1. Speech-language body of evidence September 19, 2014
Presented by
Teresa Gillespie, M.S., C.C.C.
and
Carla Dominguez, M.A., C.C.C.
Bilingual
Speech-Language Pathologists

2. Definition of speech-language body of evidence (BOE)
Information collected from a variety of sources (i.e., parental report, teacher report, in-classroom observations, medical records, student records, results from previous assessments, completed questionnaires/checklists, collected language samples, literature review, results of current informal/formal assessments, etc.) that describes the current speech and language skills of a student, any progression/regression of those skills over time, and the possible causes of any observed speech and/or language difficulties (i.e., Autism, traumatic brain injury, Down Syndrome, hearing loss, verbal apraxia, etc.). Gillespie, 2014

3. Reasons to collect a speech-language boE
Verify the existence of speech-language concerns prior to conducting speech-language assessment(s)
Help make determination of eligibility for speech-language therapeutic services at the time of Initial or Re-Evaluation Eligibility meetings
Assist with the development of speech-language therapeutic objectives/goals
Ongoing documentation for purposes of private medical insurance or Medicare/Medicaid billing
Ongoing documentation of speech-language skills and/or therapeutic progress for medical/student records

4. Supporting documentation for collecting a speech-language BOE
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Exceptional Children’s Education Act (ECEA)
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

5. IDEA documentation
Section § of IDEA states that the public agency must “use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information about a child, including information provided by the parent ”
Section § further states to “not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability “
Part § states that “as part of an initial evaluation (if appropriate) and as part of any reevaluation under this part, the IEP Team and other qualified professionals, as appropriate, must review existing evaluation data on the child, including evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child; current classroom-based, local, or State assessments, and classroom-based observations; and observations by teachers and related service providers “

6. Ecea documentation
Section 4.02 of ECEA states that “The requirements and procedures for initial evaluations shall be in accordance with § and § (IDEA) “

7. Asha documentation
Per Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language Pathology (November 2004), Comprehensive Speech-Language Assessment, “Assessment includes the following: Standardized and/or nonstandardized measures of specific aspects of speech,
spoken and nonspoken language, cognitive-communication,
and swallowing function ”
Per the same document, Speech-Language Assessment for Individuals Who Are Bilingual and/or Learning English as an Additional Language, “Assessment includes the following: “Selection, administration, and interpretation of standardized assessment tools and/or nonstandardized sampling (e.g., interviews and observation in varied settings and multiple activities) conducted with recognition of the unique characteristics of the individual’s linguistic community “

8. Forms for the collection of a speech-language boE
Developed and used by the Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologists with Special Education Assessment Services (SEAS), Denver Public Schools
Forms for the collection of a speech-language boE

9. Collection of a body of evidence for spanish-speaking english learners with speech-language concerns

10. Speech-language skills checklist for native spanish-speaking english learners

11. Prueba de las habilidades del lenguaje y del habla

12. Probe of speech-language skills

13. Education and Demonstration of Effectiveness Of Use Are Key!
Preparing school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to utilize the forms and incorporate a new speech-language assessment model

14. Denver public school (DPS) statistics
Comprised of 185 schools, including traditional, magnet, charter, and pathways schools
Total current enrollment is 87,398 students
Of these students, 57.5% are Hispanic
SEAS received a total of 738 referrals for the school year

15. Enlistment of administrative support
Research:
State and federal laws and regulations, and professional national association guidelines, regarding the use of standardized/nonstandardized assessments and alternative assessment strategies to identify students with a speech-language disability
Designed a research study to test the hypothesis about the level where a native Spanish-speaking student’s English language proficiency needs to cluster in order to receive informal speech-language evaluation in English, and to determine which published standardized assessments in English can be reliably used to generate valid results

16. Enlistment of administrative support (continued)
Training:
State English language proficiency test in order to increase knowledge of the construct/content of the test and determine at what possible level a native Spanish- speaking student’s English language proficiency is adequate enough to receive informal speech-language evaluation in English, and which section of the test provides sufficient information regarding vocabulary, grammar, and language comprehension skills
Presented results of research to Team Supervisor as well as Department Director
Received approval from Team Supervisor and Department Director

17. Enlistment of school-based slp support
Presented research and forms to the Speech-Language Supervisor and the school-based SLPs
Developed a flow chart to demonstrate which native Spanish-speaking students, and under what conditions, the Team Bilingual SLPs would assess in Spanish, and which students, and under what conditions, the School-Based SLPs would informally assess in English
Site visits with the school-based SLPs to answer additional individual questions about the forms and the new speech-language assessment model, and address concerns/complaints

18. Enlistment of school-based slp support (continued)
Side-by-side training with school-based SLPs who requested additional help with the forms and the new speech-language assessment model
Developed a district-approved Wikispace to serve as a resource for SLPs working with native Spanish-speaking English Learners

19. Additional thoughts
Drs. Elizabeth Peña and Samuel Ortiz recommend assessing an English Learner’s language skills in both the native and the second languages:
At the very least, the forms and new speech-language assessment model allow school-based SLPs to participate in the collection of a speech-language BOE; at most, they allow the school-based SLPs to participate in informal speech-language assessment in English
Collection of information for a speech-language BOE is not the same as a speech-language assessment:
A speech-language assessment can be part of the collection of a speech-language BOE, but the collection of a speech-language BOE does not need to include an assessment

20. Additional thoughts (continued)
If a native Spanish-speaking student, who demonstrates adequate English language proficiency skills, receives an informal speech-language assessment in English, the results of which indicate average-to-low-average speech-language skills, then the assumption becomes that the student’s speech-language skills in the native language are equivalent, or higher. In this case, speech-language assessment in Spanish may not be warranted; and, per the Colorado K-12 Speech or Language Impairment Guidelines For Assessment and Eligibility, the student may not be found eligible for speech-language therapeutic services
If, however, the results of the informal speech-language assessment in English indicate speech-language skills below the low-average range, the assumption becomes that the student’s speech-language skills in the native language are also below the low-average range. In this case, speech-language assessment in Spanish is warranted

21. Additional thoughts (continued)
Upon receiving the speech-language BOE from the school-based SLP, the SEAS Bilingual SLP reviews it through the lens of:
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) versus Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) skills
Simultaneous versus sequential bilingualism
Stages of Second Language Acquisition
Second Language Acquisition Processes
Development of Spanish grammatical markers
Development of Spanish speech sounds
Speech-language disorders in the monolingual Spanish and bilingual Spanish-English populations
Additional information in student records and district databases, information in ENRICH, etc., to help determine if speech-language assessment in Spanish is warranted