Per ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), SLPs work with school children who have communication problems that affect success in classroom activities, social interaction, literacy, and learning. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) provides Speech-Language Services for school age children with communication disorders that adversely affect children’s educational performance. SLPs work with children who have a variety of disorders including, but not limited to language, voice, fluency or stuttering, articulation, and swallowing (also called dysphagia). SLPs have many roles in schools:
- Prevention of communication disorders
- Identification of students at risk for later problems
- Assessment of students’ communication skills
- Evaluation of the results of comprehensive assessments
- Development and implementation of IEPs
- Documentation of outcomes
- Collaboration with teachers and other professionals
- Advocacy for teaching practices
- Participation in research projects
- Supervision of assistants
- Supervision of graduate students and clinical fellows
- Participation in school- wide curriculum and literacy teams
School speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must work with school evaluation teams to identify all students suspected of having a speech and/or language disability whether it is the primary disability or a disability related to another category under IDEA. The range and severity of students with disabilities that require speech-language services has greatly expanded, increasing school caseloads. Children with more severe disabilities may require greater use of individualized and smaller group models of service delivery as well as more frequent contact every week. The evaluation process must determine the student’s level of communication functioning even if the student is nonverbal and from a different cultural background. This takes more time because of the need to coordinate and work with interpreters, plan and choose appropriate alternative and authentic assessments, etc.