SLPs Don’t “Cure” Language Problems: 3 Objectives of Direct

Service in the Schools A A A

Courtesy The Hello Foundation, LLC www.thehellofoundation.com

White Paper 202 February 2013

ABSTRACT

Speech-Language Pathologists can address a variety of language-learning targets during direct service in the schools. However, direct therapy for language skills has 3 global objectives.

SUMMARY Special education law does not mandate schools “cure” students of their speech and/or language disability. The expectation is that service to students with an identified communication disability will be to ensure students receive support necessary to mitigate the impact of their disability. Traditional methods of classroom help are insufficient to support students. These students require specially designed instruction to compensate for challenges posed by their disability in an educational setting. Although speech pathologists often use standardized assessment tools as a part of an evaluation to determine if students have a disability, the goal of service is not to improve

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standardized test scores over a period of time. Many school administrators are unclear of expectations for speech and language therapy. This White Paper outlines 3 global objectives speech pathologists utilize when providing service to students with disabilities within the schools.

Objective 1: Identifying How Students Think An evaluation for special education serves two purposes for a speech pathologist (SLP). One, an evaluation can provide a comparison of educational performance between a student being evaluated and typically developing peers. Two, an evaluation can identify speech, language and/or communication areas in which students are atypical in their development. For students that qualify, these differences in development manifest as educational difficulties. Following an evaluation in which a child qualifies for services, intervention to support speech and/or language needs is based, in part, on atypical development identified during testing. The SLP understands that language development is the basis for thinking skills. When atypical development is sufficiently problematic to create an educational impact for the child, the SLP understands the child s thinking is compromised. Thinking skills are the building blocks to learning in schools. Speech and language skills are the building blocks for thinking skills. For example, if a young student does not know how to categorize objects, the student will not be able to compare and contrast components of literature, understand differentiating mathematical concepts or compare branches of government in future grades. The SLP probes to determine where breakdowns occur. Can this young child categorize objects based on color, size, shape, or function? Are there patterns of categorization that are more typical in nature. As the SLP becomes familiar with how a child is processing information, he or she then provides insight as to how intervention could be implemented. A clinician s prognosis for growth is often based on professional observations of how students think and the level of support needed to influence their thinking patterns at the time of evaluation.

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SLPS DON T “CURE” LANGUAGE PROBLEMS: 3 OBJECTIVES OF DIRECT SERVICE IN THE SCHOOLS

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Objective 2: Identifying Strategies Effective to Facilitate Growth Much of a school -based SLP s time is spent with students identifying what strategies students need to “learn” a desired speech and/or language objective. Providing children the exposure to new vocabulary or repeating academic content numerous times, as practiced in general education, is insufficient to address compromised areas impacting school performance. If these measures were sufficient, students would have mastered classroom instruction alongside their peers. Specially designed instruction by the SLP requires the clinician to probe multiple approaches to a language target (Objective 2) based on how processing is breaking down for the student (Objective 1). Working memory (note: FWM below references functional working memory) is a good example of an area the SLP must be thoughtful of when identifying language intervention. Boudreau & Constanza -Smith (2011) explain it well:

“For children who are experiencing classroom difficulties with following complex directions, oral or reading comprehension, or completing tasks that require completion of mental operations (e.g., word/story problems, math equations performed mentally), an assessment of FWM may provide some insight into these challenges. Measures of FWM are designed to evaluate how much information children can maintain in storage while they simultaneously perform processing operations (Baddeley & Hitch, 2000; Hitch, Towse, & Hutton, 2001).”

The graph below from Gaulin & Campbell, 1994, as explained by Boudreau & Costanza - Smith, 2011, is a task in which demonstrates how students must manage (process) and store information simultaneously to complete a task. Students that struggle with working memory (as a part of their processing) will struggle completing the task.

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SLPS DON T “CURE” LANGUAGE PROBLEMS: 3 OBJECTIVES OF DIRECT SERVICE IN THE SCHOOLS

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It is the responsibility of the SLP to best identify how to address a student’s language learning challenges. The SLP may work individually with a student and/or within a small group to address strategy and skill development. Once a student's best learning is identified, the SLP should be collaborating with the classroom teacher to support generalization of best -practice instructional practices for the student. The SLP can also support the teacher by reviewing curriculum and teaching approaches to identify where and when a student’s language-learning challenge may manifest.

Objective 3: Metacognitive Skill Development (aka teaching students to understand their own thinking patterns) The ultimate goal of a school-based SLP working with a student with language- learning challenges is to support a student to the extent they may be independently successful within their general education setting. This goal requires students ultimately come to understand their own thinking and language processing skills. More importantly, students need to learn how to generalize their compensatory strategies to their general education environment. The SLP works on metacognitive development with a student in a variety ways depending on a student’s needs. The SLP may address task analysis, language content, processing strategies and/or self-advocacy with a student. Once a student can identify how and when information is breaking down for himself and can then understand what strategies he needs to put into place to support himself within his general education setting, the SLP may consider dismissing the student from services.

CONCLUSION: This paper outlines the three global objectives a school-based SLP is concerned with when working with a student with language-learning disabilities. A SLP first wants to address how a student processes information and how information is breaking down within their thinking. Much of this is completed during the assessment for special education eligibility. However, this effort will often continue once a student begins intervention as the SLP best determines the needs of a student. Second, the SLP wants to identify what strategies are most effective in facilitating growth for a student based on how information is breaking down for him. Strategies for comprehension and expression will vary depending on student’s skill set. Finally, the SLP wants a student to develop metacognitive skills, or more plainly put, a better understanding of their own thinking so he can identify when information is breaking down and how to help himself within general education curriculum.

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ABOUT THE HELLO FOUNDATION The Hello Foundation is a forward thinking company that invests heavily in their internal network of specialists. Hello believes by making business decisions and practices that are in the best interest of students and school districts they are poised as the only ideal staffing company. Any company can supply a body. Hello stops to ask what your students need.

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