Here is what I found on the internet.
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Language Processing Disorders
Language Processing is the act of conceptualizing auditory messages, enabling the listener to relate the words and sentences that he hears to ideas and cognitive images. It is how we relate one auditory symbol to another by categorizing, associating, and comparing them. It is especially important to understanding abstract concepts such as time, direction, and space. Efficient, automatic skill in performing these activities leads to the rapid retrieval of words and phrases that enables us to express thoughts in an organized and cohesive manner.
The speech of children with disordered language processing often appears disorganized. These children have trouble orienting themselves, so that they often speak around a particular subject, using vague phrases without making clear and precise statements. Their speech is characterized by word-retrieval deficits. The use of “off-target” terminology often requires the listener to “fill-in-the-blanks” to arrive at the speakers intended meaning. Treatment entails training in word association activities, categorizing, comparing and contrasting, and practice in rapid recall of words and phrases.
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So, this is what I brought to my doctor and he said “Oh, she can’t see it. Yes, that can be remediated with therapy.” I told him we have two 30 min group speech therapy sessions per week at school and he said “Oh, not enough”. So, I told him I found an SLP who said she can work on this. He said he would be happy to write a note saying that what she is receiving at school is insufficient. So, having said that I called my insurance company and they pay 100% in network and 70% out of network. I think she is out of network, so we’ll have to pay 30%, but that’s fine with me. I don’t think all insurance plans are this good, so I’m happy to have coverage. I’m pretty sure that the school would agree that she could benefit from additional therapy. I want to do it during school hours though, because that’s when she will be the freshest and I don’t want to disrupt her music activities after school, which I find very helpful to her as well. After tap class she seems to have an easier time reading. Maybe it’s that she’s gotten her energy out and is ready to settle down to read.
We start testing with the private SLP on Tues and then another hour on Thurs. The school wont do the testing until next fall when her triennial testing is due. At her IEP I now know what to ask for and what to make sure she’s getting. I think when they offered us more resource room I should have countered with “how about more face time with the SLP instead?” The thing is, our SLP is only at our school 2 days/week when she sees groups of kids. Her schedule is packed, so I don’t know if they could have made more time. The only way would have been more than one session/day those 2 days. That might have been ok, but otherwise they might have offered to see her at another school on the other days, but again, the case load is probably pretty big over there too. Either way, this lady is definitely specialized in this.
I guess the lesson learned here is that just because the school (district) offers us certain levels of services, it does not mean that what they offer is all that she needs. I interpretted it that way without knowing. And I’m a smart person, but I guess I don’t know the system well enough and am learning. I figured they would want the best for Michelle and the teachers never told me it was not enough, but the private SLP told me that if the school suggests more they will be on the hook to pay for it. I suppose you could take it one level further that if they pay for my child to have private speech therapy they will have to pay for everyone else as well.
So, the moral of the story here is to ask “Is there anything else that can be done to help my child?” If they say “no” to ask them to clarify that anything else beyond this would not be helpful.
The thing is, you read those parents rights forms they give you and it talks to death about what happens when you disagree with a school assessment, but when the school is NOT doing something, you assume it’s because it would NOT be helpful. Like they give you a minimum amount of information and then you cannot argue, because you cannot argue with something they have NOT said. And our evaluation is not due until next year, so we have the whole summer to get a jump start on this.
Thanks again,
Kathryn
(mom with a huge burden being lifted)