The Amina Grace Speech and Language Program

We offer the Amina Grace Speech & Language program three times per year:

  • Spring Session: February 4-May 11
    • Participant applications open December 3 and close January 1
  • Summer Session: June 9 – August 3
    • Participant applications open April 21 – May 13
  • Fall Session: September 1 – December 7
    • Participant applications open July 22 -August 11

Please view our  calendar  exact start and end dates. 

Applications typically opens 1 month prior to the session start date. 

Student and Tutors Apply Now

For more information regarding the Amina Grace Speech and Language program, please contact the Playhouse at (309) 762-7529 or email tutoringquadcities@gigisplayhouse.org

Impact

“Mila increased word usage, receptive and expressive language. She was shown new techniques while in a happy and playful environment. All of this was done while showing me how to help my little one at home with take home materials to continues her progress.”

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The GiGi’s Amina Grace Speech and Language one-on-one program provides youth, teens and adults with greatly expanded opportunities to evolve and refine their speech and language skills. Effective enunciation, clarity of speech, word order and message meaning are paramount to fostering greater self-confidence, comprehension, problem-solving, school readiness, social skills, independence, and overall quality of life.

Goals

  • Increase clarity of speech and enunciation through a hierarchical approach of repeated exposure and practice of target sounds, focusing on accurate placement of oral articulators.
  • Improve word order and message meaning through focused exercises targeting various parts of speech, including: verb tense, word choice, sentence completion and more.
  • Increase comprehension through the use of various visual models and tasks targeting functional level-appropriate targets.

Benefits

  • Increase self-confidence through positive reinforcement and various forms of appropriate supportive methods, including: verbal, visual and tactile.
  • Improve school and social readiness through activities and goals geared towards preparing participants for skills required within their age-leveled school grade, thereby, increasing their chances of improving social skills of blending with classmates.
  • Increase independence and overall quality of life through confidence-building activities, self-help skills and a positive-reinforcing approach to therapeutic targets.

The GiGi’s Amina Grace Speech and Language program came to be by the generous donation of Munawar Ali and Maura Cullen in honor of their daughter Amina Grace.

Since the inception of the GiGi's Amina Grace Speech & Language 1:1 program we have served over 2,100 individuals with Down syndrome! We have hosted over 75,000 hours of FREE speech lessons! These numbers continue to grow each day!

The GiGi's Amina Grace Speech & Language 1:1 program is open to individuals with Down syndrome of ALL ages and runs 3 sessions throughout the year. This program, like all others at GiGi's Playhouse, is provided completely FREE OF CHARGE to all of our participants and families!