HIGHLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PROGRAM
Highland Elementary School
16 Lockhart Lane Highland,
NY 12528 (845) 691-1070
Fax: (845) 691-1073
Speech and Language Program Staff
Rebecca Van Houten
Highland Elementary School
Department: Student Services
Position: Speech
Linda Gallagher
Elementary School
Department: Student Services
Position: Speech
HIGHLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PROGRAM
The goal of the speech and language program in the Highland Central School District is to help children who demonstrate mild to severe deficits in the following areas:
ARTICULATION: The production of speech sounds.
RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE: The ability to recall and comprehend words and information that you hear (auditory processing).
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: The ability to express yourself using age appropriate vocabulary, grammatically correct sentences, and logical sequencing of ideas.
PRAGMATICS: The ability to interpret and use language appropriately in social situations.
FLUENCY: The flow or rate of speech production.
VOICE: The pitch, intensity (loudness), or quality (resonance) of connected speech.
Students are identified to be in need of speech and language services based on formal or informal screening and/or standardized testing. Students can be referred to us for evaluation by parents, teachers, guidance counselors, the Instructional Support Team (IST) or the Committee on Special Education (CSE).
Students can receive speech and language services through the Committee on Special Education or through the Speech Improvement Program. Therapy may be individual or in a small group and is most often provided using a pull-out model (student comes out of the classroom and works on specific skills within the therapy room). The frequency of therapy can be anywhere from 1 to 5 times per week, based on the severity of the child’s problem. In some instances, direct therapy is not warranted and a child may be monitored or we may provide an indirect approach to therapy by giving suggestions to the parent and/or classroom teacher.