For Cheryl Jones, Speech Language specialist at Westbridge Academy, the best news she can get is that a student no longer needs her help. That news came this spring for her student, Keyon.
Like other students referred to Westbridge Academy, Keyon had challenges in addition to his social and emotional disabilities. He had a severe expressive/receptive language disorder, as well as an articulation disorder. For five years, Keyon received speech therapy several times a week. Speech/language professionals worked with his teachers to help carry the lessons from speech therapy into the classroom to boost his academic work.
Always data-driven, Westbridge Academy assesses students on an on-going basis. This winter, testing showed that Keyon’s language, vocabulary, and other communication skills fell within an average to above average range.
“We met with his mom and the Child Study Team – we all agreed he no longer needed speech and language related services,” said Jones. “Every day, our students make incremental progress toward their goals, but it is a cause for celebration when they make so much progress that they no longer need services,” she concluded.
