Speech and Language Impairments

An SLP …  Is a Speech Language Pathologist (a.k.a. Speech Therapist)  Identifies and remediates students with Speech and Language Impairments

Speech and Language Impairments  Voice  Fluency  Articulation  Language

Voice Impairment Abnormal production of the voice is characterized by:  Quality (harsh, hoarse, breathy)  Loudness (too loud, too soft)  Pitch (too high, too low, monotone, pitch breaks)  Resonance (too nasal, not nasal enough)

Voice Impairment  Voice impairments are directly related to abnormalities in the laryngeal/velopharyngeal area. Abnormalities include: nodules, cancer, paralysis, polyps, cysts, ulcers.  Due to possible medical implications, students with voice concerns must have a medical report from an Otolaryngologist (ENT).

Fluency Impairment An inappropriate rate of speech characterized by frequent halting, repetitions or prolongations. Secondary characteristics may include:  Excessive tension  Struggle behavior  Eye twitching  Head/Body movement

Articulation Impairment The atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with speech intelligibility. Ex: “wabbit” for rabbit, “wim” for swim

When Are Speech Sounds Learned? years: p,b,m,h,n,w,b years: k, g, d years: t, ng years: f, y 3 – 6 years: r, l 3 – 8 years: s 3.5 – 7 years: ch, sh 3.5 – 8 years: z 4 – 7 years: j 4 – 8 years: v 4.5 – 7 years: th years: zh (measure) E. Sander, 1972

When should I be concerned? If a student has difficulty producing the following sounds at the grade level indicated:  Kindergarten* and First*: p,b,m,h,n,w,b,k,g,d,t,ng,f,y * must be multiple sounds in different positions of words (not one sound only) in accordance with Douglas County Eligibility Guidelines  Second: r, l, s, ch, sh, z, j, v, th, zh

Language Impairment Impaired comprehension (receptive) and/or use (expressive) of language The impairment may involve:  Syntax/Morphology-the form of language Grammar Grammar Grammar  Semantics-the content of language Vocabulary & Basic Concepts  Pragmatics-the function of language Socialization Socialization Socialization

Speech/Language Impairments Do NOT Include Students Who…  Have developmental speech sound errors  Have a dialectal difference  Have auditory processing difficulties without an associated language impairment  Have selective mutism  Are learning English as a second language (unless an impairment is diagnosed in both languages)

If you think you have a student with a Speech/Language Impairment… Document your concerns on Teacher Notes Discuss concerns with SLP (SLP may decide to conduct an informal observation) Request that the SST Coordinator schedule a meeting with the student’s parents/guardians

1 st SST Meeting Referring Teacher completes SST Referral Form Teacher and/or parent discusses concerns with committee Mandatory modifications in the area(s) of concern given to teacher(s) to be implemented in the classroom (2 week minimum) Permission to screen speech/language skills will be requested Vision and Hearing must be passed within one year

2 nd SST Meeting SST Coordinator schedules meeting SLP or designee reviews speech/language screening results Teacher discusses effectiveness of modifications Committee recommendations may include: Continue modifications/remain in SST if speech skills are judged to be appropriate OR refer to IDEA if skills are considered not within normal limits.

Speech/Language IDEA Referral Teacher Responsibilities: COMPLETE ENTIRE REFERRAL PACKET Teacher Referral with Principal’s signature (PEC- 01) Complete Parent Interview (PEC-02) if SST Student Background Form was not completed Obtain Parent Consent for Evaluation (PEC-03) Review Parent Rights RETURN COMPLETED PACKET TO SST COORDINATOR

SLP’s Responsibilities After IDEA Referral Schedules and facilitates Eligibility Meeting Reviews results of evaluation Committee determines eligibility Development of IEP (if appropriate) When not eligible for Speech/Language services, refer back to SST with specific modifications (if appropriate)

A final note… Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller