What is an SLP?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the SLPs in the schools?
- Screen, assess, and evaluate students with speech-language delays and disorders
- Participate in Individual Education Program (IEP)development
- Develop and implement therapy and augmentative and alternative communication systems
- Recommend supplementary aids/supports
- Collaborate with parents and staff
- Advocate for students
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
Speech-language pathologists are the professionals who are educated to assess speech and language development and to treat speech and language disorders.
What kinds of speech-language impairments are seen by SLPs in the schools?
Communication skills are acquired in a typical sequence. When a communication disorder adversely affects educational performance, or for preschool age children, how the disorder affects involvement in age-level activities, the school speech-language pathologist may evaluate a child’s communication skills.
Speech-language pathologists in the schools focus on four main areas of communication: articulation; language; fluency; and voice disorders
Articulation errors are characterized by the omission, substitution, distortion, addition, and/or incorrect sequencing of speech sounds. The errors may interfere with intelligibility, or how clearly a student speaks.
Language includes listening, speaking, thinking, reading and writing. A student’s ability to effectively use and understand oral and written language defines how that student is able to participate, access, and progress in the general curriculum.
· Students use receptive language to understand vocabulary, interpret meanings, and follow directions. These skills contribute to students’ success in social and academic environments for listening and reading.
· Students use expressive language to ask questions, to express thoughts, ideas, and needs, and to create meaning. These skills contribute to students’ success in speaking and writing.
· Students use pragmatic language skills to have functional and socially appropriate communication.
A Fluency disorder (stuttering) is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by an abnormal rate of speaking, speech interruptions, and repetition of sounds, words, phrases, or sentences that interferes with effective communication.
A voice impairment is the inappropriate production and/or absence of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or resonance typical for an individual’s age and/or gender.