Umbrella Tree welcomes Dr. Lesley Sylvan, an experienced speech-language pathologist and an expert on the special education system in U.S. public schools. Dr. Sylvan will be hosting two workshops aiding parents in navigating their child's unique speech developmental needs.
PART ONE: Speech and Language Development: The School Aged Years
Wednesday, May 20th, 8pm to 9pm
Dr. Sylvan will discuss language development for school-aged children. She will discuss the changes in speech and language that children experience from kindergarten through middle school. She will provide suggestions on how to support language skills at different developmental phases. She will also discuss how increasing expectations from teachers and peers impact students as they advance through school. She will discuss the challenges students face as they move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” and the new demands that students face as they transition from elementary school to middle school. She will also discuss how to identify if your child may need additional support. Dr. Sylvan will provide a brief overview of the special education process in public schools including initial assessments and the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
PART TWO: Speech and Language Development: Toddlers and Preschoolers
Wednesday, May 27th, 8pm to 9pm
From first words to long-winded stories, the amount of language development that takes place between a child’s first birthday and the end of preschool is astounding. In Part 1 of her lecture series, Dr. Lesley Sylvan will discuss language development in the toddler and preschool years. During her talk, she will describe important speech and language milestones during this time period as well as techniques parents can use to encourage and support language development. She will also discuss how to identify if your child may need additional support and some early signs of concern in language development. Dr. Sylvan will provide copies of developmental charts including a sound acquisition chart as well as other useful handouts for parents.
