What+is+Speech-Language+Pathology?

__**Introduction:**__

The field of speech-language pathology continues to expand with time, as speech-language pathologists become responsible for several aspects of a child or adult's communication. The focus of speech-language pathology is to identify, diagnose, treat, and counsel individuals of any age who have a speech or language difficulty. Professionals, or speech-language pathologists, are highly trained and can work within a wide range of settings, such as a school system.



With consideration towards children, it is important to know how you as a teacher can collaborate with and utilize a speech-language pathologist within your school system. As a teacher, it is a responsibility to help students enhance their communication abilities. Through years of education, a student can learn how to talk effectively, comprehend information, and analyze information. Through the processes of conversations, problem solving, reading, comprehending, and expressing oneself, a student learns to use such skills to communicate and accept knowledge. As a teacher you can assist a student through the general curriculum while individualizing his or her education. But what happens when general education is not enough to assist a student in the learning process?



__**Here, you will be provided with information detailing:**__


 * General information about the field of speech language pathology
 * Common disorders that involve speech and language
 * Signs and symptoms to become aware of
 * Reasoning and procedure for referrals for speech and language services

__***General Information:**__

As you know, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been organized to assist public schools in their service of children with disabilities. Information discussed from an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) website included the following information:

"The number of children with disabilities, ages 3-21, served in the public schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B in Fall 2003 was 6,068,802 (in the 50 states, D.C., and outlying areas). Of these children, 1,460,583 (24.1%) received services for speech or language disorders. This estimate does not include children who have speech/language problems secondary to other conditions" (American Speech Language Hearing Association, 2012).

Taking these statistics into the classroom, what would the percentage of students receiving services in your classroom be? A teacher with....students.... For elementary aged students, it is important that speech and language problems are identified as soon as possible. Knowing information ahead of time, or during the time your student is receiving services can be useful. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) holds many roles and responsibilities within the school system. SLPs focus to provide adequate services for the development of reading, writing, literacy competence, cognition expansion, and for progression of such skills throughout education and into adulthood. Services may also be provided if a student has a different cultural background, and may be academically struggling because of a bilingual language delay. Although the classroom environment is an excellent place to socialize with peers, a student with a disability may need an extra boost of confidence through intervention. Providing counseling and maybe just a boost of self-confidence in overcoming struggles with a disability is a focus of an SLP as well.

It is imperative that SLPs must collaborate with other professionals, like teachers, special education teachers, parents, audiologists, psychologists, and any other professionals involved with the education of a particular student. An SLP has a role to assess and provide intervention for students who may be in your classroom with speech or language problem. He or she may work with one individual child, a small group of children, or may be within the classroom or down the hall. Intervention can be curriculum based and geared toward social goals as well.

The following link contains some of the information mentioned above, as well as further information for teachers about speech-language pathologists.

Reading Rockets

__***Common Disorders involving Speech/Language:**__

When a student is unable to speak normally to his teacher, peers, or parent, he or she may be diagnosed with what is called a speech disorder or a language disorder. Speech disorders are a result of an inability to produce speech sounds fluently or accurately. Language disorders are a result of the inability to comprehend others (receptive language disorder) or the inability to express thoughts or feelings with others (expressive language disorder). The following websites have a listing of possible speech disorders, language disorders, and some of the most common medical and developmental conditions that speech-language pathologists assist students with.

Speech-Language Disorders in Children

Speech-Language Disorders in Schools

__***Signs and Symptoms to become aware of:**__

It is imperative for teachers to be aware of speech and language disorder signs and symptoms. Students spend a majority of their day within the general education classroom and need to be identified if that setting or teaching style is not work for him or her. It is quite often difficult to identify a speech or language disorder without working independently with a student, as he or she will often try to hide any differences from his or her peers. Identifying a problem early can help to prevent the child from falling behind in the curriculum, and therefore prevent any long term negative effects of a speech or language disorder. However, there are disorders that cannot be remediated through intervention. Through collaboration and communication between the teacher and SLP to identify progress and changes in skill use can help a student make progress.

@http://www.bradleyhospital.org/doc/Page.asp?PageID=DOC020126

http://www.naset.org/speechandlanguage2.0.html#c9543

 __***Reasoning and procedure for referrals for speech and language services:**__

Knowledge of the reasoning and procedure of referrals for speech and language services in schools is vital for preventing and providing intervention for disordered communication. Students spend a majority of their school days within the general education classroom, so it is the classroom teacher who spends a majority of time with them. It is important that teachers are aware of their key role in this referral process. Teaching professionals are often the first to note that a student may be struggling at specific skills, as not every student in general education is evaluated by an SLP. Collaborating with an SLP is important for a classroom teacher, since the referral process for speech and language assessment often occurs between the two professionals.

Having knowledge of the appropriate development of skills and behaviors of a student is important. To find out more about the triggering behaviors for a referral for speech and language services, continue to this link: @Triggering Behaviors for Referral

After noticing such behaviors that may warrant a referral, a teacher could focus on individualization and communication with parents. To assist in this process, there are several strategies and topics of discussion that are available to view to help in the process. This document has specific strategies for each parameter of language and communication:

Once a teacher has identified a difficulty, there is a detailed process that must occur. If you would like to review the procedure for referrals for services and an Individualized Education Program (IEP), please continue to these links:



__**Referral Procedure**__



References:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2012). Child speech and language. In //American Speech-Language-Hearing Association//. Retrieved June 22, 2012, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ChildSandL.htm

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2012). Helping children with communication disorders in the schools. In //Reading Rockets//. Retrieved June 22, 2012, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/5128/

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2012) Frequently asked questions: Speech and language disorders in the school setting. In //American Speech-Language-Hearing Association//. Retrieved June 22, 2012, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/schoolsFAQ.htm#school_per

National Association of Special Education Teacher. (2007). Speech and language topic categories. Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.naset.org/speechandlanguage2.0.html#c9543

Speech and Language Disorders (2012). In //Bradley Hospital Organization//. Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.bradleyhospital.org/doc/Page.asp?PageID=DOC020126