What is the role of an SLP in a school?
What is a speech-language pathologist?
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) works to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in people of all ages. An SLP is required to have a master’s degree, as well as maintain state and national certifications.
What does an SLP do in a school?
School-based SLPs diagnose and treat speech-language disorders through special education. They collaborate with regular education teachers, other special education teachers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and parents to provide students with a treatment plan that will improve their academic performance and help them to be successful in the classroom.
What are some types of speech-language disorders?
- Speech Sounds - consistent difficulty saying speech sounds or words correctly
- Receptive Language - difficulty understanding and using information that has been presented
- Expressive Language - difficulty expressing thoughts using age-appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure
- Fluency - aka Stuttering - impaired "flow" of speech (may include repetition of syllables or words, prolongation of syllables, blocks, etc.)
- Voice - exhibiting voice quality that is harsh, hoarse, nasal, or whispered
- Hearing - difficulty learning or maintaining speech/language skills due to inability to hear things clearly
- Social Communication - aka Pragmatics - difficulty following social rules or norms (e.g. turn-taking, initiating conversations, personal space, eye contact, etc.)
- Cognitive Communication - difficulty with problem-solving, maintaining attention, planning, processing, and organizing thoughts
- Feeding and Swallowing - difficulty chewing, sucking, or swallowing foods and liquids
Can a speech-language disorder affect academic performance?
Yes! Speech/language disorders can affect a child's ability to express his/her wants, needs, thoughts, and ideas effectively. Speech sound disorders can, especially, affect children when they are first learning to read and write, as they will begin to write and spell words the way they produce them.
What to do if your child is showing signs of a speech-language disorder:
If you feel that your child is showing signs of a speech/language disorder, please reach out to his/her teacher or one of the SLPs in the district. As a team, we will assess the situation and figure out whether your child is in need of speech/language therapy.