Speak.

Read.

Write.

Organize.

Socialize.

Success.

Speech and Articulation Treatment ................................................................. 1

Oral-Motor Therapy and Voice Therapy ........................................................... 2

Talk Tools .......................................................................................................... 3

Language Therapy ............................................................................................ 4

Picture Exchange Communication System ....................................................... 5

Hanen Language Program ................................................................................ 6

LAMP Certified Provider ................................................................................... 7

Language and Learning .................................................................................... 8

Dyslexia Screening and Reading Assessments ................................................. 9

Wilson Reading System Program ................................................................... 10

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) .................................................... 11

Executive Function Disorder ........................................................................... 12

Educational Evaluations .................................................................................. 13

Occupational Therapy .................................................................................... 14

The Listening Program ................................................................................... 15

Branching Out (Social Group) ......................................................................... 16

Table of Contents

Speech and Articulation TreatmentA speech disorder is defined as when a person is unable to provide speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice.

Articulation treatment is recommended when an articulation disorder (sound errors occurring past the expected age) is recognized by a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Some general strategies for parents to use with children to increase speech skills include:

• use speech that is clear and easy to follow• avoid baby talk that uses sounds incorrectly• sing songs and recite poems or nursery rhymes that contain target sounds• encourage talking Some signs of an articulation disorder include making a “w” sound for an “r” sound such as “wabbit” for “rabbit” or leaving sounds out of words, like “nana” for “banana”. The child may have an articulation disorder if these errors continue past the expected age.

Phonological ProcessA phonological process disorder involves patterns of sound errors. For example, substituting all sounds that are made in the back of the mouth like “k” and “g” for those in the front of the mouth like “t” and “d” (saying “tup” for “cup”). Another example of a phonological process disorder is if a child only says one of two consonants in the beginning of the word as in “boken” for “broken.”Most phonological processes are gone by the age of 4.

If your child’s speech is not understood by others by the age of 3, an evaluation by a Speech-Language Pathologist is needed. Uncorrected articulation errors can lead to difficulties learning to read.

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Oral-Motorand Voice TherapyOral Motor:Oral-motor therapy addresses the physical movements of speech and feeding. Oral Motor therapy is completed using various exercises instructed by the clinician to strengthen the muscles and increase coordination of muscles used for speech, voice and feeding.

Voice:We have all experienced problems with our voices, times when the voice is hoarse or when sound will not come out at all! Colds, allergies, bronchitis, exposure to irritants such as ammonia, or cheering for your favorite sports team can result in a loss of voice. There are many different types of voice disorders.

Some symptoms of voice disorders include persistent hoarseness, breathiness, a “rough” voice, a “scratchy” voice, harshness, shooting pain from ear to ear, a “lump in the throat” sensation, neck pain, decreased pitch range, voice and body fatigue

What is dysarthria?Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder. The muscles of the mouth, face, and respiratory system may become weak, move slowly, or not move at all after a stroke or other brain injury. The type and severity of dysarthria depend on which area of the nervous system is affected. Some causes of dysarthria include stroke, head injury, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Both children and adults can have dysarthria.

What are some signs or symptoms of dysarthria?A person with dysarthria may experience any of the following symptoms, depending on the extent and location of damage to the nervous system:

• “Slurred” speech• Speaking softly or barely able to whisper• Slow rate of speech

See more at: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/dysarthria.htm#sthash.yjmIBHYd.dpuf

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Talk ToolsThis versatile program is ideal for transitioning clients with motor-planning deficits from oral placement activities to speech production.

The three sets of tools - Bilabial Shapes, Tactile Tubes, and Speech Blocks - provide tactile cuing so clients can feel where the articulators should be during speech production.

When combined with verbal and visual cues, they provide a multisensory approach to facilitating speech.

This progam is used at Branch of Hope.

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Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:• What words mean• How to make new words• How to put words together• What word combinations are best in what situations

Speech is the verbal means of communicating and includes the following:• Articulation• Voice • Fluency

A language disorder is classified as one of the following (or both):• Receptive language is when a person has trouble understanding others• Expressive language is when a person has trouble sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely

What is Language? Language is different from speech.

Language Therapy

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The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders-Evidence Based Practice

Picture Exchange Communication SystemThe Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed at theDelaware Autistic Program (DAP) and was designed to teach young children to communicate in a social context. Using PECS, learners are taught to give a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for the item.

There are six phases of PECS instruction, with each phase building on the last.They are:

• Teaching the physically assisted exchange• Expanding spontaneity• Simultaneous discrimination of pictures• Building sentence structure• Responding to “What do you want?”• Commenting in response to a question

This is a good system for children ages 3-12. The targets for this system are communication, social and behavioral skills. The system can be used in multiple settings including schools, homes and therapy settings.

