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Uncovering potential
for over 50 years
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A southern California
school and therapy
center for students, ages
six months to 21 years,
who have special needs
in the areas of language,
learning and behavior, as
well as typical peer models
through Grade Six.
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Counseling
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The Counseling Department addresses both the emotional and the social needs of students. Counseling services are provided as a Designated Instructional Service through the student's IEP, individually and in group settings, as well as collaboration with the classroom teachers and staff. Many students receive both group and individual services.
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The Counseling Department works to resolve issues and problems that prevent students from benefiting fully from their academic program. The long-term goal is to help students reach their full potential. The problems and issues addressed through counseling are as varied and as unique as the students. Some of the issues approached in Counseling are:
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Classroom Behavior:
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Focusing attention, asking for help, managing frustration, asking to take a break, working and playing cooperatively with others, following instructions,turn-taking, and respect for staff.
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Family
Issues:
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Divorce/separation, remarriage, issues with siblings or other family members, birth of a sibling, adoption, death of a family member, foster care, group home living, abuse and neglect, medication issues.
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Behavioral
Issues:
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Tantrums/acting out, aggressiveness toward others, self-abusive acts, destroying property, fear and anxiety responses, running away, refusal to do academic work or other tasks, cursing, screaming, threatening and other verbal outbursts, disrespect toward peers or adults, rigidity, and perseverations.
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Transitional
Issues:
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Preparing for predictable events and sudden changes, such as change of classroom, change of teacher, new student entering the classroom or a familiar student leaving the classroom, going to a new school or entering SLDC, physical and emotional changes due to puberty, becoming a legal adult, leaving a familiar home and moving into a new home, entering or leaving a group or foster care home
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Relationships
with Peers
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Problem-solving, conflict resolution, anger management, play skills, skills for interacting with others including age specific expectations, and compromising, as well as boyfriend/girlfriend relationships and issues.
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Vocational/
Living Skills
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Working with older students to help them more precisely define what their goals are for work and living arrangements. We help them to identify their realistic options and to consider the pros and cons of the options.
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Social Skills Groups
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SLDC's social skills groups are conducted in association with the Speech Department. These groups have both a speech therapist and a counselor leading them. This unique arrangement allows work on both the emotional and the language components of social skills.
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Structure |
Consistency |
Repetition |
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Modeling |
Rehearsal |
Multi-Modal Instruction |
| Whole body listening |
Relaxation |
"I feel" messages |
| Assertive Communication |
Anger Management |
Neurofeedback
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Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that uses brain waves. We target the bioelectrical functioning of the brain. We show our students their brain wave activity, through the use of video games, and help them to change the activity by rewarding shifts toward a more stable and appropriate brain state. It is a gradual learning process, like exercise for your brain.
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Neurofeedback can be used for a wide variety of functional deficits in the brain, such as attention deficit, anxiety, autism, and depression. Neurofeedback is not a cure for any of these conditions. It simply helps the brain to be more functional and improve symptoms.
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Neurofeedback has existed at SLDC for six years. It is not a Designated Instructional Service through a student’s IEP; but, we offer it at no cost to a limited number of students.
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