L. London's Home Page
Office: C113
Work phone: (781)388-0647 ext.3113
Fax: (781)388-0645
E-mail: llondon@malden.mec.edu
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WELCOME TO SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY!

I'm happy you dropped by! I hope you'll take a minute to sign my guest book and maybe e-mail me as well. I look forward to hearing from you!

About Myself

I have worked as a speech/language therapist in the Malden Public Schools since 1976. I enjoy working with children and I am constantly challenged and inspired by them. Currently I am working with students in grades 5 to 8 at the beautiful, new Salemwood School. Over the years I've worked at the Holmes, Leonard, Lincoln Jr. High, Maplewood, and Linden Schools in Malden. From time to time I've worked in other settings as a speech/language pathologist and, also, as a reading clinician and language arts teacher. I've been trained in the areas of reading, spelling, comprehension (Visualizing and Verbalizing Program), writing (Writing Across the Curriculum Program), and communication (PECS Program -- Picture Exchange Communication System), to name a few. In the areas of reading and spelling I've been trained in and I've taught LiPS (Lindamood-Bell Phoneme Sequencing Program along with Symbol Imagery), the Phonology Strand of Project Read, and RAVE-O (Retrieval, Automaticity, Vocabulary Elaboration, and Orthography). I also have some training in sign language. For a few summers I enjoyed working with the Tufts Literacy Program at the Salemwood School and with the Tufts after-school program during the school year. In the past I have been involved in Malden's mentoring program as well. In my rare spare time I have done some private speech/language therapy. Recently I was trained in Brain Education for Enhanced Learning. I love the arts, especially music and theatre. All my students are exposed to classical and soothing music which can be heard coming from my room throughout the day.

What does a Speech and Language Therapist Do?

When I first introduce myself to children I usually explain that I help students with talking and/or listening. I have been called a speech teacher, speech therapist, speech/language therapist, speech/language pathologist, speech clinician, and a variety of other names (ahem!). The general areas in which I work include the following: articulation (pronunciation), receptive language (listening/comprehension), expressive (spoken/written) language, fluency of speech (stuttering, etc.), voice, phonemic awareness (a basis for reading/spelling), pragmatic (social) language, augmentative and alternative communication, hearing impairment, and more. Some specific areas include vocabulary, grammar (rules of language), syntax (order of words), sentence structure, following directions, study skills, memory, figurative language (such as idioms and other expressions), and others. My job also involves evaluating students' speech and language skills, scoring their tests, and writing reports regarding their speech and language skills. Additionally, I write speech and language goals, objectives, and other information on students' Individualized Education Plans and 504 Accommodation forms. Another responsibility involves ensuring that the communication technology being used by students is in proper working condition. Such technology includes auditory trainers (or FM units), which might be used by hearing-impaired students and their teachers and also communication boards which might be used by students who are unable to orally communicate due to physical or other impairments. I provide services to students in a separate setting and also in the classroom. The speech and language program includes consultation to teachers and parents concerning the speech and language needs of the students. As a Salemwood staff member I have been involved in the ACE (Academic and Creative Enrichment) and Connections Programs. An additional annual task involves administering and monitoring MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) testing over a period of weeks. I have also performed duties that have been assigned to me, such as supervising students outside the school, in the corridors, and during breakfast and lunch.

