Specific Language Impairment

Fondation Dora supported the launch of a special teaching centre for children & young people with Specific Language Impairment, in the Canton of Geneva.

Specific Language Impairment (SLI, or developmental language disorder, formerly called developmental dysphasia) is a disorder in which sufferers have persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language, which results in a reduced vocabulary, a limited sentence structure and speech deficits (i.e. difficulties using narrative or conversational language, etc.). This disorder affects—with variable degrees of severity—between 1.5% and 7.5% of the population.

Since suitable care for this specific oral language impairment was not being provided by any private or public institution in the Canton of Geneva, parents took the initiative to set up the Geneva Association of Specific Language Impairment, and to create a facility, La Cédille, which opened on September 1st, 2016. http://www.lacedille.ch

La Cédille aims to provide specialised teaching support to children and young people with Specific Language Impairment, and subsequently to encourage their integration into social life and the world of work, whether in an ordinary or sheltered environment.

The Centre has received accreditation as official partner to the Geneva Department of Public Education.

The Centre can accommodate children and young people aged between 4 to 20 with Specific Language Impairment, who attend either special or regular classes.

Upon their arrival at the Centre, the work with the children and young people involves:

• Assessing their skills and difficulties
• Drawing up an individual teaching & educational project with clear objectives
• Proposing pedago-therapeutic measures designed to meet their specific needs
• Optimising functional communication
• Developing basic learning skills
• Offering supportive work (individually or in small groups) aimed at promoting the development of functional communication
• Working together with parents

La Cédille provides support and follow-up of children and young people within their schools, and answers any questions raised by teachers who may have pupils with SLI in their classes. Moreover, La Cédille works to raise awareness among parents of children in regular classes about the special needs of children with SLI. Outside the class schedule, La Cédille provides periods of special support designed to help children & young people with SLI with their homework. This personalised support is developed together with the teachers and parents concerned.

La Cédille works closely with the Teaching Hospitals in Geneva, the University and the Medico-Educational Office of Geneva (in areas such as research, lifelong learning, educational methods and tools).

Fondation Dora supported this programme for three years from 2017 to 2019.

See also the article from Valérie d’Emma in the Revue suisse de pédagogie spécialisée Demma_180434.pdf