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Speach Therapy qualifies under Speech Impairment

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Ever wondered if speech impairment qualifies as a disability? You're not alone. Many people question whether difficulties with speech fall under the umbrella of disability.

Speech impairment can range from stuttering to complete inability to communicate verbally. It's a complex issue, with social, psychological, and physical aspects.

In this article, we'll delve into the nitty-gritty of speech impairment. We'll explore its classification as a disability, the impact it has on individuals' lives, and the resources available for those affected. Stay tuned to gain a deeper understanding of this multifaceted topic.

Speech Impairment: An Overview

Speech impairment, in essence, is a broad term that encompasses various conditions. These range from stuttering problems through to a complete inability to communicate verbally - making the condition a topic of much discussion and study. It's not just about the physical difficulties of producing sounds or forming words. The impact of speech impairment goes far beyond that.

For you to understand its complexity, it's crucial to dig deeper into its various forms. You might wonder, what exactly falls under the category of speech impairment? Let's look at some of the primary types:

Stuttering: This condition affects the flow of speech. Someone who stutters may repeat words or sounds, or find it hard to start sentences.

Apraxia: This involves difficulty with motor planning to produce speech. Despite having a clear understanding of what they wish to say, a person with apraxia struggles to convert these thoughts into spoken words.

Dysarthria: This is where the muscles responsible for speech are weak, resulting in slow or slurred speech.

To classify speech impairment as a disability, it's essential to understand how it affects an individual's life. It's not just about being unable to communicate effectively. Speech impairment can affect a person's social interactions, their ability to learn and work, and their overall mental well-being. Having speech impairment can indeed pose significant hurdles in navigating life.

For those affected, there are resources available. Various types of therapies aim to enhance communication skills, while assistive devices may be used to facilitate communication. Tech advancements have also stepped in to provide alternative ways to express thoughts and ideas. More details on these resources will be covered in the next section.

We've covered the basics, but there's more to learn about speech impairment. In the following sections, we'll delve deeper into its classification as a disability, weighing the advantages and disadvantages that come with this categorization. Stay tuned to get a well-rounded understanding of this complex issue.

Understanding Disability: Definitions and Criteria

So, what exactly is a disability? In layman's terms, you could consider disability as a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. However, to truly grasp the idea of disability and its implications, it's crucial to understand the legal and medical perspectives.

Legally defined, disability refers to a physical or mental impairment that significantly restricts one or more major life activities - such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, or learning. This definition comes directly from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), aimed at protecting individuals with disabilities from discrimination.

Emphasizing mental health, medical professionals often describe disability in the context of one's capacity to execute tasks and participate in society. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that disabilities result from the interaction between people with a health condition and their environment.

Understanding these definitions and criteria are vital as they determine access to various benefits and protections. People who meet these conditions could be eligible for certain types of assistance, including accommodations at school or work, health care services, tax credits, and disability benefits.

Let's deep dive into the concept of speech impairment being considered as a disability. But before that, let's have a quick glance at a comparison table:

Physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities

Layman's terms

Speech impairment can impact communication, a key human activity

Physical or mental impairment that significantly restricts one or more major life activities

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A stutter might hinder effective engagement in social situations

Result from the interaction between people with a health condition and their environment

World Health Organization (WHO)

An imperfect speech may affect academic and work performances

However, just because someone has a speech impairment doesn't automatically qualify them as 'disabled'. Various factors come into play - severity, impact on daily life, and more. Let's head into the next section and explore this in detail.

Is Speech Impairment Considered a Disability?

You've learned that disability can be seen through two lenses: the legal definition, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the medical perspective, which considers the limitations placed on one's ability to perform tasks and engage with society. With these definitions in mind, let's delve further into whether speech impairment is, in fact, classified as a disability.

Your understanding of speech impairments is key here. These are conditions that inhibit a person's ability to communicate effectively. They can manifest as stutters, lisps, voice disorders, or language difficulties. But does this equate to a disability?

