Debra Hamilton has invited you and your family to participate in a parent-support program entitled “Language and Play Everyday”, sponsored through Early Childhood CARES and the University of Oregon Speech-Language Hearing Clinic (UOSLHC). The purpose of this program is to provide parents and other family members with strategies that they can use during daily activities to help their young children communicate better at home. The program consists of the following:

  • Assessment:Parents will complete paperwork and activities that will allow us to assess your child’s current communication skills,so we can design group and individual sessions to meet your child’s individual needs.
  • Group Support and Training:Parents will meet four times as a group to learn strategies that have been proven to improve language skills in young children. We will discuss progress and practice new skills. All group sessions will be at the HEDCO clinic (see directions attached). The group will be led by Heather Moore, a speech-language pathologist and lecturer at the University of Oregon, and her graduate student assistants (all of whom have received extensive training in early intervention).
  • Playgroup: While the parents meet as a group, the children will participate in a small playgroup at the HEDCO clinic. Playgroup sessions will include free play activities, art/craft activities, a song/story time, and snack. The playgroup will be led by an employee of Early Childhood CARES and 1-2 undergraduate students (under Dr. Moore’s supervision).
  • Individual Sessions: Youand your child will meet individually with Debra and one of Dr. Moore’s graduate students two times to work on communication-enhancing skills specific to your family’s needs (scheduled individually with Debra).

There is no cost for this program. Parents are welcome to invite any additional family members or childcare providers to the group and individual sessions. Please see schedule attached.

If you would like to participate in the group, please let Debra know as soon as possible and she will give you the assessment paperwork to complete by 1/4/15. If you have any questions please ask Debra or feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Heather Moore, PhD CCC-SLP

Lecturer, Speech-Language Pathologist

University of Oregon Speech-Language Hearing Center

541-346-4996;

Language and Play Everyday Schedule

Winter 2016

Date / Activity / Description/ Topics Covered
Before 1/4/15 / Assessment / Parents complete the assessment packet and return it to the HEDCO clinic
1/12/15
10:30am-noon / Group at the HEDCO clinic / Introduction
Description of the intervention
Communication Development/ Types of Communicators
All the ways children communicate
Identifying Daily Routines and their importance for teaching communication
Homework planning – collecting video samples
1/19 / No meeting / Families complete homework assignment (collecting video samples) with graduate student support
1/26/15
10:30am-noon / Group at the HEDCO clinic / Identifying Routines (group discussion about homework)
Creating opportunities to communicate during daily routines
Results of your child’s assessment
Homework planning (watch video sample)
2/2 /15
10:30am-noon / Group at the HEDCO clinic / Homework discussion
Responsive Interactions
Planning Home visits
2/8-2/19
(1 hour individually scheduled) / Home visits / Families will meet individually with Debra and a graduate student to discuss progress and practice responsive interaction strategies at home.
2/23/15 10:30am-noon / Group at the HEDCO clinic / Discussion of progress
Picking Words to Teach during Daily Routines
Planning Home visits
2/29-3/11
(1 hour individually scheduled) / Home visits / Families will meet individually with Debra and a graduate student to discuss progress and practice “teaching new words” strategies at home. Parents will complete another assessment packet.
Week of 3/18 / Assessment / Parents will receive a progress report in the mail with additional assessment results.