Skip to main content

Identifying Communication Disorders




Identifying communication disorders requires, teachers and parents to work together to share a child’s experiences, past medical history, social situations and home life to benefit the child and understand where his/her needs are and what if any underlying issues my be contributing to learning.
            Being that communication disorders encompasses such a wide array of problems from language, speech and hearing to articulation and fluency disorders, there is much to look for when trying to identify problems students may be having. Teachers may know the basics of what various disorders are what symptoms students may display, the trick is taking this gathered information to the next level.  Resources, money and time both are needed to help teachers help students and parents. Taking the initial steps in the classroom may start the process and may also be all that some students will require however looking beyond the classroom and what can be done for students also needs to be addressed.
            As a kindergarten and first grade teacher, I encountered many children that took a little bit longer to grasp language.  Some kids were just not developmentally ready, some had auditory processing issues, and some had language delays while others had hearing impairments. With all of these cases I needed to ask questions of parents and seek the help from external services either on site or provided by the district. I also needed to be equipped to help identify those children that may be struggling with something more. By equipped I mean not only educated on what may be triggering the difficulties but also educated with the mindset of there is always a reason behind behavior and action. When I have been faced with struggling students I try my best to involve the parents and allow them to shed light on what may be going on, if this is not possible and I don’t feel I can adequately address the issues at hand I look to the school support staff, speech, reading and counseling specialists. 

            In order to do this, the lines of communications need to be open and teachers need to have access to workshops and resources that provide them with evidence based materials to implement in their classrooms. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Training and Education and the Need for Individualized Education

Argument for the reform of teachers and their role in the schools and their training. A typical Finnish teacher teaches just under 600 hours a year, whereas the average American teacher teaches students over 1,600 hours annually. According to a recent Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-sponsored study of the teaching profession, U.S. teachers habitually work an average of about 10 hours and 40 minutes a day, with a great deal of time spent teaching and supervising students. Finnish teacher, “Our teachers who teach languages for which many essays have to be graded often have fewer lessons,” Marianna said. “And they can decide on their own where they get that work done. They may teach two lessons one day and then go home or to the gym around noon — and then correct papers or work online with students later in the evening.” With so many ideas and reforms and tests and strategies, it is my belief that teaching is getting more and more away from why many teachers went into teac
Post a Comment
Read more

Teaching Writing With Minecraft

Additional materials to use with lesson
Post a Comment
Read more

How We Learn Tricks to Help it Stick

Throughout my studies I have read various books that explain how the brain works which parts of the brain focus on certain activities, thoughts and emotions. Applying this information is crucial to helping students learn.  Easier said than done. Knowing what sticks for one person may come easily, while trying to understand how to make things stick for another might take several tries. I believe that experience and focus are a learners best assets.  Whether it be practicing maths or learning to play the guitar, we all learn at different speeds and in different ways. Focusing on what we are doing is the most important attribute to have when practicing, it is a crucial part of what Anders Ericsson outlines as deliberate practice in his book Peak. Deliberate Practice In order to help others learn, educators must be observant and take the time to see what the individual learner is latching on to and what they are resisting. We all have our own individual strengths, the key to success i
Post a Comment
Read more