Speech and Language, Pragmatics

Stanbridge Academy provides speech and language services to students who need support with their articulation, receptive language, expressive language, and/or social cognition (pragmatic language).

These services include assessment, individual and/or group therapy, and regular consultation with staff members and parents. Students are pulled out of classes for more individual needs and larger groups follow a push-in model within the classroom. Frequency of therapy is determined by need. All goals are written and updated quarterly or as needed.

The social cognitive curriculum at Stanbridge draws from the materials and research of leading experts in the field. Social pragmatics is offered to all students in the Elementary and Junior High divisions, with weekly classes co-taught by the speech-language pathologist and counseling staff. High School students with social needs will also receive weekly therapy, with services offered in a small-group format as needed. 

Students use a variety of materials to help improve conversation skills, breakdown the complexities of social situations, and understand expected and unexpected behaviors in a variety of environments.

Lower Elementary students will primarily follow Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Winner. This curriculum offers a fun and motivating way for students to increase awareness of their behaviors and explore social thinking concepts.

Middle Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Junior High students will also follow Michelle Winner’s core curriculum, while incorporating Talkabout-A Social Communication Skills Package by Alex Kelly. Themes to be addressed include: Thinking of yourself and others; effective communication with body language, facial expressions, and vocal tone; how to have effective conversations, and how to be assertive.

All social pragmatics classes will have regular homework assignments to help promote carry-over of skills.