WHAT IS MY JOB AS A SPEECH-

LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

(SLP) IN A SCHOOL?

Created and Presented By:Ms. Ashley Ciecko, M.S. CFY-SLP

Glen Oak Community Learning CenterPeoria School District #150

Peoria, ILFall 2012

HOW IMPORTANT IS COMMUNICATION? Good

communication skills lead to success in…ReadingListeningWritingSpeakingLEARNING!

Bad communication skills lead to problems with…Understanding

& participating in classroom instruction

Developing & maintaining relationships

HOW DO STUDENTS QUALIFY TO RECEIVE SPEECH SERVICES?

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) provides speech and/or language services for school-age children who…Have communication disorders that

adversely affect their educational performance

A.K.A. “SPEECH THERAPISTS” OR “SPEECH TEACHERS”… (OR “THAT SPEECH PERSON”)

Work with children who have communication problems that affect success in…Classroom activitiesLiteracyLearningSocial interaction

WHAT DOES THE QUALIFICATION AND THERAPEUTIC PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

Prevention Identification Assessment Evaluation Development of IEPs Remediation/Therapy Progress Monitoring

…a variety of speech and language disorders

WHAT ELSE IS AN SLP IN THE SCHOOLS FOR?

Documentation of outcomes

Collaboration with…TeachersAdministratorsOther

professionalsParents/GuardiansTHE STUDENT!

Advocacy for teaching practices & implementation of techniques into the curriculum

WHAT TYPES OF DISABILITIES/DISORDERS DO SLP’S WORK WITH?

Language Pragmatic Language Articulation/Phonological Voice Fluency Auditory Processing and

Comprehension Hearing Impairment Oral-Motor Swallowing/Feeding

(a.k.a. Dysphagia)

WHAT IS A LANGUAGE DISORDER? Language

disabilities include the slow development of…Semantics (vocab)Syntax (grammar)Concepts

Pragmatic (social) language disabilities include… Inability to use

different communication styles in different situationsOverall…

Child has poor building blocks for understanding/expressing ideas, social development, learning, reading, and writing

WHAT IS AN ARTICULATION/PHONOLOGICAL DISORDER? Children have

difficulty producing speech sounds

Substituting one sound for another (i.e. /w/ for /r/)

Omitting a sound in a word (i.e. “top” for “stop”

Distorting a sound (i.e. “thee” for “see”)

WHAT IS A VOICE DISORDER? Speech that is…

Too high, low, or monotonous in pitch

Interrupted by breaks Too loud or soft in

volume Harsh, hoarse, breathy,

or nasal

Children who have prolonged vocal issues come to therapy to learn how to use their voice properly, without mistreating it

SLPs also refer some children to the ENT(ear, nose, and throat doctor) to rule out any growths that can appear on the vocal chords from prolonged vocal abuse

WHAT IS A FLUENCY DISORDER? A.K.A. “stuttering” Defined by…

Interruptions in the flow or rhythm of speech

Possible hesitations, repetitions, or prolongations

Can affect individual sounds, syllables, words, and/or phrases

**Side note: Identify as a “child who stutters” NOT “a stutterer”

WHAT IS AN AUDITORY PROCESSING/COMPREHENSION DISORDER? Comprehension

disorders are characterized by…Difficulty with word

meaning, sequencing skills, and problem solving

Auditory processing disorders are characterized by…Difficulty

distinguishing and discriminating speech soundsOverall…

Children with either of these disorders have difficulty understanding (receiving) spoken/written (expressive) language

HOW DOES AN SLP HELP A CHILD WITH A HEARING IMPAIRMENT? “Aural Rehabilitation”

includes…Lip reading skillsArticulation and voice

therapy SLPs in the schools

also…Perform hearing

screeningsCheck hearing aids &

other hearing devices

Work with the classroom teacher to develop strategies to maximize the child’s classroom performance

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A CHILD HAS ORAL-MOTOR ISSUES? Apraxia of speech or

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) Children demonstrate

difficulties coordinating the movement of structures in the mouth during speech

Problem is due to the inability to form a coordinated “movement plan” to produce speech

Weak tongue and/or lip muscles can decrease the clarity of speech

Treatment includes… Muscle strengthening

and coordination activities

Structured, repetitious practice of movements required to produce accurate speech

WHAT IS DYSPHAGIA? Child will demonstrate

difficulty with… Sucking Chewing Triggering a swallow Moving food into the

stomach Can interfere with…

Eating snack and lunch Opportunities to build

friendships Social and

communication skills Learning

SLPs will help by… Setting up a feeding

program that indicates the foods that are appropriate vs. inappropriate

Teaching techniques that help the child eat safely Modify the texture of foods Reposition the body

WHAT CAN SPEECH & LANGUAGE DISORDERS BE ASSOCIATED WITH?

Hearing loss Cleft palate Learning

disabilities Cerebral palsy or

other motor problems/disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Developmental delays

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

Variety of emotional, behavioral, and/or medical issues

WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT MAY INDICATE A CHILD HAS A COMMUNICATION DISORDER? Below

expectations in the classroom

Difficulty learning to read or write

Late talker Inability to

express thoughts, ideas, wants, and/or needs

Problems understanding others

Difficulty following directions

Issues getting along with others

Problems taking tests

HOW DOES AN SLP GO ABOUT WORKING WITH THESE CHILDREN? Combine

communication goals with academic & social goals Integrate classroom and

curricular objectives Help them understand

and use basic language concepts

Support reading and writing

Increase understanding of classroom lessons and texts

Services may vary depending on each individual student’s needs Monitoring/periodic

screenings Collaborating & Consulting Classroom-based services

(“push-in”) Small group or individual

sessions (“pull-out”)

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU THINK A STUDENT IN YOUR CLASS HAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE OR DISORDER?

COME SEE ME!Ask me questions

and express your concerns

Request an observation or screening

Bring examples and/or details (The more the merrier!)

Remember…One of the most important connections

between the students and myself isYOU!!!

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS?!

REFERENCES American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

(ASHA). (2010). The role of the slp in schools: a presentation for teachers, administrators, parents, and the community. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org

Lilienthal, Nicole. (2008). What does a speech-language pathologist (slp) do? Speech-Language Pathology Information. Retrieved from http://www.speechpathologyguru.com

Merkel-Piccini, Robyn. (2001). I know you’re a speech pathologist… but what do you do? Super Duper Publications. Retrieved from http://www.superduperinc.com