Homework, Extra Credit, & Parent Recommendations

For those of you who have speech/language homework, please read and follow all directions, and remember to bring your completed homework to your next speech/language class. You are expected to complete each homework assignment within three therapy sessions. If any of you wish to earn extra credit please speak with me and we'll come up with an idea that is agreeable to both of us. I must inform you, however, that THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT! That means that if your homework is not appropriately completed within three class sessions you will be starring in my "Speech After School" show (in other words, you will be staying after school). Generally, homework is assigned only to students who are working to improve their articulation (pronunciation) or fluency of speech. Assignments are individualized. I regularly offer recommendations to adults (i.e., teachers, paraprofessionals, parents) who are working with students who receive speech/language services. My recommendations are written with adolescents in mind -- i.e., students in grades 5 through 8 -- because that is the population I am currently servicing. The recommendations are individualized for each student and, thus, tend to vary from student to student. In general, I ask parents to encourage good speech and language skills at home. More specific recommendations for parents include the following:
--First and foremost, for parents of children of all ages (yes, all ages!) --
-When interacting with a child of any age please do so with patience, with kindness, and with respect, letting your child know that you expect these qualities in return, modeling these qualities for your child, and clearly explaining the behaviors you expect your child to demonstrate.
--For parents of students who experience difficulties in expressive language (i.e., verbal expression, etc.) --
-Offer your child opportunities to express his feelings/opinions regarding topics of interest to him (i.e., television shows, movies, comments another person has made, clothes, sports, jewelry, music, etc.).
-Ask him about these feelings/opinions and why he feels as he does.
-Offer him your undivided attention at such times, letting him know that what he has to say is important to you.
-Ask your child to describe his day and the people with whom he has interacted. Encourage him to use the following format: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, WHITTLE. Ask your child how he can use these WH-words!
-Ask him to describe items he may have seen at a store, advertised on television, etc., so as to give him opportunities to further practice and improve his verbal expression.
--For parents of students who experience difficulties in pragmatic (social) language --
-Please try to encourage your child to initiate and maintain eye contact with others (or to at least occasionally focus her eyes on an area near to the other person's eyes), to politely and quietly listen when others are speaking to her, to wait her turn, to keep her hands off others and not invade their personal spaces, etc.
-Patiently, privately, and kindly inform your child whether her interactions with, or her responses to, others (peers, adults, etc.) have been acceptable or unacceptable in given situations. Explain to her your reasons for making these determinations.
-Discuss with your child the behavior of others, as viewed in movies, on television, and/or in real life; the reason(s) why these behaviors are considered to be appropriate or inappropriate; and the reasons why these determinations have been made.
-If possible, offer your child opportunities to practice at home the social behaviors she is trying to learn.
--For parents of students who exhibit disfluent speech (i.e., stuttering, etc.)--
-Please try to listen to what your child is saying rather than to how he is saying it.
-Try to refrain from correcting his speech or from telling him how to speak more fluently. He is well aware of the moments when he is stutering and that slowing down his speech can sometimes produce fluent speech, but this is easier said by you than accomplished by him.
--For parents of students who experience difficulties in word-retrieval (word-finding)--
-See to it that your child puts in extra time studying and re-studying new vocabulary so as to maximize her chances of doing well on tests/assignments and in class discussions.
--For parents of students who experience difficulties in receptive language (listening, comprehension, etc.)--
-Give your child a set of 2 to 3 directions to follow, initially encouraging him, "Do nothing but listen," and, "Look at the person who's talking." Instruct your child to quietly look at you and listen as you repeat the directions 2 to 3 times. Ask your child to repeat these directions either aloud or silently to himself, perhaps using rhythm, tunes, movement, etc.; perhaps imagining himself performing these directions; etc. Then ask him to carry out these directions.
-Encourage him to visualize (imagine) the characters and actions of a story he is reading. Ask him to describe to you what he is imagining, what the characters look like, the characters' clothing, the weather, the climate, the colors, the shapes, the background, etc. Ask questions such as, "What do you see?" and, "How does it look?" By helping your child in this way and by encouraging him to make pictures in his head (by imagining, visualizing), you can aid him to better comprehend what he is reading.

Kindness Counts!

Behavior is of major importance at all times. Students are expected to take full responsibility for their behavior: in other words, they are responsible for their words and their actions. They are expected to be respectful at all times and they, in turn, will be treated with respect. Kindness definitely counts! Students who treat others with respect and kindness, and who behave appropriately, will be rewarded with respect and kindness (along with extra stickers and points -- and maybe even sweet stuff, too!). Each time these points add up to 10 the student may choose a small prize. We have several prize winners each week! On the other hand, a lack of respect or kindness will earn you no extra stickers, no extra points, and no sweet stuff; but you will earn a starring role in my "Speech After School" show.

Salemwood School

Our beautiful, new Salemwood School first opened for the 1999-2000 school year and it houses approximately 1250 students. The school has separate wings, one which houses grades K-4 and the other, grades 5-8. The themes of the school encompass art, technology, and literacy, with much focus on the visual and performing arts. Since the very first opening day of the school in 9/99 we have been successfully incorporating the arts, technology, and literacy into the curriculum. Every year at the Salemwood School has been educationally-stimulating and artistically-creative, and we look forward to continued successes!

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