WORKSHOPS and RESOURCES:

Please contact Judy Meintzer at judy.meintzer@gmail.com if you have suggested topics for workshops or resources. Consultation sessions can be arranged on request with service partners and other agencies on request.

Working Bee: Building on visual strengths - TBD

GROUP SERVICES:

Speech, language and literacy skills are often learned best during fun, engaging functional activities with peers. Family members understand and use new strategies to support these skills throughout the day when they have the opportunity to observe and practice them together.

NOTE:  No refunds are offered for missed group sessions. If a group program is cancelled due to low registration, participants will be notified immediately after the registration deadline and their monies refunded.  If unforeseen circumstances (therapist illness; weather warnings) result in your therapist cancelling a group class, participants will be offered a make-up class. 

Monday morning drop-in playgroups for 0 to 5 year olds

A member of the SLP team will attend one playgroup session most months to:

• Meet new families
• Complete speech intakes
• Model strategies that support speech, language and communication development
• Facilitate circle time songs and stories
• Address parent questions or concerns

Playgroup is all year long. (Closed holidays)

Early preschool speech playgroup for 18-months to 3-year olds

This popular 6-week program is available for toddlers (18 months to 3 years) and their families. Parents will observe and practice strategies to encourage clearer communication through fun play activities and routines that can be used at home. Sessions include free play, songs, stories, games, snack time and centre activities. Depending on child needs, parents are asked to bring an empty cup and appropriate snack foods and/or drinks for their children. (Finger foods are preferred.) This is also a great opportunity to practice some of the strategies presented in the Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk” program.  

This program will be planned and facilitated collaboratively by Michele Bennett, SLP Assistant and Marnie Paul, SLP. Participants will complete checklists before and after the group. In-person or phone SLP consultation sessions will be arranged to determine and support individual goals for all families.

Children must attend with a parent or other caregiver. Other family members are also welcome. 4-6 families can be accommodated in this class.  

Dates: Friday Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8 from 9:30 to 11 am

Cost: $128/ EDSS member ($290 non-subsidized), including one consultation session.

The SLP team may need to arrange a full speech assessment prior to this group at an additional cost of $60).

To register: https://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=2303&EID=27607

Early preschool speech playgroup for 2 to 3 ½ year olds

This popular 6-week program is available for toddlers (2 to 3 1/2 years) and their families. Parents will observe and practice strategies to encourage clearer communication through fun play activities and routines that can be used at home. For families who have attended a Hanen session, this is a great opportunity to practice some of the strategies learned. Sessions include free play, songs, stories, games, snack time and centre activities. Depending on child needs, parents are asked to bring an empty cup and appropriate snack foods and/or drinks for their children. (Finger foods are preferred.)

This program will be planned and facilitated collaboratively by Michele Bennett, SLP Assistant and Marnie Paul, SLP. Participants will complete checklists before and after the group. In-person or phone SLP consultation sessions will be arranged to determine and support individual goals for all families.

Children must attend with a parent or other caregiver. Other family members are also welcome. 4-6 families can be accommodated in this class.  

Dates: TBA

Cost: TBA

 
EDSS - ADULT Fall Outing Group 25 years +

Facilitated by Alison Foxford

Dates: Bi-Weekly Beginning September 26, Oct 10, 24, Nov 7, 21, Dec 5, 2019

Time: 6 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (flexible)

Locations: first bi-weekly session on September 26 will be at State & Main at Southgate Mall for the registrants to plan the next 5 weeks which will be shared with families via email.

All other sessions, we will meet at the location selected by the group and depart for home from that location as well.

Please note: There will likely be cost associated with the activities selected and registrants are responsible to have payment with them on the night of the activity. We will try to keep cost of each week to $20 or under.

Participants are encouraged to bring their phones and feel free to take photos as we are out. We will share information about each outing afterwards via a social media app closed group that will include parents/guardians is desired. This will be planned and completed by the participants with SLP support.

Rationale:

As a move towards independence in community access, the goals of the group will include:

1.       Improving social language and decision making as a group
2.       Planning and problem solving using internet and community resources with support planning outings.
3.       Community access including question asking, social skills and reasoning

Criteria:

The participants should be:

1.       Over 25 yr. of age
2.       Proficient verbal communicators with ability to follow 2 step commands
3.       Access to own cell phone or small tablet
4.       Ability to access public transport, DATS or other means of transportation
5.       Comfort/willingness in accessing community independently

Group size:  6
FEE: $90/member is the subsidized rate (Actual program cost is $293/per student) In addition there will be an activity cost of approximately $20/class.  

To Register: https://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=2303&EID=27614 

INDIVIDUAL SERVICES (all ages)

The EDSS offers a limited number of subsidized sessions per month for members (unless reimbursed for these services through FSCD funding):

• Maximum of 1 individual therapy session (assessment or intervention) per month if attending another subsidized therapy group program during the month
• Maximum of 2 therapy sessions (assessment or intervention) for one discipline (e.g., SLP, OT, PT)
• Maximum of 3 therapy sessions total from all disciplines (e.g., 2 SLP and 1 OT).
• twice monthly 50-minute individual speech services at a subsidized rate for members. Daytime, early evening and weekend sessions will be arranged with the speech-language pathology team based on needs and availability. Goal areas may include overall speech clarity; specific speech sounds; expressive language skills (vocabulary, grammar); language understanding (e.g. following instructions, concepts, reading comprehension); literacy; augmentative and alternative communication (AAC); and use of language (e.g. social scripts and rules).

Contact FSL Julie for speech services

NOTE: Late cancellation charges for individual services are assessed at 50% of the non-subsidized rate; No call/ no show charges are 100% of the non-subsidized rate.  These charges are not billable to FSCD nor to any insurance company.  Refer to EDSS cancelation policy for full details.

Judy Meintzer, R.SLP, SLP(C), will be coordinating this program. The speech team is listed in the attached document.  All SLPs are registered in the province of Alberta. Some services are provided by qualified SLP Assistants with direct and indirect SLP supervision.

• Intake, assessment and consultation services are provided by one of the team SLPs
• Intervention is provided by one of the team SLPs and/or SLP-Assistants at the EDSS site. Some services can be provided via phone or video (e.g., Facetime, Skype)

For optimal intervention results the family is expected to:

• Complete a short case history form including desired goal areas for intervention
• Complete speech/ language skills checklists
• Arrange an intake or assessment (if no recent services from EDSS)
• Attend sessions regularly
• Ensure that home practice is completed with a family member or friend who attends the sessions.
• Ensure that goals and practice suggestions have been clarified and agreed upon with the speech team.
• Encourage collaboration with other service providers (e.g. school) to ensure that goals are aligned.

Cost: Dependent on type of service:

 Video feedback sessions

Individual video feedback consultation sessions are available to provide parents of infants and preschoolers with feedback on their use of identified interaction/ communication strategies with their child.

Parents must electronically submit a video of the interaction to the SLP 1-2 weeks prior to the consultation session.

Cost: TBA

Contact FSL Julie for speech services

Feeding and Swallowing Services

EDSS provides SLP services to support feeding skills for infants and children of all ages. 

Jo Anne Mahood, R.SLP, SLP(C) will be coordinating this program. She will contact families to complete an intake by phone or in-person. During this intake she will determine needs, provide resources and strategies and/or recommend appropriate referrals to other agencies.

Interested parents please contact the Family Support Liaison, Julie at the EDSS office and specify which days of the week you can attend and preferred time frame.