What does a Speech-Language Pathologist do in the schools?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) works with children who have difficulties or delays in communication but is not a regular education teacher. We are considered to be an outside, therapeutic service (support personnel) available to all children with diagnosed delays between the ages of 3-21. Public school SLP's support the general education curriculum by providing services in 4 areas of communication: articulation, language, voice and fluency/stuttering. Speech and language therapy is a Special Education service and requires an evaluation to determine eligibility for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan).
Many people think the speech-language pathologist only works with children who struggle with saying their speech sounds. Though that is certainly a very important part of our caseload, it is far from the only area we work with. The following is a "dictionary" of the types of disorders we work with and ideas of what our knowledge and experience in these areas offers to students struggling with them.
Articulation/Phonology: We treat delays in the ability to produce specific speech sounds accurately in conversational speech. Phonological delays occur when a student has difficulty producing a group of sounds made in a similar way (ex. /k/ and /g/ sounds made with the back of the tongue). Though all children make articulation errors as they develop speech, there are developmental norms which need to be considered to determine whether a child has a delay.
Language Development: We treat delays in the acquisition of language. These areas may include difficulty with one or more of the following: vocabulary comprehension and use (includes nouns, verbs, concepts, descriptive words), grammatical use, reasoning, answering & asking questions, problem solving, comprehension of and use of social language, figurative language and the ability to use the language you know in an effective way. For example, can the child put known vocabulary into categories, name items associated with each other, provide the function of items or tell how items are similar and different?
Fluency/Stuttering: Delays in oral (not reading) fluency indicate a child stutters. Therapy centers on teaching slow, easy speech and working to eliminate secondary characteristics which may also interfere with effective communication.
Voice Disorders: Disorders of the voice are typically related to problems with the larynx or associated anatomy. Areas treated include harsh voice (typically the result of vocal abuse or trauma), pitch, resonance and volume.
How do children get referred for speech evaluation in public schools?
A parent or teacher may refer a child for evaluation as long as there is a documented academic of social impact resulting from the difficulty. In public schools, SLP's are a member of the special education faculty/staff and serve children in grades K-5 who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). If you would like more information or feel that your child has a disorder, please contact your child's teacher or the school counselor to determine if a referral is appropriate.
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) works with children who have difficulties or delays in communication but is not a regular education teacher. We are considered to be an outside, therapeutic service (support personnel) available to all children with diagnosed delays between the ages of 3-21. Public school SLP's support the general education curriculum by providing services in 4 areas of communication: articulation, language, voice and fluency/stuttering. Speech and language therapy is a Special Education service and requires an evaluation to determine eligibility for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan).
Many people think the speech-language pathologist only works with children who struggle with saying their speech sounds. Though that is certainly a very important part of our caseload, it is far from the only area we work with. The following is a "dictionary" of the types of disorders we work with and ideas of what our knowledge and experience in these areas offers to students struggling with them.
Articulation/Phonology: We treat delays in the ability to produce specific speech sounds accurately in conversational speech. Phonological delays occur when a student has difficulty producing a group of sounds made in a similar way (ex. /k/ and /g/ sounds made with the back of the tongue). Though all children make articulation errors as they develop speech, there are developmental norms which need to be considered to determine whether a child has a delay.
Language Development: We treat delays in the acquisition of language. These areas may include difficulty with one or more of the following: vocabulary comprehension and use (includes nouns, verbs, concepts, descriptive words), grammatical use, reasoning, answering & asking questions, problem solving, comprehension of and use of social language, figurative language and the ability to use the language you know in an effective way. For example, can the child put known vocabulary into categories, name items associated with each other, provide the function of items or tell how items are similar and different?
Fluency/Stuttering: Delays in oral (not reading) fluency indicate a child stutters. Therapy centers on teaching slow, easy speech and working to eliminate secondary characteristics which may also interfere with effective communication.
Voice Disorders: Disorders of the voice are typically related to problems with the larynx or associated anatomy. Areas treated include harsh voice (typically the result of vocal abuse or trauma), pitch, resonance and volume.
How do children get referred for speech evaluation in public schools?
A parent or teacher may refer a child for evaluation as long as there is a documented academic of social impact resulting from the difficulty. In public schools, SLP's are a member of the special education faculty/staff and serve children in grades K-5 who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). If you would like more information or feel that your child has a disorder, please contact your child's teacher or the school counselor to determine if a referral is appropriate.