Bolingbrook School Speech Pathologist's Idea Helping VVSD, Schools Statewide

Submitted by Valley View School District:

A simple, yet extremely effective, method to pique the interest of children with autism spectrum disorders developed by a Jane Addams Middle School speech and language pathologist is drawing high praise among Illinois educators.

Nicole Clausen, working in conjunction with an outstanding team of teachers and support staff, developed her “talking photo album” last year, taking photos of student activities in VVSD’s Structured Teaching and Learning Room (STLR) at Hermansen Elementary School in Romeoville.

“We placed the photos into albums and asked the students to look at the pictures and come up with words to describe what was happening,” she said.

“We found that when it involved a picture of them doing something, their focus on language and communication goals became fun and rewarding.”

Clausen, who utilized a grant from the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE) to conduct her research, recently presented her findings at the IASSE Fall Conference.

“It is really a very low tech, low cost way to get their interest,” she said.

“And the albums can go home with the students, so there is a lot of parent involvement as well.”

Clausen, who has handled speech pathology duties at Bolingbrook High School and Oak View Elementary School in addition to Hermansen and Addams during her four-plus years with VVSD, said the talking photo album will be used again this year at Hermansen and “we’re bringing it to Jane Addams” in Bolingbrook for use in the Low Incidence program.