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Educationally Relevant Speech-Language Services in Schools

Presented by Kathleen Whitmire

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Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in school settings are faced with providing services that meet educational mandates, their professional scope of practice, and the current evidence base. School-based speech-language services that are truly aligned with federal and state educational mandates are a significant departure from a traditional clinical approach to assessment and intervention. This course provides a conceptual framework for integrating these mandates into an effective speech-language program and discusses strategies and tools for successful implementation. It also serves as the springboard for more in-depth exploration of critical issues in the courses offered throughout this track.

Meet your instructor

Kathleen Whitmire

Dr. Whitmire is Senior Advisor for AmplioSpeech. Previously, she served as Director of Educational Programs and the RTI Action Network for the National Center for Learning Disabilities and as Director of School Services in Speech-Language Pathology for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Prior to that,…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Overview of School-Based Speech-Language Services

1. Overview of School-Based Speech-Language Services

SLPs providing services in public schools must align their work with federal mandates, their profession’s scope of practice and the current evidence available. We'll take a look at federal mandates and their implications for speech-language services; later courses will address the Scope of Practice and the evidence base.

Eligibility Determination and Educationally Relevant Evaluations

2. Eligibility Determination and Educationally Relevant Evaluations

Eligibility for speech-language services requires a three-step determination process incorporating the key elements we discussed in Chapter 1. We'll review the eligibility determination process and the incorporation of those key elements into an evaluation that is relevant to the school context.

Developing the IEP

3. Developing the IEP

Federal mandates specify the elements that must be included in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). This chapter connects the evaluation components from Chapter 2 and the required components of the IEP. We'll focus on specially designed instruction, direct and indirect services, and service delivery models.

Implementing the IEP

4. Implementing the IEP

According to ASHA’s 2014 Schools Survey, over 80% of intervention time is spent conducting pull-out therapy. This chapter will introduce ASHA's workload approach and give an overview of effective models of collaboration. We'll introduce ways to better meet individual student needs and move towards a more balanced use of service delivery models.

Making This Happen

5. Making This Happen

School-based speech-language services that are truly aligned with federal mandates stand in bold contrast to a traditional clinical approach to assessment and intervention. This final chapter will summarize the key elements covered in Chapters 1-4 and will help clinicians begin to develop a plan for moving towards full implementation of educationally relevant assessment and intervention.