Services
The services provided include:
Literacy Care and The Child Development Network
The Literacy Care service is located within the Child Development Network at The Mater Hospital. This means that the treatment provided for the child is the outcome of a highly collaborative process involving the other members of the Child Development Network team.
Literacy Care's core service is to work closely with the parents, and if need be the child's school, to develop an individualized goal driven intervention that will directly address a child's literacy problems given that he or she is either generally delayed or has an actual diagnosed Learning Disability.
The assessment process is the most important of all. It consists of three parts.
Firstly, there is the Initial Interview: This is where the child's carers meet with the specialist to discuss the presenting problems. It provides an opportunity for the specialist to review previous reports and referral information. It is also important at this meeting for the specialist to record the child's history and gather evidence relative to the diagnostic literacy assessment. It is often appropriate to initiate some testing during this time. The child's carers can then decide if they wish to progress to the Assessment Interview.
Secondly, there is the Assessment Interview: this is a diagnostic literacy assessment which is concerned with administering suitable test instruments to the child. It usually takes about two hours to complete.
Thirdly, there is the Feedback Interview: At this consultation the findings of the assessment are fully disclosed. All prepared documentation is presented and explained to the child's carers.
Please download, print and complete the Personal Details form, the Parent Questionnaire and the Teacher Questionnaire prior to coming to your first interview. A Checklist of What to Bring has been provided. Please also read the Non Attendance Policy.
The Diagnostic Literacy Report
After the assessment interview the various tests are formally scored. The various pieces of qualitative information including comments and observations are also officially recorded. From this information considerations, conclusions and recommendations are written. This then allows the specialist to prepare a Diagnostic Report. Such a report represents the official views and opinions of the testing administrator. The report is especially useful to other professionals including guidance officers, counsellors and learning support teachers. The report includes extensive information about literacy interventions and special consideration.
The Guided Literacy Intervention (READCARE)
Because a large number of our children live a considerable distance from the Child Development Network it is difficult to implement an intervention on a weekly or even fortnightly basis. In order to overcome this problem it may be possible to implement the entire treatment process via the READCARE Program. This means that the parents will be given all the materials that they will need in one complete package. Instead of weekly visits the child may only see the specialist every four or six weeks. In order to compensate for the lack of contact time with the practitioner a weekly phone consultation is arranged at a mutually convenient time. Naturally not all children can do the READCARE program because it may not the best option for them. But in most cases the course works very well and achieves the goals set out in the treatment plan.
For comprehensive information click on the following link: Guided Literacy Intervention - READCARE
In order to provide appropriate advocacy services and support the child's submission for accommodations it may be necessary to arrange a school visit. To make the school visit as profitable as possible it is best to have all interested parties in attendance. Thus, a typical meeting would involve the child's carer, classroom teacher, Learning Support Teacher, Guidance Officer/Counsellor, other informed specialists, possibly a school administrator, and the specialist from Literacy Care or the Child Development Network. The meeting usually takes the format of an open discussion around a series of predetermined issues. Such issues often include accommodations – how to 'level the playing field' for the student, explanation of conditions, explanation of recommendations, advice on implementation of interventions and liaison with external practitioners.
For more information click on the following link: School Visits
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