Product Review

Language is the foundation for learning and school success. This is true for all students, including children with Down syndrome. Inclusive school settings provide children with Down syndrome great opportunities to improve their communication development- speaking, writing, listening, and following spoken instructions. But these same opportunities create real challenges for them because of wide-ranging skill levels and abilities in language and speech. Libby Kumin, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a leading expert on Down syndrome and its impact on communication development. Her new book covers every aspect of a child's language needs in school from kindergarten- age through early adolescence. Early chapters provide an overview of the characteristic communication problems associated with Down syndrome, their underlying causes, and how they can affect a child in school. Later, the book explains how to address communication needs directly in a child's IEP, and then goes into detail about the best strategies for adapting school work and teacher-student communication in an inclusive classroom. Classroom Language Skills for Children with Down Syndrome emphasizes the crucial role teachers and speech-language pathologists play. It explains how to make adaptations to curriculum, verbal instruction, classroom routines, and written assignments. The book discusses ways to enhance social communication between children with Down syndrome and other students during class, lunch, and recess. Also covered is the use of augmentative communication methods for children with Down syndrome who are non-verbal or rarely use speech. As an added bonus, there are numerous forms and checklists for parents such as an IEP planner, home-school communication tips, samples of visual prompts, graphic organizers, and worksheet adaptations. Overall, this guide offers parents an in-depth overview of their child's language skills in school, while providing teachers and SLPs with use