Speech Therapy and Communication Services

Our BCEC Speech Team is comprised of Becky Thompson, SLP, Ashlynn Eccleston, SLP, Robin Vaughn, SLPA, Carson Gebhardt, SLPA and Leah Miles, SLPA.

According to IDEA, Speech-language pathology services includes—

1. Identification of children with speech or language impairments;

2. Diagnosis and appraisal of specific speech or language impairments;

3. Referral for medical or other professional attention necessary for the habilitation of speech or language impairments;

4. Provision of speech and language services for the habilitation or prevention of communicative impairments; and

5.  Counseling and guidance of parents, children, and teachers regarding speech and language impairments.

Speech Language Pathology

The Speech Language Pathology program provides support to speech language pathologists and assistants to improve outcomes for students identified with speech impairment (SI) and to meet the requirements of state and federal regulations. 

Visit Region 12 Service Center Website for more information and training opportunities!

Our BCEC Behavior, Emotional, and Psychological Supports Team is comprised of Cassandra St. Clair, LSSP, BCBA, LBA, ASD Specialist and Charles Bellows Special Education Counselor.

According to IDEA, Psychological services includes—

1. Administering psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures;

2.  Interpreting assessment results;

3. Obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about child behavior and conditions relating to learning;

4. Consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the special educational needs of children as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, direct observation, and behavioral evaluations;

5. Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for children and parents; and

6. Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

7. Counseling services means services provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel. 

Click HERE to learn more about Special Education Discipline and Behavior related services for students served under Bosque County SSA.

Occupational Services are provided by Jennifer Johnson, OTR and her team of professionals.

According to IDEA occupational therapy—

1. Means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist; and

2.  Includes—

• Improving, developing, or restoring functions impaired or lost through illness, injury, or deprivation;

• Improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost; and

• Preventing, through early intervention, initial or further impairment or loss of function.

Physical Therapy Services are provided by Tayla Nicholas, Physical Therapist, and her team of professionals.

According to IDEA, Physical therapy means 

1. Services provided by a qualified physical therapist.

School-based physical therapy is different from medical based physical therapy.  Medical based physical therapy is typically provided in an outpatient therapy clinic or hospital.   Physical therapy provided at school targets educational needs. Intervention and goals in the school setting address the child’s functional needs in accessing all areas of the school curriculum. 

Visual Impairment and Orientation & Mobility Services

Our students receive services from Pamela Holmes, VI Teacher and LaTanya Richardson, Orientation & Mobility Specialist, and their teams of professionals.

According to IDEA orientation and mobility services—

1. Means services provided to blind or visually impaired children by qualified personnel to enable those students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community; and

2.  Includes teaching children the following, as appropriate:

• Spatial and environmental concepts and use of information received by the senses (such as sound, temperature and vibrations) to establish, maintain, or regain orientation and line of travel (e.g., using sound at a traffic light to cross the street);

• To use the long cane or a service animal to supplement visual travel skills or as a tool for safely negotiating the environment for children with no available travel vision;

•  To understand and use remaining vision and distance low vision aids; and

•  Other concepts, techniques, and tools.

Our students receive audiological services from Leigh Crawshaw, DHH Teacher, and her team of professionals. 

According to IDEA audiology includes—

1.  Identification of children with hearing loss;

2.  Determination of the range, nature, and degree of hearing loss, including referral for medical or other professional attention for the habilitation of hearing;

3.  Provision of habilitative activities, such as language habilitation, auditory training, speech reading (lip-reading), hearing evaluation, and speech conservation;

4.  Creation and administration of programs for prevention of hearing loss;

5. Counseling and guidance of children, parents, and teachers regarding hearing loss; and

6.  Determination of children’s needs for group and individual amplification, selecting and fitting an appropriate aid, and evaluating the effectiveness of amplification.

According to IDEA interpreting services includes—

1. The following, when used with respect to children who are deaf or hard of hearing: Oral transliteration services, cued language transliteration services, sign language transliteration and interpreting services, and transcription services, such as communication access real-time translation (CART), C-Print, and TypeWell; and

2.  Special interpreting services for children who are deaf-blind.