Picture Exchange Communication System

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The Hanen Center’s family-focused programs for parents are led by Hanen Certified Speech-Language pathologists (SLPs) who have received special training at a Hanen Workshop. At Branch of Hope, we have Speech-Language Pathologists that arecertified Hanen providers.

Through the use of activities and group discussions, small groups of parents learn to create and take advantage of everyday opportunities to improve their child’s communication skills. All Hanen Programs® use a combination of group training sessions (where only parents and the SLP are present) and individual consultations with the SLP (in which the child is present). This provides a comprehensive andpersonalized learning experience for each family participating in the program.For parents whose child is experiencing a communication difficulty, Hanen’s specialized programs can provide them with the tools they need for helping their child reach his or her fullest communication potential. Hanen has developed programs for parents in three areas: Language Delays, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Asperger Syndrome.

Language DelayIt Takes Two to Talk Program® - The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children withlanguage delays.

Autism Spectrum DisorderMore Than Words® - The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum

Asperger SyndromeTalkAbility™ - The Hanen Program® for Parents of Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum

HanenLanguage Program

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The LAMP Certification and Centers of Excellence programs have been designed for the development and recognition of LAMP competencies. The program is designed for licensed and credentialed professionals from different disciplines (such as Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Special Education Teachers, and Psychologists) who apply LAMP principles and practices in their existing areas of expertise and specialization in working with children with limited verbal speech.

Acquisition of the Certificate is based on demonstration of clinical or educational competencies through case presentations, tutoring, and advanced training.

The purpose of designation as a LAMP Certified Professional or LAMP Centers of Excellence is to identify professionals who have demonstrated the ability to skillfully apply LAMP in their clinical practice.

Since 2010, Meredith has been LAMP certified. All other Branch of Hope therapists are in the process of LAMP certification. Branch of Hope is in the process of becoming the only LAMP Center of Excellence in Texas.

What is LAMP?Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) is a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles. The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities a method of independently and spontaneously expressing themselves in any setting.

LAMP focuses on giving the individual independent access to vocabulary on voice output AAC devices that use consistent motor plans for accessing vocabulary. Teaching of the vocabulary happens across environments, with multisensory input to enhance meaning, with the child’s interests and desires determining the vocabulary to be taught.

LAMP Certified Provider

You start to learn language from the day you are born. You learn to use language to express your feelings and communicate with others. During early speech and language development, you learn skills that are important to the development of literacy. Oral language skill development is the foundation for literacy skills.Reading and writing are language in text form.

Reading and writing are important to help function in school, on the job, and in society.

In school, children with speech and /or language disorders are more likely to struggle with literacy skills. They often perform poorly in school, have problems reading, and have difficulty understanding and expressing language.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess and treat children and adults with communication disorders. SLPs have the specialized knowledge and experience needed to identify communication problems and to provide the help that children need to build critical language and literacy skills. They work with teachers and other professionals to help people become effective communicators, problem-solvers, and decision-makers.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are key members of the team responsible for helping students learn to read and write.

Language-based learning disabilities are problems with age-appropriate reading,spelling, and/or writing. This disorder is not about how smart a person is. Most people diagnosed with learning disabilities have average to superior intelligence.

Language and Learning

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Reading and writing are language-based skills.

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms which result in individuals having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading.

At Branch of Hope, we are educated and trained about the connections between language skills and dyslexia. We have several assessments to determine a child’s strengths and weaknesses in reading and writing. We also have several programs and strategies to develop a treatment plan to increase weak skills and to improve reading and writing using language-based research and tools.

We do not diagnose dyslexia, but we do complete dyslexia screenings. Our focus is to evaluate underlying weaknesses in language that may be contrbuting to difficulties in reading and writing.

We use several programs based on the Orton-Gillingham principles, including LIPs, Wilson, and Visualizing and Verbalizing to improve skills.

Dyslexia Screening and Reading Assessments

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The Wilson Reading System (WRS) is the flagship program of Wilson Language Training and the foundation of all other Wilson programs. Based on the Orton-Gillingham principles, WRS is a highly-structured remedial program that directly teaches the structure of the language to students and adults who have been unable to learn with other teaching strategies, or who may require multisensory language instruction.

Appropriate for students in grade 2 and beyond, WRS is widely used with notable success in public and private schools, clinics, adult education classes, family literacy programs, and correctional facilities.

Program Highlights • Offers a research-based program with more than twenty years of data collected• Provides a systematic and cumulative approach to teach total word structure for decoding and encoding• Follows a ten-part lesson plan that addresses decoding, encoding, oral reading fluency, and comprehension in a sensible and logical fashion• Aids teachers by making all instruction multisensory and interactive• Uses a unique “sound tapping” system • Has one of the most extensive collections of controlled and decodable text (word lists, sentences, stories) for students beyond the primary grades• Provides two levels of vocabulary, making this program appropriate for students in elementary, middle, and high school, as well as adults• Uses criterion-based assessments built into the program to measure student progress and success• Is a comprehensive program that can follow students from grade to grade

Wilson Reading System Program

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Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®)The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) program helps children and adults develop the sensory-cognitive function of phonemic awareness. Unlike most reading, spelling, and phonics programs, LiPS instruction directly applies phonemic awareness to the identification and sequencing of sounds in words. Students in the LiPS program move through a series of steps to learn how their mouths produce the sounds of language. This kinesthetic feedback enables them to verify the identity and sequence of sounds within words, and to become self-correcting in reading, spelling, and speech.

