These classes are therapeutic and taught by our senior staff who have Master's degrees in Speech Pathology. Classes are offered to three age groups: 18 to 30 months, 2.5 to 3.5 years and 3.5 to 6.5 years of age.
Therapeutic Play - For those children, 18 to 30 months, who need, or are receiving, speech therapy and require more treatment-based focus and support to participate in a preschool, or group, setting. Our goal is to facilitate language skills in play-based activities that actively engage a child in reciprocal communication. We hope to increase the child's readiness to participate in classroom settings along with his or her same-aged peers, increasing opportunities for social pragmatic practice. These classes are taught by licensed Speech Pathologists, and class size is limited to four children. Teacher to student ratio is 1:2 to support a therapeutic approach facilitating language development, group play and class participation skills. While classes also focus on child-specific developmental skills, they are primarily therapeutic in approach and content. In addition to these classes, we highly recommend our individual speech therapy services to support communication gains and promote carry-over of skills from individual to group settings.
Introduction to Preschool - This class is for students not able to tolerate our half-day program ( three hours) but require a therapeutic group setting to support social skills, social language, peer engagement and participation in a structured setting as an introduction to future school placement. Our goal for these students is that they will establish greater cognitive endurance, improved language skills, and a solid core knowledge base in order to support a transition into our three hour therapeutic preschool.
Therapeutic Preschoolers - Our therapeutic preschool program is offered in the mornings, five days a week, from 9:00 am to 12:00, in four, ten week sessions during the school year followed by a eight week summer camp program. Children must be at least 2.5 years of age to attend and demonstrate a clinical readiness to participate in this therapeutically intensive program. Black Bear offers unique experiences that allow students to learn and grow in their communication, cognitive and social-pragmatic skills while incorporating free play, art, motor planning, music, sensory and academic activities. Our goal is to increase the child's readiness to transition and participate in a more traditional classroom setting in the least restrictive environment prior to beginning a first grade program. We offer a teacher to student ratio of 1:3 and a limit of six students per class. Students typically have a variety of intervention needs and classes address areas of skill such as speech and language, auditory processing, sensory integration, motor planning, feeding, play skills and social pragmatics. We work closely with other professionals with the goal of creating a cohesive treatment approach and integrating services so as to maximize the benefits of each therapy service provided in both a 1:1 and small classroom environment.
Skills Clinic - In addition, we offer one hour, ten week therapeutic courses in the following skill areas: Feeding and Multi-sensory Skills, Motor Planning and Apraxia, and Social Language Development.
Private Caregiver Training - Same as above but individualized to support your child's specific needs. Your caregiver, child and a Black Bear Speech Pathologist work together in both unstructured play environments and structured task-based activities designed to facilitate a greater understanding of therapeutic approaches and techniques specific to your child. Coursework includes topics such as effective modification strategies in both home and community environments such as mealtimes, selfcare, retail stores, local parks and sibling interaction and/or play-based social interactions. Successful transitioning techniques are discussed and practiced in addition to training designed to enhance carryover of therapeutic gains in a play-based facilitation of emerging skill sets or mastered skills in more structured settings. Your caregiver will practice therapeutic techniques in play-based activities designed to enhance overall developmental gains and specific skill sets based on therapeutic goals. Opportunities for discussion of specific problems you or your caregiver would like to address will be incorporated in every session.
Speech-Language Evaluations and Therapy- We offer pediatric speech therapy services to children requiring a medically-based approach. We provide the clinical services required when a child is suspected to have, or is diagnosed with having, delays in language, learning and cognitive development. We provide individual therapy services to children whose diagnoses may include Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Aspergers, Unspecified Developmental Delays, Speech-Language Disorders, Auditory Processing Deficits, Motor Planning Impairments, Sensory Integration Disorders, Feeding and Swallowing Difficulties, Apraxia, Dysarthria and other deficits associated with pediatric syndromes or genetic disorders. We work closely with your physician and other professionals treating your child to promote a collaborative and cohesive treatment approach in a classroom setting.
IEP Consultations and School Observations are provided upon request.
Therapeutic Acronyms:
TX Classes- Imply delays of some type, they could be sensory, language, social pragmatics, speech, feeding, motor planning, cognitive or any combination of the above and require the services of a Speech Pathologist
Lil’ Guy- 18-30 months TX classes, 75 minute in length. Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
Intro to TPS- 2 hour class-TX- Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
TPS-Therapeutic Pre-school, starts around 3.5 years of age. 3.0 hour group therapy and has intense TX focus. Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
KP- Kindergarten Prep, TX, students may possibly enter first grade with residual deficits- 3 hours in length. Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
Social Language-TX social language class- 2 hours in length- Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
Black Bear Buddies-paired therapy session w/neuro-typical peer- 45 minutes.Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
Individual Therapy- 1:1 session, 45 minutes- updated progress note and parent conference every 12-15 weeks. Conference may be with treating therapist only if child does not attend classes.
Feeding/Sensory Motor Class- Group Therapy, Lunch Group. Parents should receive a clinical update 12-15 weeks in addition to a family conference with all treating SLP's in addition to our Executive Director.
Caregiver Training- By appt. one hour a week, ten week course with Primaty Caregiver, SLP, and student.