Time sensitive
Enid Wolf-Schein, Ed.D., CCC-SLP; Adjunct Professor University of Alberta
SMILE: Structured Methods in Language Education
August 14 & 15, 2008, Vancouver
Enid Wolf-Schein
What is SMILE? SMILE jump-starts literacy and encourages the development of functional language. A systematic, multisensory communication development program, SMILE engages children as they progress through basic attending, phonemic awareness and sound–letter knowledge to the use of language in a descriptive and conversational manner. SMILE is a method of teaching speech, reading and writing to children with severe language and communication delays. It begins with phonemes (the building blocks of speech) and progresses to the development of short stories. It also incorporates development of attention, specific and consistent teaching methodology, use of structure, routine and immediate reinforcement. Ongoing attention to generalization ensures that the pupil does not end up with a series of splinter skills that are not functional. SMILE is based on the Association Method, which uses a combination of visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic associations.
Who Should Attend this Workshop? ACT has brought Dr. Wolf-Schein back to BC because of the very positive response to her previous workshops. Teachers, SLPs, educational assistants and parents have reported that SMILE is an effective low-tech, multisensory methodology that can be individualized for students who are speaking or reading very little or not at all. It can be easily adapted for students who are using an ABA approach in their early intervention program. While it has been used extensively for pre-schoolers, it is also useful as an approach to teaching reading for students who need a more individualized approach.
For Which Students is this Method Appropriate? This method can be used successfully with any pupil who has a severe language-learning disability who is still struggling despite intensive efforts to encourage speech and language. Generally these children do not imitate easily or generalize readily. They often seem to have problems with auditory memory, and they may lack expressive speech in the presence or absence of language comprehension.
Children with an inability to express or to understand language symbols are a diverse group with respect to their disorder. They may be classified as aphasic, or have ASD, Down Syndrome, central auditory dysfunction, impaired hearing, or a mental handicap.
The Workshop The program is taught in five language modules. Module 1 begins with attention-getting exercises, goes on to the teaching of single sounds and letters, and then consonant–vowel combinations. As the program progresses, pupils develop increased phonemic awareness, sound–letter knowledge, auditory and visual discrimination, sound and letter sequencing skills, word recognition, picture–word association, short sentences, and finally, concept stories using speech, reading and writing. The workshop will cover the manuals and materials and include simulations. Extensive videos of students with both autism and other challenging conditions will be utilized.
The Presenter Enid Wolf-Schein, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, has her Doctorate in Special Education and is a certified Speech Language Pathologist. An ASHA Fellow, Dr. Wolf-Schein has published extensively in academic journals and provides training internationally. One of her current efforts is consulting to programs for special populations in Broward County, Florida, where she is in private practice.
Full Registration Brochures: see www.actcommunity.net or see contact information below.
Online Registration: Go to www.actcommunity.net
Bursaries: If you are low income and / or traveling to attend a workshop, ACT has some bursary funds available. Please apply for a bursary before registering. See website for more information.
Support & Information: ACT’s team of Information Officers can provide support and information on a wide range of autism-related topics and can advise on whether a workshop is appropriate for your needs. Contact ACT by email at info@actcommunity.net, or by phone at 604-205-5467 or 866-939-5188.
