Speech Services in the North Carolna Public School System 

The "Three Prongs" of Eligibility in the public schools:

Be aware that school-based speech-language impaired services have evolved over the years, reflecting a change in focus of federal and state laws governing our programs and services for children with disabilities.  

As a result, the criteria for placement in school-based speech-language services widely differ from speech services provided in private and medical settings. 

In a school setting, the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) team (which consists of the speech-language pathologist, teacher, local education agency representative, and parent) determines if a student qualifies for primary speech-language services based on the following prongs:

(1) a speech-language impairment exists (based on formal and informal assessment results)

(2) the impairment impacts student’s ability to access their educational curriculum (classroom performance)

(3) specially designed speech-language instruction is required (does the impairment warrant specific intervention from a SLP, or can adequate communication support be provided by teachers and parents with potential modifications and accommodations)

If all three prongs of eligibility are met for special education in the primary area of speech-language, our priority is to address the communication needs in the least restrictive educational setting possible.  This will afford the student maximum access to the educational curriculum with regular education peers (when appropriate).