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Integrating Speech-Language Pathology Into Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms
 From the June 2002 Early Childhood newsletter.According to Robin McWilliam, Ph.D., and Stacy Scott, M.Ed., of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, research suggests that both parents and therapists prefer that therapies be provided within a child's classroom. In an article [posted on the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center's web site], Dr. McWilliam and Ms. Scott note that integrating therapies into the classroom gives children increased opportunities to practice the skills they are learning and helps foster social relationships with peers. In-class models also allow teachers and therapists to consult with each other more frequently to address a child's needs and to assess which therapy strategies and classroom adaptations are most successful. Fran Smith, a speech therapist at the CHIME Institute in Northridge, CA, echoes these thoughts: "The focus is broader, and I don't have to worry about reteaching skills because they're taught in a natural environment. I'm not so isolated, and I work in a transdisciplinary manner." Daily Challenges and Solutions At the CHIME Institute, which provides early intervention and special education services to young children enrolled in the early childhood program at the Child and Family Studies Center at the California State University — Northridge campus, Ms. Smith works in 3 preschool classrooms, 2 infant-toddler classrooms, and 1 kindergarten classroom. The CHIME Institute's guidelines call for a minimum of 1 hour a week of speech-language pathology (SLP) for those children who require it, but often, children require more time. With the large number of classroom changes, she admits that it can be a challenge to coordinate her teaching style to that of each classroom teacher. She urges SLPs as well as classroom teachers and administrators to "emphasize planning, respect for peers, and consistent communication." One way this goal is accomplished at the CHIME Institute is through the mandatory staff meetings held each day. Ms. Smith also communicates with teachers via written notes, and emphasizes the importance of "communicating goals and interventions [for each child] to all team members." Benefits of Integration Integrating SLP therapy into the regular classroom, as opposed to a pull-out model, allows teachers to benefit from seeing Ms. Smith instruct students, giving them tools they can use to meet each child's needs during the times she is not there. It also allows Ms. Smith to see which daily routines require the most communication skills. Another one of the benefits Ms. Smith sees in an inclusive early childhood model is that children with and without special needs can learn from their peers. "I think [typically-developing] children profit from learning early that people are different — they learn compassion." For more information on the CHIME Institute, see their web site.
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