Speech services in the schools are provided to help students who have communication issues that adversely affect their educational performance. Speech Language Pathologists are able to provide support in the following areas:

-Language (understanding and/or using language, also includes social communication)

-Speech Sounds (difficulty producing sounds to be understood)

-Fluency (stuttering)

-Swallowing (nutritional and social experiences at school)

If you have concerns about your child's communication in their educational environment, please discuss them with your child's teacher.

Recommendations for communication development for school-aged children

In Early Grades K–2

• Talk with your child a lot.
• Read different types of books. Read every day, and talk with your child about the story.
• Help your child learn sound patterns of words. You can play rhyming games and point out letters as you read.
• Have your child retell stories and talk about his day.
• Talk with your child about what you do during the day. Give her directions to follow.
• Talk about how things are the same and different.
• Give your child chances to write.

In Later Grades 3-5

• Keep your child reading. Find books and magazines that interest your child.
• Ask your child what he thinks about what he hears or reads. Connect what he reads to events in his life.
• Help your child connect what she reads and hears at school, home, and other events.
• Talk out loud as you help your child read about and solve problems.
• Help your child recognize spelling patterns. For example, point out the beginnings and endings of words, like "pre-" or "–ed."
• Get your child to write letters, keep a diary, and write stories

(American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/suggestions/ )