Speech-Language

Pathologist in Your
Childs School

What Does the SLP Do In

The School?
Screen Students to find out if they need further speech and

language testing.
Evaluate speech and language skills.
Decide, with the team, whether the child is eligible for

services.
Work with the team to develop an Individualized

Education Program (IEP). IEPs are written for students

who qualify for services under Federal and state law. The
IEP lists goals for the student.

What Does the SLP Do In

The School?
Help children who have feeding and swallowing problems

so they can eat and drink safety during the school day.

Work with children who are at risk for communication

and learning problems.

Determine if children need specialized instruction called

response to intervention (RTI).

Make sure that communication goals support students

learning and social skills.

Keep track of progress on speech-language goals.

What Does The SLP Do In

The Schools?
Helps develop curriculum, design programs,

choose textbooks and materials that helps all

children learn.
Researches ways to help children do their best

in school.
Gives resources and information to students,

staff, and parents to help them understand

communication.

SLPs Help With Communication

and Swallowing Problems That
Include:
Articulation how we say sounds and put
them together in words. Children may say one
sound for another (e.g., wabbit for rabbit),
leave out a sound (e.g., I cream for ice
cream, or have problems saying certain sounds
clearly (e.g., thee for see).
Some children are not able to speak at all and

need help learning other ways to communicate.

Articulation Hierarchy
Isolation (sss)
Syllable (se, sa, so, os, es)
Word (Sunday, faster, Nice)
Phrase (After Sunday)
Sentence (It is due on Sunday)
Reading
Structured speech (i.e., picture description or story retell)
CONVERSATION
CARRY OVER

(Word position: initial, medial, final)

Classroom Application for

Articulation:
For students at the conversation or

carryover level, work out a reminder system

to let them know if their speech sound was
good or not.
For example, the teacher will touch her glasses

if the speech sound was good.

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Stuttering/Fluency Disorder how
well our speech flows. Children may
have trouble starting to speak or may
repeat sounds, syllables, words, or
phrases.

Classroom Application for

Stuttering:
Give these students plenty of time to

talk. Model slow easy speech and give

them advanced notice when they will
be called upon or work out a cueing
system.

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Voice how we sound when we
speak. The voice may sound
hoarse or nasal. A child may lose
his/her voice easily, or may speak
in a voice thats too loud, too
soft, too high or too low.

Classroom Application for

Voice:
Encourage healthy voice use - no

shouting, limit making funny

voices and talking constantly for
long periods of time

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Language vocabulary, concepts, grammar,
following directions, analogies, figurtive
language, spatial and temporal terms,
synonyms and antonyms, defining words,
wh-questions, multiple meaning words,
inferences, and MUCH MORE! Also,
language includes how well words are used
and understood. Language problems can
lead to reading and writing problems too.

Classroom Application for

Language:
Try giving multiple examples, visual aids to

support what you say, and directions broken

down into smaller steps.
Teachers and SLPs can also discuss specific

strategies for individual students. Some

students may have detailed accommodations
listed in their IEPs to help them be
successful in academic environments.

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Social Communication how to take
turns, how close to stand to someone when
talking, how to start and stop a
conversation and following rules of
conversation.

Examples of Pragmatic Skills:

Examples of pragmatic skills:
Conversational skills
Asking for, giving and responding to
information
Turn taking
Eye contact
Introducing and maintaining topics
Making relevant contributions to a
topic
Asking questions
Avoiding repetitious/redundant
information
Asking for clarification
Adjusting language based on
situation

Using language of a given peer group

Using humor
Using appropriate strategies for
gaining attention and interrupting
Asking for help or offering help
appropriately
Offering/responding to expressions of
affection appropriately

Non-Verbal Communication
Skills:

Facial expression
Body language
Intonation of voice
Body distance and personal space

Classroom Applications for

Pragmatics:

The classroom and other social settings (e.g., lunchroom, gym,

after school activities) are perfect places to encourage skills, such as
appropriate

Eye gaze

Greetings
Conversations
Body language
Facial expressions
Turn taking
Personal space

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Thinking and Memory (cognitive

communication) Includes problems

with long term and short term
memory, attention, problem solving,
or staying organized.

SLPs Help With: (CONTD)

Feeding and Swallowing (dysphagia)

how well we chew and swallow food and

liquids. Swallowing problems can make it
hard for your child do to well in school
and may lead to other health problems.

Poor Communication Skills

Lead to Problems:
Understanding classroom instruction
Participating in classroom instruction
Developing and maintaining

relationships

How Will The SLP Work With

My Child?
What the SLP does will depend on what your

child needs.
The types of services you child gets may change

over time.
SLPs provide direct and indirect services.

Direct Service Means the SLP

Will:
Work with the child one on one or

in a group setting.
Work with the child in the

classroom or in a group.
Use a combination of these

approaches.

Indirect Service Means the

SLP Will:
Monitoring: Watch how a childs speech and

language skills are developing.

Consultation: Help parents and teachers

understand how the child communicates and

learns.
Give the teacher suggestions on how to include

a childs speech and language goals in the

classroom.

SLPs Have Many Roles in

Schools:
Prevention of communication disorders
Identification of students at risk for later problems
Assessment of students communication skills
Evaluation of the results of comprehensive assessments
Development and implementation of IEPs
Documentation of outcomes
Collaboration with teachers and other professionals
Advocacy for teaching practices
Participation in research projects

SLPs Work With Children in

A Variety of Ways:
Combine communication goals with academic and

social goals

Integrate classroom objectives

Help students understand and use basic language concepts
Support reading and writing
Increase students understanding of texts and lessons

Services can vary depending on students needs

Monitoring or periodic screening
Collaborating and consulting
Classroom based services
Small group or individual sessions
Speech classrooms

What If A Child Needs Help?

If a child is eligible for speech and/or language

services, a meeting will be held by the Student

Service Team, and we will develop an IEP
TOGETHER! The IEP will list the childs
speech-language goals and how often and where
services will be received.
The services will change as communication

improves!

A Child Needs Help When

They:
Are not understood by others
Have trouble talking about thoughts or feelings
Dont understand what others say
Have trouble following directions
Have problems with reading and writing
Cant remember what was taught in class
Dont do well on tests
Dont understand social cues like knowing when someone is mad or

telling a joke

Receives poor grades or have difficulty in school

Speech and Language Quick

Facts and Tips:

Articulation
Difficulty pronouncing speech sounds
Students need to practice these sounds (phonemes) in words and then phrases and then
sentences and work their way up to conversation. For students at the conversation level,
you can work out a reminder system to let them know if their speech sound was good or
not. For example touch your glasses if the speech sound was good.
Stuttering/Fluency
Disruptions in the smooth flow of speech (e.g., hesitations, repetitions)
Give these students plenty of time to talk. Model slow easy speech and give them
advanced notice when they will be called upon or work out a cueing system.
Pragmatics
The social use of language (e.g. facial expressions, body language, manners)
-The classroom and other social settings (e.g., lunchroom, gym, after school activities) are
perfect places to encourage skills such as appropriate eye gaze, greetings, conversations,
body language, facial expressions, turn taking, and personal space.

Speech and Language Quick

Facts and Tips: (CONTD)
Language
Systematic, rule-driven communication, including grammar and vocabulary
Receptive Language understanding language (i.e., following directions, understanding word
meanings, etc.)
Expressive Language using language (i.e., giving directions, using correct grammar)
Language is all around us. You use it to communicate what you want for breakfast, the answers
to the Science quiz, and everything in between. You model great language skills when you teach.
For students with language difficulties, try giving multiple examples, visual aids to support what
you say, and directions broken down into smaller steps. Teachers and SLPs can also brainstorm
ways to incorporate specific classroom lessons into speech therapy or specific speech goals into
classroom work.
Observation
Observing students in class is an important step to following up on a referral.
1. Try not to call on the student in question as soon as the SLP arrives.
2. Engage the student in conversation or class discussions. Use open-ended questions.
3. Have the student read aloud.
4. Call on the students multiple times if possible.

This presentation is based on the ASHA brochure Speech-Language

Pathologists in Your Childs School
For more information contact www.asha.org
American Speech-Language Hearing Association
2200 Research Blvd.
Rockville, MD 20850
1-800-638-8255