Auditory Comprehension Part 3 - What should the school be doing?
Patti Hamaguchi, MA, CCC-SLP
If your child has been formally assessed, there will be test results and an IEP that should include accommodations. For most good teachers, the accommodations should be intuitive and a part of good teaching. In a self-contained special education class, these are basic principles of teaching as well. The issues that I see tend to be in regular education classes where the teacher is a fast-talker and resists slowing down or repeating/restating important instructions or directions. In general, these are the typical types of instructional modifications that are recommended:
Speak at a slower rate.
Use sufficient volume and animation to keep the child’s attention.
Seat in a preferential way—as close to the teacher as possible.
In a regular-education class, consider a willing buddy that the child is able to ask for clarification of directions or instructions so he/she doesn’t have to wait until the teacher walks around and notices the worksheet or activity is not started or done correctly.
Don’t penalize or chastise the child for asking for help. In fact, this should be praised and encouraged!
Keep important directions posted on the board so the child can write them, and not rely on auditory memory.
Get the child’s attention by name, before beginning to ask a question so there is time to transition attention/focus.
Make sure the curriculum content is a good match. For some children, learning in a large class with a fast-paced curriculum, can be overwhelming, despite the teacher’s best intentions. Small schools, small classrooms, homeschooling, and self-paced online learning can be good alternatives.
Subject-area tutors who can come to your home and reteach/preview the concepts can be invaluable. To reduce costs, consider hiring a superstar high school honors student or a local community college student. If you have more resources, an educational therapist is often a great support for academic and learning strategies.
A speech-language pathologist or resource teacher can also work with your child at school and work as a liaison to ensure that your child’s auditory deficits are properly accommodated in the classroom.
Individual therapy by a speech-language pathologist for treating the underlying auditory condition should usually be a part of the program or plan. In some cases, the self-contained special education classroom teacher incorporates this into the child’s program and less direct work is necessary.
In putting together your “Action Plan”, focus on how the people and environment at home and school can help your child at his/her current level, so as to minimize frustration and confusion.