story by Claire Miller
One Saturday morning, communication sciences and disorders master’s student Alicia Culberson sat with a three-year-old boy at Gigi’s Playhouse in Atlanta, an enrichment center that provides free programs and services for children and adults with Down syndrome.
She showed him a set of plastic, colorful rings and an accompanying stand for them. Then, she called out a color and asked him to place the ring matching that color on the stand.
The young boy’s father asked Culberson if he could record a video of his son doing this task. She was struck both by the look of pride she saw on the father’s face and how hard he’s worked to advocate for his son.
“After recording us, he expressed to me that his son doesn’t verbally communicate. Because of that, he’s noticed people disregard his son in a lot of ways,” she said. “He expressed that people don’t believe him when he says his son knows things, such as his colors and letters of the alphabet, and he wanted the recording to prove it. In fact, his son knew all seven ring colors and he was able to follow all my directions. He is capable of so much – he just needs a little bit of support to get there.”
Culberson’s work with the young boy was one of several moments that have stood out to her from her internship and volunteer work at Gigi’s Playhouse.
The College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) began partnering with the enrichment center in January 2023. Since then, about 6-8 CSD students participate in internships there each semester, where they work with both children and adults on their speech and language skills.
“Working with this population has always been a passion of mine,” said Melissa Rose, a CEHD clinical instructor who supervises students at Gigi’s Playhouse. “The true appreciation parents and the participants in our program have for receiving speech therapy services is something that’s hard to put into words.”
During her recent internship, master’s student Calia Howse worked with adults with Down syndrome on a range of vocational and daily living skills, from writing resumes and cover letters to organizing grocery lists and chores.
She also incorporated her background in music therapy into her play-based interventions with children there.
“The toddlers were able to model speech during music and movement activities, singing preferred songs and in child-led play. They began saying some of their first words,” Howse said. “As a student clinician, these moments were special to me because they solidified how valuable speech therapy services are for children as they are building communication skills.”
Both Howse and Culberson also encourage parents and families to reinforce their lessons at home.
“The therapy we provide only accounts for an hour or so out of an individual’s day. Their home is where the education, resources and therapy techniques are the most impactful,” Culberson said. “With proper education and collaboration, parents and caregivers can apply the skills learned from therapy into everyday life with their children. Bringing together the clinician’s knowledge with the parent’s input is the key to effectively and efficiently fostering communication.”
CSD students who’ve interned at Gigi’s Playhouse over the last year have come away with a better understanding of how to provide speech and language services to the Down syndrome community – one of several goals Rose has for her students.
“I want students to appreciate the joy, excitement and appreciation these individuals bring every day,” Rose said. “Through the work at Gigi’s Playhouse, I want our students to learn the importance of celebrating and embracing the diversity within the Down syndrome community, recognizing each individual’s unique strengths, preferences and potential.”