Speech/Language Services

Good speaking, listening, and thinking skills are important to success in school. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help students who have problems with these skills.

The following are the areas that an SLP deals with in schools:

Speech
Articulation: The actual physical production of speech sounds. An articulation problem occurs when a child has difficulty pronouncing sounds. (Example: a lisp)

Fluency (Stuttering): The smoothness with which sounds, syllables, words, and phrases are joined in oral language.

Language
Expressive Language: How a person expresses language. (Example: speaking and writing)

Receptive Language: How a person understands language. (Example: listening, following instructions, reading)

Receptive and Expressive language may be divided into the following three areas:

  • semantics (vocabulary)
  • syntax (grammar)
  • pragmatics (social skills)

What a Speech-Language Pathologist Does:

  • Receives referrals from schools for services.
  • Identifies and Evaluates students with speech and/or language problems.
  • Plans activities to improve students' speaking, listening, and other language skills.
  • Trains and supervises educational assistants providing direct speech/language therapy.
  • Collaborates with parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in understanding and meeting students' speech, language, and academic needs.
  • Monitors and documents the effectiveness of treatment and student progress.
  • Writes reports.

How are Services Provided:
Team or Individual Consultation - based on observation and/or input from other team members, SLPs offer advice on the management of children with communication problems.

Assessment and Consultation - direct assessment by the SLP, with follow up reporting to teachers and/or parents regarding management. This includes facilitating referrals to outside agencies when necessary.

Collaborative Programming - direct work with teachers, educational assistants, resource teachers, and parents to assess needs in communication and learning and to offer programming suggestions. Direct ongoing therapy is typically provided by an educational assistant.

Providing a Stimulating Language Environment:

It is important for children to be surrounded by language and literature.
Read With Your Child

Encourage your child to enjoy books as a pleasurable source of recreation.

  • Read to your child on a daily basis
  • Take your child to the library / bookstore
  • Give books as gifts so your child can build his / her own library
  • Let your child see you reading for pleasure

Stories can be used to promote good language skills; the foundation upon which children learn to read.

Talk With Your Child

Do this as frequently as possible so that your child has an opportunity to enjoy communication and practice language skills.

  • Talk about what you see
  • Talk about what you hear
  • Talk about what you are doing
  • Talk about what your child is doing
  • Talk, talk, talk

Language is a tool that children use to construct, reconstruct, and share meaning. Children learn language by hearing language! Language helps them to reason, reflect, and respond to the world.