PARENTS SALUTE SPECIAL-ED EXPERT WHO HELPED THEIR SON COX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER UP FOR PRIZE.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - Wendy Boschma, a special-education teacher at Leona Cox Elementary School in Canyon Country, is about to get her 15 minutes of fame.

As a a finalist in the first-ever Cable's Leaders In Learning Awards, she and 43 others are eligible for both prestige and $3,000.

Boschma, a speech pathologist and special-education teacher at Leona Cox Elementary School in Canyon Country, was nominated by a pupil's parents for the success she had with the boy and for her innovation with the therapeutic kindergarten serving autistic and severely language-handicapped students.

``I love the challenge of teaching a child to talk and communicate so they can tell what they're thinking about. These kids might be delayed, but they have the whole world waiting for them,'' Boschma said.

``It's the most wonderful thing to open their eyes and help them understand and communicate with their parents,'' she said.

The awards are sponsored by Cable In the Classroom, the education foundation of the cable industry. Boschma is one of three local nominees, including state Sen. Richard Alarcon and Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, both of Van Nuys.

``We want to recognize individuals who are doing innovative things that are creative and transform the way children are taught,'' said Tegan Firth, a spokesperson for Cable In the Classroom.

Boschma recalled the boy whose parents submitted her name for the award.

``He was completely nonverbal at 3, had no speech and the prognosis didn't look that good,'' she said. ``After two years in my program, he's back in regular first grade and in academics, at the top of his class.''

Boschma has been teaching for 29 years and has taught children at levels from kindergarten through 12th grade.

She runs different programs. In the mornings she teaches a class for youngsters with communication handicaps. In the afternoons she does speech therapy for 3- to 5-year-olds.

She has a teaching partner for the speech therapy program. And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she tests 2-year-olds to see if they will need any special intervention when they get into school.

Boschma has developed a multimodality approach, using a variety of techniques, such as visual cues, music and tactile and manipulative exercises to help each child learn at his or her own level.

``I try to find teachable moments,'' she explained. ``For example, when a child brings up something in conversation, I try to extend their knowledge. Yesterday one of the children asked about soil. They didn't know what it was, so we all went outside and dug in the dirt and talked about plants, a little impromptu field trip.

``I use the structured program and a traditional approach to therapy while looking for ways to enhance their knowledge,'' she said.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Wendy Boschma of Leona Cox Elementary in Canyon Country is a finalist for a $3,000 award.

David Crane/Staff Photographer