Prepare: As the new school year is right around the corner, you can help your child prepare for what to expect. How? Write a social story about your child’s new school schedule. Add pictures that reflect your child’s day at school (riding the bus, eating lunch, going to recess, speech therapy, etc.) Read numerous times before they begin school. If you don’t have materials to make a social story, talk about what to expect at school, who your child might see at school, etc. (Make it positive)
Contact and Communicate: Contact the teacher and speech pathologist working with your child this year. If your child’s speech pathologist at school has not yet contacted you, reach out and ask for your child’s speech therapy schedule
Check and Review: Review your child’s IEP and the goals they will be working on. It’s important that your child’s goals are still appropriate
Select Goals for Home: Connect with your child’s speech-language pathologist and ask which goals on your child’s IEP can be targeted in the home setting. Select one or more goals to practice with your child at home. Working on these skills at school AND home can significantly benefit your child’s progress!
Collaborate: If your child receives both private speech therapy and speech therapy through school, it’s important that your child’s speech pathologists (private and school-based) connect and collaborate. Collaboration between parents and your child’s team of therapists will be significant to your child’s progress and it allows you to problem solve together through difficulties.
Author: Tina M. Rocco, M.A., CCC-SL