Atlanta Speech School
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Established in 1938, the Atlanta Speech School is a brain research-backed comprehensive language and literacy school providing educational as well as clinical programs. In addition, Atlanta Speech School's Rollins Center provides professional development for teachers and educators in partner schools and preschools. Rollins' work focuses on the eradication of illiteracy, a mission amplified by their online presence, Cox Campus. Cox Campus is a universally-accessible learning environment with coursework targeted for educations of children age 0-8.
The four schools of the Atlanta Speech School are (the Katherine Hamm Center, the Wardlaw School, Stepping Stones Preschool, and the Anne & Jim Kenan Preschool). In addition, the Clinic at Atlanta Speech School provides clinical services in Speech and Language Pathology, Audiology, the Learning Lab for academic support and Occupational Therapy.
All programs of the Atlanta Speech School focus on the construction of the reading brain, and freeing potential through literacy.
School programs[]
Katherine Hamm Center[]
The Katherine Hamm Center offers auditory-verbal education for children ages birth to age 5 who are deaf or hard of hearing. The goal of auditory-verbal programs is to enable students to communicate using listening and oral language rather than sign language - and ultimately read.[1] Students enrolled in the Katherine Hamm Center use assisted listening devices such as cochlear implants and hearing aids and are prepared to succeed in a mainstream classroom as quickly as possible. The majority of students leaving the Hamm Center are mainstreamed into regular public and independent schools. Accreditations: Bright from the Start,[2] OPTION schools,[3] (GAC).
Wardlaw School[]
The Wardlaw School bright elementary-age students with dyslexia. Instructors use a collaborative teaching model to provide specialized instruction that is tailored to the individual learning profile of each student. This individualization enables students to develop effective learning strategies that will help them succeed in a mainstream classroom. The Wardlaw School is designed to be short term and aims to return children to a mainstream educational setting as quickly as possible. Accreditations: (GAC).[citation needed]
Stepping Stones[]
Stepping Stones provides therapeutic education for speech children ages three and four in whom speech and language delays have been detected. The program melds therapy and education to address the specific developmental needs of each child. Stepping Stones curriculum addresses each child's speech and language, pre-academic and multisensory integration needs. With an instructional team consisting of a speech-language pathologist, learning disability specialist, occupational therapist, and teacher assistant, Stepping Stones is the only preschool program of its kind in Georgia. Accreditations: Bright from the Start, (GAC)
Anne & Jim Kenan Preschool[]
The Anne & Jim Kenan Preschool is a mainstream preschool program that serves children two to five years of age. It was established to transition children in the Atlanta Speech School's Katherine Hamm Center who are deaf or hard of hearing to mainstream schools. Teachers use individualized instructional methods to address the different learning styles represented in each classroom, allowing children to progress at their own rates. Based on the latest research demonstrating the significant learning potential of children during their formative years, the curriculum addresses the key areas that research indicates must be fostered to develop early literacy skills in young children. A strong emphasis on oral language and pre-literacy concepts is integrated throughout curriculum, which was developed by Speech School staff.[citation needed]
Clinical and community programs[]
Collectively, the Atlanta Speech School Clinics are devoted to assisting clients develop and use communication and literacy skills to the greatest extent possible. This is monitored and evaluated through various comprehensive evaluations, using researched-based intervention techniques and state-of-the-art technology and resources, and by sharing resources across clinics and disciplines. Atlanta Speech School Clinic clients range in age from infancy to late adulthood, and include members of the metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia community, as well as Atlanta Speech School students.
Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Clinic[]
The Atlanta Speech School's Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Clinic provides evaluation and therapy for children and adults with speech, language and hearing difficulties. The Clinic serves as a referral source for Georgia's Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program and dispenses hearing aids for infants. The Hanen Program for parents of children with language delays is offered through the clinic. Therapists in the clinic also perform speech and hearing screenings for independent schools in the metro Atlanta area.
Therapy is available to treat persons with speech or language difficulties related to the following:
- Accent
- Aphasia
- Apraxia of Speech
- Articulation Disorders
- Auditory Processing Disorders
- Aural Habilitation/Auditory Training
- Cleft Palate
- Hearing Loss
- Phonological Disorders
- Phonological Processing Skills
- Spoken and Written Language Delays
- Stuttering
- Voice Disorders
- Word Retrieval/ Word Finding Difficulties
Services Provided:
- Diagnostic testing, evaluation and remediation
- Hearing evaluations, aural rehabilitation guidance
- Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) testing
- Hearing aid dispensing, programming and service
- Non-medical support prior to and following cochlear implantation
Occupational Therapy Clinic[]
The Atlanta Speech School's Occupational Therapy Clinic serves children who experience difficulties in sensory integration, gross and fine motor coordination, visual-motor and handwriting skills, visual perception, independent self care, and feeding skills.
Services Provided:
- Diagnostic evaluations
- Intervention services
- Parent/teacher consultation
Learning Lab[]
The Atlanta Speech School's Learning Lab is an individual or small group intervention program that serves individuals age four through college-age needing assistance to achieve academic success. The Lab offers a wide range of research-based instructional methods, administered by highly trained, experienced teachers who specialize in many educational methods and curricula. Lab instructors use formal (standardized achievement) and non-formal (teacher-developed) assessment data to monitor progress. Upon request, instructors may consult with the student's teacher(s) or other professionals to integrate training and maximize progress.[citation needed]
Academic Areas Served:
- Reading (decoding, comprehension, fluency)
- Written expression
- Language abilities
- Mathematics
- Organizational/Study skills
Rollins Center for Language & Literacy[]
The Atlanta Speech School's professional development program is funded in part by the generosity of the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation.
Financial Assistance[]
One of the guiding principles the Atlanta Speech School is to provide instruction all persons who would be well served by the School's specialized services without regard to their financial limitations.[4]
References[]
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Coordinates: 33°50′28.96″N 84°25′19.73″W / 33.8413778°N 84.4221472°W
- Special schools in the United States
- Education in Atlanta
- Educational institutions established in 1938
- 1938 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)