We encourage you to openly discuss concerns, brainstorm ideas and share desires so that we can customize therapy to both the unique needs of your child as well as the exclusive needs of your family. At CLASS, Inc., families decide the level of involvement that they wish to have in the therapy sessions and it is understand that this will change over time. We assist families in developing a broad community network of professionals and other parents who can support the growth of your child.
Individualized therapy programs at CLASS, Inc. include such things as:
- Selecting target vocabulary and language goals based on your family's conversational style.
- Incorporating the services interpreter for whom English is a second language
- Arranging the environment to support children with sensory issues
- Providing verbal and/or written feedback to the parents at the end of every therapy session
- Assisting family members to learn new ways of communicating with their Children's Center
- Providing customized training in the functional use of assistive technology
- Observing your child at home, school, daycare or other important communication settings to gain a complete understanding of your child's strengths and needs across settings important to your child and family
- Creating visual supports and other materials to support your child's successful communication at home
"This is a lovely example of turn-taking. Notice how the father attends to his daughter, responds to her, and doesn't try to push her beyond her interest in this game of exchanging the ball. These types of turn taking games are the beginnings of conversational turn taking."
It is our hope that the Family Centered therapy approach releases open communication between you, the family and CLASS, Inc. to facilitate the development of shared goals and an atmosphere of active participation in the speech therapy process.
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