The Speech and Language Therapy staff at Hamilton are a team of three; consisting of one Senior Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) and two Speech and Language Therapy Assistants (SLTAs).
What is the role of the SALT Team at Hamilton?
Our speech and language therapy team support our school staff in enabling a total communication approach, so our young students reach their full potential.
Our speech and language therapy provision mirrors the graduated approach, providing a variety of strategies encompassing both environmental and intervention measures at universal, targeted, and specialist levels. Our team work with students and staff at school as well as parents to ensure everyone is aware of how best to support the child’s speech, language and communication needs.
Universal- All children in the school have access to our universal speech and language therapy support. This aims to promote speech and language development and providing communication-rich environments.
Targeted- Some children will have access to our targeted support. This may involve an SLTA working alongside a certain class to enable the school staff to implement a range of intervention approaches.
Specialist- Some children may need to access our specialist support. This will be a very individual type of support that is specific to a child’s identified needs.
During a child’s time at Hamilton, they may access speech and language therapy support across a number of different levels.
How will my child be identified for the service?
On entry to school parents are sent a consent form to sign and return
Your child will be assessed by the class teacher, and a communication profile will be completed by the SALT team. This will identify communication strengths and needs and identify objectives for communication work
Each child will access the speech and language therapy support across the school in a way that best meets their needs. We also support identified classroom communication champions with training and resources to ensure that interventions can continue throughout the week and curriculum. Communication progress is monitored termly using data from interventions and from reports from classroom staff.
What interventions might my child be receiving ?
Here are some interventions your child may access to develop their early communication skills:
¨ Intensive Interaction
¨ Methods of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) e.g Picture Exchange Communication System (P.E.C.S), Aided Language Displays, Communication books
¨ Attention Autism
¨ Sensory Sentences (Symbol supported sensory play)
¨ Lego–based Therapy
¨ Word Aware
Children accessing specialist support may be provided with an individual program of work that will be completed by the speech and language therapy team, the class team or a combination of both.
Plans for parent Speech and Language therapy support at Hamilton
· Communication Profiles are shared with parents . Communication profiles targets from the short term EHCP communication targets.
· Information on different speech and language approaches will be shared with parents.
· Parent workshops will be put in place as a chance to learn more about speech and language approaches and to ask the speech and language therapy team questions.
· Information will be shared in the school newsletter with updates about the speech and language therapy service at Hamilton
· The SLT team are ready and waiting to help you with resources and ideas for supporting communication development at home, please get in touch
Useful Links and Information
To watch the Makaton Videos you may have missed go to www.wmspeechtherapy.co.uk/resources and click on Makaton Videos for Parents
Websites
For information on tried and tested I pad apps to support communication , go to
www.wmspeechtherapy.co.uk/resources and click on Tried and tested apps for the I pad
