“Processing disorder” is a broadly used term for describing a range of communication disorders that impair children’s ability to process verbal or auditory information. A language processing disorder affects spoken language. Children with expressive language disorder have challenges expressing thoughts in words clearly while children with receptive language disorder have challenges understanding others. Children with language processing disorders may have challenges in following directions and in comprehending stories. Children with Auditory Processing Disorder have trouble hearing and processing and interpreting the message.
How Whytecliff Can Help Kids With Language & Auditory Processing Disorders
Whytecliff offers the BC Ministry of Education accredited curriculum leading to a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation. Whytecliff also incorporates the new BC Curriculum’s intellectual, personal, and social-emotional proficiencies, with a special emphasis on youth development as well as positive mental health and wellness.
While Whytecliff does not accept children with severe language and auditory processing disorders, we will accept and work with children who have milder forms of language and auditory processing disorders. We are happy to work with and integrate suggestions for accommodations and modifications by speech and language specialists and therapists.
Whytecliff’s self-paced and self-directed approach (that tackles one or two courses at a time) is helpful for children with language and auditory processing disorders (as we are using a smaller lexicon of vocabulary in this approach). Children are also able to access smaller more private areas of study for individual, paired or small group study so the learning experiences are less overwhelming. At the same time, the program incorporates experiential learning activities in the community and project-based learning, so that each child is able to see the personal relevance and make greater sense of what they’re learning. We also include a wide range of activities and ideally no less than 30 mins of physical activity each day; this enables children to decrease frustration, allow natural energy release, and increase dopamine and serotonin in the brain to encourage calm and renewal.