Established in 1994, the Rashid Centre adopts a combined educational and therapy approach, tailored to each individual’s needs and abilities, delivered by a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals.
The Department of Speech and Language Therapy at Rashid Center consists of a group of therapists from around the world, who are passionate and have extensive experience in the different clinical areas of the profession.
Our speech and language therapists work with students who have mild to complex communication difficulties, and require specialist support to help them develop language, communication and socialization skills. We work closely with classroom staff and families to enable our students to communicate across their day, and to access their educational opportunities.
Speech therapists will look at all aspects of communication including development of non-verbal communication, play, vocalization, language development and the use of alternative and augmentative systems (AAC) -including both low and high tech devices. We assess and advise on what is the best way your son/daughter can demonstrate their understanding, make choices, take greater control over their environment and social interactions.
Our Services
We, at the Rashid Centre, believe in the right for communication for ALL. Our Speech and Language therapists ensure children learn and use effective modes of communication.
Service is provided through individual and group therapy sessions. These include but are not limited to:
● Articulation therapy: involves having the therapist model correct sounds and syllables in words and sentences for a child, often during play activities. The level of play is age-appropriate and related to the child’s specific needs.
● Language intervention: involves interacting with a child by playing and talking, using pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development.
● Alternative and Augmentative Communication intervention: involves choosing, designing and training those children, who cannot partially or totally- produce oral language, to use signs, symbols, communication boards/books or devices in order to communicate.
● Oral-motor/feeding and swallowing therapy: involves using a variety of oral exercises including facial massage and various tongue, lip, and jaw exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth for eating, drinking, and swallowing. The therapist may also introduce different food textures and temperatures to increase a child’s oral awareness during eating and swallowing.
Therapy should begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early (before they’re 5 years old) tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later. This does not mean that older kids can’t make progress in therapy; they may progress at a slower rate because they often have learned patterns that need to be changed.