It is common for children and adults to gain years in decoding, spelling, and pronunciation in just weeks of intensive instruction. Developing phonemic awareness is necessary to becoming an independent reader, which is necessary to becoming a proficient learner in any subject. And, the process-based instruction provided by the LiPS program has proven successful for individuals exhibiting symptoms of dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, CAPD, and other learning difficulties.

SPELL-LinksSPELL-Links to Reading & Writing teaches spelling and reading together to givestudents ample opportunity to apply related word study knowledge and skillsand to maximize exposure to words, which helps develop automaticity in spellingand decoding of words. Students spell words they read and read words theyspell; the integration of encoding and decoding leads to significant gains in phonemic awareness, alphabetic decoding, word reading, spelling, writing, fluency,and comprehension.

LiPS Program and SPELL-Links

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Executive Function Disorder A child or an adult with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) might be hyperactive, inattentive, and/or impulsive. Clinicians have always understood hyperactivity and impulsivity. The understanding of inattention, though, has shifted from primarily “the inability to stay on task” to a broader concept called executive function disorder (EFD), which involves a pattern of chronic difficulties in executing daily tasks.

What is executive function disorder (EFD)? It follows naturally that someone with issues with executive functioning may have problems with analyzing, planning, organizing, scheduling, and completing tasks at all -- or on deadline.

A child without problems with executive function may appear like this: A middle-schooler’s teacher assigns the class a book to read, and writes the due date for the book report on the board. A student must be able to determine where to get the book and how long he thinks it will take to finish reading it. If the teacher has a specific book-report format, the student will have to keep it in mind as he reads the book and takes notes. He needs enough time to write a rough draft, get help from teachers or parents, if needed, and write a final draft by the due date. If the student has good executive function skills, the work will get done on time. If he has EFD, it won’t.

Recognize the signs and symptoms of executive function disorder (EFD). Children and adults with EFD have problems organizing materials and setting schedules. They misplace papers, reports, and other school materials. They might have similar problems keeping track of their personal items or keeping their bedroom organized. No matter how hard they try, they fall short.

Educational EvaluationsWe provide expert level Augmentative and Alternative Communication Evaluations for private patients and also for school districts under contract. Meredith Potts, M.A., CCC-SLP will also complete Independent Education Evaluations (IEE) for children attending school.

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Occupational Therapy

Our occupational therapy staff address needs that include fine & gross motor, eye-hand coordination, visual perception, motor planning, and sensory-processing tasks designed to improve overall performance and independence. Sensory processing (sometimes called “sensory integration” or SI) is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Whether you are biting into a hamburger, riding a bicycle, or reading a book, your successful completion of the activity requires processing sensation or “sensory integration.” Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as “sensory integration dysfunction”) is a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.

The Listening Program® (TLP) is a music listening therapy that provides engaging brain stimulation to improve performance in school, work and life.

Systematic training is provided through listening to psychoacoustically modified classical music which trains the brain to process sound more efficiently. This leads to improvements in:

• Learning • Listening • Self Regulation• Attention • Sensory Processing • Musical Ability • Communication • Social Engagement • Brain Fitness• Reading • Behavior • Daily Living

How can something that seems so simple - listening to psychoacoustically modified classical music - actually impact a wide range of abilities, such as reading, communication, learning and memory?

Numerous studies worldwide, including research at the University of Sheffield, provide empirical evidence that substantiate The Listening Program’s efficacy. And while that affirms The Listening Program’s credibility, for many the question remains, how does The Listening Program work?

The Listening Program’s psychoacoustically modified music and patent-pending production techniques are designed to stimulate or “exercise” the different functions of the auditory processing system. This enables the brain to better receive, process, store and utilize the valuable information provided through the varied soundscapes in our lives such as music, language and the environment in which we live.

The Listening Program by Advanced Brain Technologies

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Branching Out

Branching Out

Branching Out (Affiliation of Branch of Hope Children’s Therapy Center)The Social Group Training is a program supported by the therapy center. The program is not a therapy session and is not provided by licensed therapists. The groups are led by Susan Murphy, Certified Special Education teacher. Peers without social skill delays also volunteer to participate in the groups as social skill and language models. These are not group therapy sessions and are therefore not charged as therapy.The cost for the group training is $20 per session for each child. The groups are capped at 6 to 7 children per group.

The social groups meet at Branch of Hope and to do activities within the community. Activites have included games, bowling, archery, skating and others while learning social interaction skills.