SPEECH AT HATFIELD

Speech and Language Services at Hatfield

Overview of Our Responsibilities Referral/Assessment Process Speech and Language Diagnoses

Definitions Eligibility Criteria Examples

Student contact time is only one aspect of speech therapy

Our Assessment Responsibilities

CST/IST/MDE/IEP meetings

Identify students with S&L disorders

Assess S&L needs for students with other disorders

Determine educational relevance/appropriate placement

Triennial re-evaluations

SETT process for AAC needs

Assess EI students Annual kindergarten

screenings Document needs &

recommend services in the ER

Our Therapy Responsibilities Develop annual IEP Schedule/coordinate

IEP Implement IEP in

therapy (small group, individual, whole-class or consultation

Monitor student progress

Report progress to others

Individualized homework/carryover activities

Collaborative activities for prevention

Counsel/educate others about these disorders

REFERRAL PROCESS FOR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE

DISORDERS

Referral Process Referrals can be submitted by CST, IST,

teachers, and parents Obtain a referral form from the SLP If further investigation is needed, the

SLP will issue a Permission to Screen After permission is granted, the SLP

schedules an observation/screening SLP reviews all data, and determines

need for further testing

ASSESSMENT PROCESS Permission to Evaluate is sent home When permission is obtained, SLP

will process the request in a timely fashion **The SLP legally has 60 school days

from the date of permission received to complete the process (including: testing, analysis, ER, and IEP)**

Assessment Process (cont.) Following formalized testing and

analysis, SLP calls MDE team together to make a decision re: student eligibility and need for speech and language services **Student has to be determined to be

BOTH eligible and in need to receive services**

Transition from Assessment to Therapy

Based on the recommendations made in the ER, the IEP is developed to target the student’s specific needs.

Once the IEP is signed by the parent, the student may begin to receive services.

OUR SERVICES: Individually target a student’s

speech and language needs as outlined in the IEP

Services will be delivered through various models, including: small group instruction, individual instruction, consultation, and whole-class instruction.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: Scheduling is a nightmare!! I can

have up to 65 students K-6 (including special ed), and up to 120 contacts per week.

Students are continuously evaluated and re-evaluated for services

Every child’s IEP must be updated yearly with the possibility of numerous revisions

What we can do for you! Assess your children for a variety

of speech needs Support your children with our

services Act as a consultant for the speech

needs of your whole class

Speech and Language Diagnoses in the Schools

Articulation/Phonology Disorders Motor-speech disorders

Language Disorders Disorders of form, semantics, &

pragmatics Fluency Disorders Voice Disorders

Articulation/Phonology Disorders: A definition “Difficulty in forming and combining

sounds or in learning the rules of using the sounds of the language. Sounds may be substituted (says “bish” for “fish”), omitted (says “poon” for “spoon”), distorted (lateralization of /s/), or added (“baloo” for “blue”). Such disorders can cause speech to be difficult to understand and may be distracting to the listener.”

Normal Development of Sounds

Students should have: By kindergarten:

p, b, m, n, h, w, f, y, “ing”, k, g, d

By first grade: t, “ch”, v, “sh”

By second grade: “th”, l, r, “j”, s, z

By third grade: “er”

Motor-based Speech Disorders Definition: Articulation errors

characterized by limited control of speech muscles (not paralysis or weakness). No other physical problems need to be present

Students with this disorder are eligible for services at any age

Students who are not Eligible for Articulation

Services

Those who misarticulate sounds which are within the range of age-normed development

Those with differences in articulation due to dialectal patterns (regional, ethnic, accent)

CASE STUDY:

Sarah is a first grade student whose parents report that she “sounds like a baby.” Screening shows that Sarah substitutes /f/ for “th”, and distorts “er”. Sarah exhibits no shyness expressing herself in the classroom.

Should further testing be done at this time?

Language Disorders: A definition

Difficulty understanding and using language to communicate. Problems understanding and using appropriate vocabulary, word order, or grammar, and difficulty following directions or staying on topic in a conversation are common characteristics.

Disorders of Form

Disorder of Form: includes phonology, morphology, and syntax, for example, misuse or misunderstanding of the information provided by word endings:

“The boy eat his dinner.”

Disorder of Semantics

Disorders of meaning, for example, difficulty understanding word relationships, such as antonyms, synonyms, categorization, multiple meaning words, and basic concepts

Disorder of Pragmatics Disorder of function, for example,

using language for different purposed (promising, requesting), changing language for listener needs (peer vs. teacher), using appropriate body language, or following the rules of social conversation (turn-taking, introducing topics, and staying on the topic)

Eligibility Criteria for Language Therapy

Classroom achievement, cognitive levels, and documented speech and language performance are discrepant

Documented evidence of speech and language performance in at least two of the following areas: form, semantics, and pragmatics, which are moderate to severe in nature (1.5 standard deviations below full-scale IQ score)

Additional Considerations: **Cognitive

functioning**

Current educational placement

Change in Educational Placement

Additional Supports (LS, ESL, Reading support)

ESL: A special case ESL is not a disability

Students who are ESL need to demonstrate needs in other areas of speech and language such as articulation (not including accent), phonology, fluency, etc. to receive services

Needs in language alone are not sufficient to receive services for a student who is ESL

Central Auditory Processing: What is it?

“Deficits in the information processing of incoming auditory signals.”

Deficits are not due to: Hearing sensitivity Intellectual ability

Has problems with transformation, re-organization, analysis, synthesis, storage, retrieval, and use of information received through audible signals

CAPD: A special case A student with a diagnosis of Central

Auditory Processing Disorder or who takes extended time to process auditory information is not necessarily eligible for services.

There needs to be a concomitant documented disability in receptive or expressive language (moderate to severe disability in at least two areas of language) that impacts classroom achievement.

CASE STUDY Scott is a 3rd grade student with average

IQ. The teacher reports that he has difficulty finding the right words to express himself. An overall language test reveals average overall language ability, but his score on an expressive vocabulary test is 2 standard deviations below average.

Is this student eligible for services?

Fluency Disorders: A Definition Characterized by a disruption of the

timing or rhythm of speaking. Features of such disorders include hesitations; repetitions, and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases; and difficulty initiating speech. This disorder may be accompanied by facial grimaces, eye-blinking, generalized body tension, and gasping for air.

Students who are not Eligible

Normal nonfluencies are present

Fluency rated as mild may require parental and teacher consultation.

Eligibility Criterion Dysfluent speech is observable

Moderate to severe speech impairment

The impairment negatively impacts academic achievement and is significantly disabling to the individual

Case Study Gerardo is a student with English as a

Second Language. He has many pauses, hesitations, and repetitions in his speech, which the teacher feels are due to word-finding as he searches for the English word. When he finally gets the right word out he jerks his shoulders. The parents report that he has similar behaviors in his native language.

Is the student eligible for speech and language services?

Voice Disorders: A definition Characterized by pitch, loudness,

quality , or duration that is inappropriate for the child’s age or sex. A disordered voice may be too high or too low in pitch, hoarse, harsh, hypernasal, or hyponasal, or monotonic. It may be too weak, too loud or soft or too fast or slow.

Eligibility Criterion **need recommendation from

Otolaryngologist (ENT) before determination of eligibility

Moderate to severe impairment The impairment negatively

impacts academic achievement and is significantly disabling to the individual.

Case Study Amanda, a sixth grader has a

chronically hyponasal voice (/m/ sounds like /b/, /n/ sound like /d/). She also has heavy allergies. Other kids make fun of her speech and tell her she sounds “dumb.”

Is she eligible and in need of services?