The West Coast Language Development Centre is an Independent Public School Education Support facility that also includes the Outreach Speech and Language Service for the North Metropolitan (coastal schools) and the Midwest Educational Regions. The centre is located over multiple sites.
The West Coast Language Development Centre is a centre of excellence that provides specialised early direct intervention (for students), outreach (for schools and networks), and research and development services in the area of speech, language and associated literacy. The synergism and cohesion amongst service delivery, teaching and research leads to changes in classroom practice; as knowledge increases, ‘best practices’ are identified, and service needs are recognised within the centre and across mainstream schools.
The West Coast Language Development Centre works at the system, network, individual school, leadership, teacher and student level to provide high quality services in speech, language and associated learning that are based on current best practice evidence. The services build on from each other and include:
1. Direct services for students: intensive, early intervention
An early intensive intervention service targets metropolitan students in Kindergarten, Pre-Primary and Year 1 with identified Developmental Language Disorder.
2. Outreach
This service responds to the distinctive needs of public primary schools in the metro and regional areas with a focus on improving speaking, listening and literacy learning for students with language difficulties, difference and disorders. The emphasis is on sustainable capacity building of teachers, schools and systems to deliver high quality learning opportunities.
3. Research and Development
The service conducts and supports the research, development and trialling of evidence based practices for speech, language and associated literacy by establishing collaborative partnerships with schools and universities.
The map in the intake area section defines the West Coast Language Development Centre boundaries for student referrals and schools (accessing Outreach) within the specified geographical area. Outreach also includes the Mid-west Education Region.
Our Purpose
The Language Development Centre intensive early intervention, outreach and research and development services are focused on maximising the learning of students with language impairment/ disorder, difficulties or disadvantage.
Vision
Early Intensive Intervention
All students achieve maximised academic and social learning outcomes through specialised, evidence- based intervention strategies delivered by highly effective staff.
Outreach
All public schools in Western Australia have the capacity to maximise the speech, language and learning outcomes for the diverse learning needs of all students.
Whole School Connected Cohesive Service Delivery Structure
The following structures ensure the development of cohesive connected approaches where each builds with and on from each other. The focus is on student learning through the provision of direct intervention for identified students with Developmental Language Disorder (I Learn! I Teach! I Support!), the development of teacher, leadership and school capacity to teach students with language concerns both within the Language Centre and across mainstream schools via the Outreach program (I Build! I Lead!), and the creation of evidence-based interventions and resources (I Develop!). The governance structures support ethical and compliant delivery of all the above levels.
