My name is Kim O'Meara and I am the Speech/Language Therapist at Cotton Creek. I am in my 20th year as a Speech/Language Therapist and this is my 11th year working full time at Cotton Creek. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences in 2000 from The University of Colorado at Boulder with a focus in early childhood and school-age speech and language disorders. My experience primarily includes working with children ages 2 to 12 in elementary schools. I have worked with many children on the Autism spectrum as well as those with a large variety of mild to severe communication impairments. As a Speech/Language Pathologist, I am involved in the development of oral language and listening comprehension skills that support literacy, math, science, and social studies through consultation, collaboration, and/or direct instruction. The areas in which I provide support and intervention include the following;
- Articulation – pronouncing sounds and words correctly, speaking clearly
- Vocabulary and Concept building
- Following oral and written directions
- Comprehending oral language discussions and stories
- Stuttering and Dysfluency
- Phonemic awareness and phonological awareness
- Language organization and processing – word relationships, analogies, sequencing, categorizing, word retrieval, and auditory memory
- Language expression – describing, defining, telling stories and events, summarizing
- Grammar and syntax both in oral and written language
- Augmentative communication devices or strategies for nonverbal children
- Creating visual supports such as visual schedules, choice boards, and social stories
- Pragmatics – social language and interaction skills
I truly believe that all children are capable of learning, but each individual has their own learning style that needs to be honored and understood. As long as instruction is differentiated to meet a child where they are, and that child has the modifications and accommodations appropriate to help them access the curriculum, they can be successful in school. I try to help that happen every day!