{"id":96902,"date":"2020-03-25T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T16:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=96902"},"modified":"2020-03-26T13:46:56","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T18:46:56","slug":"maintaining-progress-children-learning-language-disorders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/maintaining-progress-children-learning-language-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining Progress for Children with Learning, Language Disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UM graduate clinician Emily Watkins (right), of Pontotoc, reads to a young client during speech-language pathology clinical training. Without face-to-face therapies, parents of children with learning and language disorders can use tips and online resources provided by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Photo by Kevin Bain\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 With millions of families adjusting to a “new normal” at home with children out of school, those children with language or learning disorders are disproportionately affected by the disruption to their daily routines.<\/p>\n

Faculty members in the University of Mississippi<\/a>‘s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders<\/a><\/u> provide intensive language therapy for young children with moderate to severe language disorders, including children with receptive and expressive language delay, hearing impairment, Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.<\/p>\n

During the COVID-19 crisis, parents of children with language and learning disorders confront two major challenges without access to face-to-face resources, said Amanda deVera, a speech-language pathologist and instructor.<\/p>\n

“The biggest challenges are staying consistent with a schedule that incorporates goal-oriented tasks and activities that require one-to-one attention to demonstrate and teach skills that are difficult,” deVera said. “They also just have to stay on a schedule \u2013 at home, day after day.”<\/p>\n

DeVera suggests that continued therapy is necessary to avoid regression and maintain current levels of success. She offered these general recommendations for parents facing isolation with their children living with language or learning disorders:<\/p>\n