Last week, I brought along a trusty sidekick, our intern Lauren, to visit the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. We braved the snow and slush to visit the agency. Normally I refuse to drive in the snow or any conditions that are not perfect (do we see a pattern with my driving skills here?) but I made an exception.
T.A.A.L.K. stands for Teaching Age Appropriate Language for Kids and is for 1-3 year old kids who are not speaking or are having difficulties communicating. We were able to observe one of the classrooms in action. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was a preschool class. The kids were running around playing and just having fun being kids. The picture above is of one of the classrooms.
The speech pathologists use a lot of repetition and basic sign language to communicate with the children. The kids were so excited when they knew how to say certain things and they knew that the adults in the room understood them. They had a smile that went from ear to ear. Both of the boys started out very shy, but they soon warmed up and were talking at their different levels by the end of the class.
Not only does T.A.A.L.K. help develop the children’s speech, the teachers also work with the parents on different skills that they can use at home. The parents also are able to get advice from other parents - like a support group - on other things like potty training.
The whole time we were visiting RHSC, I was thinking of my friend’s little boy who has received similar help. I actually saw him over the weekend, and I am amazed at how much he has grown and developed. He is talking up a storm and his disposition has improved tremendously. Before, he used to whine and throw temper tantrums a lot and you could never understand what he was asking for. You could really see how frustrated he would get. Now you can see how excited he is that he can tell you what he wants. His little brother is just starting to speak and he is excited to be able to talk to him now too.
I know that when I have kids someday… if they have developmental delays… it’s great to know agencies like Rochester Hearing and Speech – and so many others – will be there to get us on the right track.
T.A.A.L.K. stands for Teaching Age Appropriate Language for Kids and is for 1-3 year old kids who are not speaking or are having difficulties communicating. We were able to observe one of the classrooms in action. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was a preschool class. The kids were running around playing and just having fun being kids. The picture above is of one of the classrooms.
The speech pathologists use a lot of repetition and basic sign language to communicate with the children. The kids were so excited when they knew how to say certain things and they knew that the adults in the room understood them. They had a smile that went from ear to ear. Both of the boys started out very shy, but they soon warmed up and were talking at their different levels by the end of the class.
Not only does T.A.A.L.K. help develop the children’s speech, the teachers also work with the parents on different skills that they can use at home. The parents also are able to get advice from other parents - like a support group - on other things like potty training.
The whole time we were visiting RHSC, I was thinking of my friend’s little boy who has received similar help. I actually saw him over the weekend, and I am amazed at how much he has grown and developed. He is talking up a storm and his disposition has improved tremendously. Before, he used to whine and throw temper tantrums a lot and you could never understand what he was asking for. You could really see how frustrated he would get. Now you can see how excited he is that he can tell you what he wants. His little brother is just starting to speak and he is excited to be able to talk to him now too.
I know that when I have kids someday… if they have developmental delays… it’s great to know agencies like Rochester Hearing and Speech – and so many others – will be there to get us on the right track.
2 comments:
You are so right Liz - RHSC is a wonderful organization. We are really fortunate in Rochester to have the quality of care that is offered through so many of the United Way agencies. You seem to be having fun being "On the Loose", but are sharing some valuable information for those of us in the community who remain uninformed about the wonderful resources we have available in Rochester. Thank you for opening our eyes. I look forward to your next adventure. - Marilyn
Great posts, sounds interesting... these kinds of volunteers makes life worth living & meaning !
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