The Speech Language Pathologists Role in Schools By

The Speech Language Pathologist’s Role in Schools By Rebecca K. Mitchell, M. S. , CCC-SLP

Objective n To orient teachers, teacher assistants, school staff , principals, parents and other administrators to the changing roles of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in schools.

What we do Evaluate and treat students with educationally or functionally relevant communication problems. n Participate on committees, complete procedural compliance paperwork and engage in many activities to support ALL students in achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) workload model http: //www. asha. org/slp/schools/examples choose workload clusters n

From start to finish! Accept referrals n Participate in Student Assistance Team n Plan interventions n Carry out interventions n Conduct assessments n Share assessment results with Individual Education Program (IEP) Teams n

From start to finish Make eligibility recommendations n Serve students who are identified as eligible for exceptional children's services in a variety of settings n Serve some students who are not eligible through early intervention and prevention programs n Complete state and federal procedural compliance paperwork n

Additional responsibilities at this school • Car duty and cafeteria duty • Student Services Team Meetings- monthly • EC Contact • Participate in grade level Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) • Yearbook Committee • Spring Carnival

The Student Services Team SLPs are important to include as members of or a resource to the team. n It is a regular education initiative but SLP input can be valuable. n We can help plan interventions and may recognize communication problems under the guise of other problems (receptive language manifest as behavior……). n

Referral SLPs can collaborate with teachers to conduct classroom based interventions for language, articulation, voice and fluency interventions. n If interventions are successful students remain in the class. n If interventions are not successful SLPs begin the DEC (Department of Exceptional Children’s) paperwork. n

Assessment n SLPs use a variety of assessment tools NOT just standard tests. We do: – Observations – Checklists – Collect classroom work samples – Language samples – Dynamic assessment (test-teach-testteach) over the 90 day assessment period

Assessments n Assessments are for all parties to learn more about a student, parents, administrators, teachers…. . The secondary purpose is to determine eligibility. SLPs may conduct assessments with no intention of placing a student in speech-language services.

Eligibility n Students become eligible for speech services now through these 3 prongs: – A disability – That negatively impacts academic achievement or functional performance – In need of the specially designed individualized instruction an SLP provides ALL 3 prongs must exist and be documented to lead to eligibility!!

Serving Students n The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 04) AND The NC Policies that Govern Services for Children with Disabilities say Special Education BEGINS in regular education settings then moves to more restrictive environments. In practice this means that probably many SLI (Speech. Language Impaired) students should be served in classrooms rather than speech ”closets”!!

What in the world do SLPs work on? ? ? We work on Speaking , Listening , Reading and Writing!! n Language, spoken, read or written n Articulation, (the way sounds are pronounced) n Fluency ( stuttering, the rhythm of spoken language) n Voice, quality (hoarseness, raspiness…. ) n

Things we don’t do n n Selective mutism (a psychological issue FIRST) English Language Learners (teach our language to non-English speakers) We serve disorders not differences Swallowing (not an educationally relevant skill, we MAY participate on a feeding team)

Modifications and Accommodations n Students with speech and language disorders may have accommodations and modifications on their IEP if those accommodations and modifications are necessary and directly related to the disability.

We WANT to do Collaborate with teachers n Serve students in classrooms, regular education, resource, or self contained n Contribute our knowledge to student assistance teams, literacy teams, curriculum teams……. n

Dismissal Speech is not a life time service. We set goals, work to meet them, and dismiss most all students. n Students with autism and intellectual disabilities will have different communication expectations …much more social/ functional, less academic. n

Services on behalf of students n n The Related Service Support Description, a new part of the IEP helps related service providers document services we provide on behalf of students. This is often a more appropriate way to serve students e. g. engineering communication rich classrooms, programming augmented communication systems, teaching other students/ teachers /cafeteria workers…. to interact with aug. comm. users and other speech impaired students…….

Intellectually disabled and autistic students n Evidence exists that these students do not carry over skills taught in the speech ”closet” through drill and practice. They DO use communication skills taught where they are used, (in classrooms, on work sites in the cafeteria, playground) so SLPs want to serve students in those places.

Dismissal Most students should be dismissed from speech after having met their goals or when they plateau ( little or no progress over IEP period). n For self contained students communication should and usually does go on all day long every day perhaps just requiring the collaborative services of the SLP. n

Caseloads n NC has a caseload capacity of 50 with the possibility of waivers for slightly above that number. Any given caseload should reflect multiple service delivery models, a variety of settings and allow time for planning with teachers, completing procedural paperwork, and committee assignments……

Credentialing n n n NC DPI License to teach in the area of speech -language pathology, (must have for school service). ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) 9 months of study with a master clinician past the masters degree, (recommended and many possess). NC Board of Examiners License in Speech. Language Pathology, (recommended and many possess)

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR SLP!! We want to help you and help ALL children succeed!!