Mrs. Curley's Home Page

Welcome to my web page.   My name is Maggie Curley.  I am a speech-language  pathologist providing service at Cass School District # 63 at Concord ( in the Early Childhood Classroom) and at Cass Junior High ( 5th through 8th grade).  Since I share the rewards of working with the early childhood population with Jane York, please refer to her comprehensive web page concerning pre-school age speech and language disorders. It is very informative.  In contrast, I will focus upon the speech-language problems which may face a middle school/junior high aged student.

Academic success at the junior high level is often linked to effective communication skills.  To be successful both in school and socially, students should be competent in the following areas:

  • Articulation  - The pronunciation of individual sounds in words.
  • Fluency (Stuttering) –The production of rhythmic/smooth speech in conversation.
  • Voice - Speech rate, volume, and quality within normal limits.
  • Pragmatics (social use of language) – The ability to use language with peers and adults in a variety of social situations.
  • Receptive Language - The understanding of vocabulary, following directions, and processing information, which includes auditory memory skills.
  • Expressive Language – The ability to formulate spoken and written language to convey meaning.
 

A middle school / junior high speech-language pathologist often works with students who have some degree of learning disability. Children with learning disabilities frequently have difficulty with language, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. They may exhibit some of the following problems:

  • Problems with speech sounds, intelligibility, morphological endings of words ( -s, -es, ‘s, -er, -ing, -ed )

  • Limited syntax ( grammar ) with use of simple sentences and few complex sentences

  • Difficulty with understanding oral/written directions and processing questions

  • Limited vocabulary

  • Difficulty with figurative language, humor, slang, and double meanings of words

  • Literal interpretation of words and concepts

  • Confusion with concepts and ideas

  • Difficulty initiating, maintaining, and terminating conversational  exchanges

  • Immature turn-taking strategies in conversations

  • Word finding difficulty which may result in pauses, word fillers, word repetitions, and circumlocutions ( circling around a word)

  • Difficulty comprehending the listener’s perspective

  • Difficulty selecting appropriate word choices to revise language

  • Inappropriate comments/ responses to questions and ideas

  • Lack of sufficient references for the listener to follow with comprehension

Students are referred by a parent and/or teacher with input from the teaching team.  If warranted, a speech-language assessment is conducted.  If speech-language therapy is recommended, an Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed.

If you have any questions about the speech-language development of your child (at any age) please feel free to contact me by email or phone.  It has been a pleasure working with the parents and students of District 63 !

 

 

 
 

Disclaimer: School District 63 is not responsible for the content of any external site, and the inclusion of a link to any site does not constitute an endorsement by the District. The content of these pages may not be reproduced without written permission. Email webmaster@cassd63.org with comments.    Last modified 10/03/08