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In all likelihood, as the parent of a child with a speech disorder, you’re going to be working closely with the school district for years. It’s in your child’s best interests for you and the school representatives and educators to work together cooperatively. This does not mean that you should ignore violations of regulations or your child’s rights for the sake of avoiding confrontation, however.
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The “Ch” Sound
The “ch” sound is produced by touching the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth to block the passage of air very briefly before releasing it through the mouth. Say “chicken.” Notice how the tip of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth? You might also notice that your lips pucker slightly and that your vocal cords do not vibrate when pronouncing the “ch” sound. This sound is a voiceless stop consonant. It combines the “t” and “sh” sounds.
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Singing is a universal expression of self. There’s a good chance that your child loves to sing even if he is a bit reluctant to speak. Singing therapy, formally called melodic intonation therapy (MIT), is often used as part of a stroke recovery treatment plan. Speech therapists also use it to encourage vocalization in children with speech disorders, such as apraxia.
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The pull-out model of speech therapy refers to taking a child out of his usual classroom for speech therapy. This could mean either a group session or one-on-one work with the speech-language pathologist (SLP). For example, your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) might specify that he will receive two 30-minute speech therapy sessions per week. Using the pull-out model, he will leave his regular classroom to go meet with the speech therapist during these times.
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After the exhausting ordeal of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) hearing, it’s tempting to hibernate on the couch watching reruns or playing with Pinterest to decompress. Unfortunately, your work is not yet over.
