In this newsletter:

• Back in Action

• SLP Spotlight: Speech and Language Groups at CA

• Overheard at CA

• Introducing: On the Same Page

September 2025

Back in Action

SLP Spotlight: Speech and Language Groups at CA

Lower School Speech Groups

Language Skills

Lower school students participate in Language Skills for 30 minutes each day. It is led by a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and it focuses on building students’ language and comprehension skills. Each session typically begins with a structured read-aloud of an age-appropriate picture book, which serves as a springboard for targeted language practice. Through guided discussion, visual supports, and interactive activities, such as songs, crafts, and group movement activities, students strengthen their understanding of vocabulary, story elements, inferencing, and other comprehension skills.

Students are thoughtfully grouped based on their individual speech and language goals to ensure instruction is meaningful and appropriate to their communication styles and needs. The SLP integrates these goals into each session, allowing students to practice receptive and expressive language in a natural and engaging context. The ultimate aim is to support their success in the classroom by improving their ability to understand, think about, and talk about what they hear and read.

Social Group

Lower school students participate in Social Group for 30 minutes each day. It is led by a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and grouped according to the students’ homeroom. It is designed to support students’ executive functioning and social language skills. Each session begins with structured tasks to help students reflect on their day, organize materials, and prepare for the next school day—building independence and planning skills.

Following this, students participate in activities that rotate daily and are centered around a monthly theme. These activities are designed to promote interaction, collaboration, and flexible thinking. The SLP provides in-the-moment language models and explicit instruction when appropriate, supporting students as they navigate play, conversations, and problem-solving.

All types and stages of play are welcomed and encouraged — from parallel play to cooperative group games — so that every student can participate in ways that reflect their needs and preferences. The goal is to foster authentic peer connections, build confidence in social settings, and help students end their day feeling successful and supported.

Middle/Upper School Speech Groups

Dyad Speech and Language Sessions

In the middle and upper school, students may be grouped in a dyad speech and language session once per week. Dyad sessions pair two students who have been thoughtfully matched by the students’ individual Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) based on their communication profiles, social language goals, and personal interests. These small, focused sessions are designed to support middle and upper school students as they build social communication skills in a more naturalistic, peer-to-peer setting. Oftentimes, skills will be first introduced in individual sessions, then brought to these small group sessions, with the ultimate goal of generalizing across various settings.

With direct guidance from the SLP, students work on goals such as perspective-taking, conversation skills, flexible thinking, sharing preferences and dislikes, making thoughtful compromises and negotiations, self advocacy, and interpreting social cues. Activities are structured to encourage authentic interaction, while also allowing space for reflection. The SLP provides modeling, prompts, and feedback as needed, helping students apply their skills in real time.

By working in dyads, students benefit from individualized attention while also learning to navigate the nuances of social communication with a peer.

Social Skills Lunch Support

At the middle and upper school, social skills sessions are embedded into the school day through daily lunchtime groups based on homeroom groupings and facilitated by the homeroom Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). These sessions provide a structured but relaxed environment where students can practice real-time social communication in a familiar and functional setting.

Throughout the week the homeroom SLP provides support, language modeling, and explicit instruction when appropriate. Emphasis is placed on conversational skills, perspective-taking, social problem-solving, and navigating group dynamics in a way that feels natural and age-appropriate.

Twice a week, all homeroom groups are encouraged to come together for “Lunch Club,” a larger group experience that simulates a traditional cafeteria setting. This allows students to generalize their social language skills in a more dynamic environment, with opportunities for peer initiation and interaction across a broader social network.

The goal is to help students build confidence and competence in everyday social situations by creating consistent, supportive, and natural opportunities to connect with peers.

Foundations of Independence and Lunch PALS (Practical Applied Life Skills)

These two groups are co-led by occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists and focus on developing communication, problem-solving, and practical skills that support independence across settings. In “Foundations,” students are introduced to concepts related to cooking and the community, with integrated projects and outings that expose them to newly learned skills. “Lunch PALS” builds on that momentum and facilitates students’ meal prep for lunch each day. In both groups, SLPs focus on the following skills in real time:

• Language and Communication

• Giving and following directions 

• Sharing ideas and preferences 

• Self-advocacy 

• Peer relationships 

Overheard at CA

Introducing: On the Same Page

Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, by Barry Prizant

His book was published in 2015 and felt pretty groundbreaking at the time! It has since been updated to reflect some of the changes the neurodiversity movement has seen in the past ten years, and it remains a helpful tool for parents and educators, especially those that are new to the autistic/neurodivergent community.

The book is highly readable, as Prizant’s concepts are illustrated via a compilation of personal anecdotes related to the students he worked with as a speech-language pathologist over the years. He emphasizes an inclusive, whole-child approach, leading with empathy, recognizing students’ strengths, and favoring connection over compliance.

Read this book if:

• You are a parent of an autistic child and want to hear others’ stories

• You are curious about what a strengths-based model looks like, and how it differs from a program that focuses on students’ deficits

• You want a quick guide to reference, especially when speaking to those who may work with your child in the future