Farleigh College Therapy and Specialist Services
A wide range of trained professionals work with our students to provide an integrated therapeutic approach to the development of communication by providing speech, language and social skills training relevant to individual's abilities and needs. As well as individual and group sessions, the team offer advice and training to the rest of the staff to ensure that we are working with our students in the best possible way.
Speech and Language Therapy - our experienced Speech and Language Therapist works with students and staff by providing speech, language and social skills training relevant to each student’s abilities and needs.
Communication skills are vital to learning and to integrating successfully with others in the school and in the work place. Students with Asperger’s have difficulty acquiring and using appropriate language skills in a social context. The Speech and Language Therapist is involved with staff in assessment, devising programmes, individual and group therapy, target setting and evaluation of outcomes relating to communication skills.
Parents are encouraged to take an active role, to meet with the Speech and Language Therapist and to discuss ways of promoting their child’s communication at home. This therapeutic service is well established and continues to promote new ways of collaborative working with staff.
Occupational therapy - is also used to facilitate the child's development in areas of daily functioning and independence. A programme of activities is designed based on standardised assessments of movement and visual-motor integration to assess each pupils' strengths and weaknesses. Through this and reference to previous reports and information from other people involved in each student’s care and education, a programme of activities is designed. The main focus is to develop gross and fine motor skills, balance, coordination, pen and scissor skills.
Literacy Specialist – our highly qualified literacy specialist supports students with literacy difficulties, notably dyslexia. For students who find learning in this area difficult our literacy specialist uses 1:1 and small group sessions to improve practice across the school. Students who join the college often make huge strides with their literacy, not uncommonly making a year's progress in just a few months. This provides a much needed boost to our pupils who come with the impression that they are incapable of making real improvements in this area.