Recommendations for General Cognitive Functioning:
·
Student's FSIQ falls within the Borderline range, indicating potential
difficulties in multiple areas of functioning.
·
Intervention strategies:
o Pre-teaching and
re-teaching lessons to provide her with additional exposure to new concepts,
thereby aiding comprehension and recall.
o Present new content
through multiple modalities (e.g., visual, auditory) and use simple vocabulary
and sentence structure.
o Set small,
measurable academic goals in each subject area and involve Student in creating
rewards for meeting them.
o Track her success
using charts to provide a sense of accomplishment.
o Consider an adaptive
behavior assessment to identify goals in self-care, community interactions, and
household chores.
o Engage Student in hobbies and extracurricular activities to build success in multiple areas of functioning.
Recommendations for
Verbal Skills:
·
Student's performance on the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) was
significantly weaker compared to her peers, possibly due to bilingualism.
·
Verbal skill interventions:
o Use dialogic
reading to engage Student with child-specific questions that foster
interest, comprehension, and critical thinking.
o Enrich vocabulary by
exposing Student to novel situations and encouraging her to ask about
unfamiliar objects.
o Keep a list of new
words Student learns and review them periodically.
o Encourage verbal
discourse in a positive, open environment, asking open-ended questions and
giving her time to respond.
o Encourage Student to
engage in age-appropriate conversations outside of school (e.g., ordering food
at a restaurant).
o Provide positive feedback during conversations, including reciprocal conversations and encouraging elaboration on her thoughts.
Recommendations for
Fluid Reasoning Skills:
·
Student performed in the Average range on the Fluid Reasoning
Index (FRI), making this a strength area for her.
·
Support for fluid reasoning:
o Encourage Student to
identify patterns and predict what comes next in sequences.
o Help her group
objects in different ways and explain her reasoning.
o Engage in age-appropriate
science experiments, where Student forms hypotheses and measures results.
o Provide activities that are both at her skill level and appropriately challenging to promote further development.
Building Verbal
Skills:
·
Family involvement:
o Set aside time each
evening for discussing the day’s events, minimizing distractions during the
conversation.
o Ask Student
open-ended questions, avoid interrupting, and allow her time to respond fully.
o Provide positive
feedback when she engages in conversation.
o Develop naming games
where Student lists objects based on specific characteristics (e.g.,
"red," "round").
o Use story-time
activities where Student identifies changes in stories or completes
unfinished stories.
·
Classroom support:
o Reduce complexity in
classroom discourse by controlling vocabulary, simplifying multi-step commands,
and offering written support.
o Organize new
information into visual categories to help retain it more easy (e.g., using
diagrams, graphs, or pictures).
o Use visual support for lessons and text to reinforce learning.
Building
Visual-Spatial and Fluid Reasoning Skills:
·
Family and teacher support:
o Encourage Student to
complete puzzles that involve matching shapes and colors.
o Support her in
identifying sequences of activities (e.g., performing and replicating actions).
o Develop stories with
Student as the central character, allowing to draw/select pictures to represent
the sequence of events.
o Ask Student to identify what happens before and after an event in a story to develop sequential reasoning.
Building Processing
Speed and Working Memory Skills:
·
Memory strategies:
o Use
"chunking" techniques to help Student remember information. For
example, group a phone number (555-5678) into chunks (5, 55, 56, 78).
o Link new information
to familiar concepts to improve memory retention and ease her ability to recall
new facts.
Resources
Articles
1. "Supporting
Language Development in Children with Hearing Loss" (Hearing Health
Foundation)
This article discusses strategies for supporting language development in
children with hearing loss, with a focus on improving speech and language
skills. Link: HearingHealth Foundation - Language Development
2. "Strategies for
Supporting Children with Limited Verbal Communication" (National Center on
Deaf-Blindness)
This article provides strategies for improving communication skills in children
with limited verbal abilities, including the use of gestures and alternative
communication methods. Link: NCDB- Limited Verbal Communication Strategies
3. "Improving
Cognitive and Verbal Skills in Children with Hearing Loss" (American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association) This article outlines strategies for
improving both cognitive and verbal skills in children with hearing
impairments. Link: ASHA -Cognitive and Verbal Skills
Books
1. "The Handbook
of Child Language" by Paul Fletcher and Brian MacWhinney
This comprehensive handbook covers various aspects of child language
development, including cognitive and verbal skills. It’s useful for
understanding language development delays and supporting children in these
areas.
2. "Building Early
Literacy Skills: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers" by Marian R.
Whitehead
This book offers practical strategies for supporting early literacy development
in children, focusing on language acquisition, cognitive development, and
verbal skills.
3. "The Social
Skills Guidebook" by Chris MacLeod
A great resource for parents and educators looking to help children develop
stronger social skills. It includes strategies for improving peer interactions,
verbal communication, and understanding social cues.
Video Playlists
- “7 Tips to Help Late-Talking Toddlers from a Speech Therapist: Improving Speech and Language at Home.” This YouTube channel is dedicated to helping parents and educators support speech and language development in children, including those with language delays or hearing impairments. Link: https://youtu.be/6_8-fP2gqfI?si=f4cK5r7OFxKE7imL
- “Cochlear Americas” (Cochlear Implant Videos) This side provides educational content for parents and professionals working with children who have cochlear implants, offering guidance on maximizing the benefits of cochlear implantation for speech and language development. Link: https://www.youtube.com/@CochlearAmericas/videos
- “Speech Therapy Ideas” a side that offers practical therapy ideas for improving speech, language, and cognitive skills. This includes strategies for both expressive and receptive language, as well as cognitive development. Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Speech+Therapy+Ideas+for+children+with+hearing+loss
Websites for Additional Support
1. American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA offers a range of resources for supporting children with speech and
language disorders, including those with hearing loss. Link: ASHA Website
2. National Deaf
Children's Society (NDCS)
The NDCS provides extensive resources on how to support children with hearing
loss, including advice for parents, teachers, and professionals. Link: NDCS - Supporting Children withHearing Loss
3. Cochlear Americas -
Family Support Resources
Offers a variety of resources for parents and families of children with
cochlear implants, with helpful tips on supporting communication and language
development. Link: https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/professionals/resources-and-training/professional-education/school-resource-center