Under the ADA, speech impairments are labeled as communication disorders. They are classified as disabilities when they significantly limit one or more of a person's life activities. Bear in mind, severity and the impact on daily functioning are vital factors that aid in making this determination.

For instance, take the case of a severe stutter that prevents a person from communicating effectively in social settings or at the workplace. This scenario could meet the criteria for a disability as it puts a major restriction on their ability to interact and express themselves. However, it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.

Even at this point, it's important to remember that each case of speech impairment is unique, and its classification as a disability will depend on each specific situation. You'd have noticed the complexities of how impairments are considered as disabilities; how societal, individual, and institutional factors all intertwine. This diversity is the heart of understanding disabilities. It's best to keep this in mind as you continue this journey of discovery, while we segue into more discussions on specific types of speech impairments next.

The Impact of Speech Impairment on Daily Life

Navigating through the particulars of daily life with a speech impairment can be challenging. It's essential to understand how speech impairments can affect your daily activities.

Optimal communication skills are a key aspect of normal functioning in society. Those with speech impairments often find social interaction, professional tasks, and even simple day-to-day tasks challenging. While it might be difficult for those without speech impairments to sympathize with these struggles, it's an unfortunate reality for many.

Consider basic tasks like ordering food at a restaurant. Without proper speech ability, this basic task becomes a stressful event. This can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and even social withdrawal. Let's also look at higher-stakes situations like a job interview or work presentation. When speech clarity and fluidity are crucial, a speech impairment can significantly diminish an individual's ability to perform successfully.

These daily life examples are not comprehensive; they are just a glimpse into the world of someone with a speech impairment. It's essential to remember that every person's struggle with speech impairment is unique. The extent of the impact on daily life will depend on multiple factors like the severity of the impairment, individual resilience, and the level of support available. These variables help determine whether a person's speech impairment is severe enough to be categorized as a disability.

There's a broad spectrum of speech impairments; their impact ranges from a minor inconvenience that can be managed with adequate support, to a severe limitation requiring comprehensive intervention. Various resources and therapeutic interventions are available to support those with speech impairments. Therapies such as speech and language therapy or using assistive devices can significantly improve an individual's communication abilities.

Let's now delve into some specific types of speech impairments, their particular challenges, and possible ways to manage them.

Available Resources and Support for Individuals with Speech Impairment

Figuring out where to turn for help with speech impairments might seem overwhelming yet there's a wealth of resources available. We'll run through some of the most effective therapeutic interventions, educational support centers, and digital tools that can make living with a speech impairment more manageable.

Therapeutic Interventions

Professional speech and language therapy is a common strategy for handling speech impairments. Therapists work in numerous environments:

They'll offer tailor-made programs to fit your specific needs. With regular sessions, you'll see improvements in pronunciation, fluency, and general speech clarity.

Educational Support

For children experiencing speech impairments, schools often offer a range of inclusive services:

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

Speech therapy sessions during the school day

Special education services

These resources aim to ensure that young people with speech impairments don't fall behind in academic and social settings.

Digital Tools

In the modern world, digital innovation plays a significant role in helping individuals manage speech impairments. Various mobile apps focus on different areas of speech development:

These tools are accessible and convenient to use on the go or comfortably from your home, adding a practical method to target your speech impairment.

In this digitized world, remember that support for managing your speech impairment is only a few clicks away. Dive into these resources, find what works best for you, and don't let incapacities prevent you from effectively expressing yourself. Instead, arm yourself with the tools and interventions that'll help you develop your speech skills and break down communication barriers.

Conclusion

You've seen the profound impact speech impairments can have on daily life. Yet, it's important to remember that these challenges can be managed with the right resources and support. Therapeutic interventions, educational programs, and digital tools are available to help individuals navigate through their speech impairments. Don't let a speech impairment hold you back. It's a hurdle, not a full stop. With resilience and the right support, you can improve your speech, engage in social interactions, and excel in your professional tasks. Remember, it's not about the impairment itself, but how you choose to manage it. So, is speech impairment a disability? It can be. But with the right approach, it doesn't have to disable your ability to communicate effectively. Explore these resources, embrace the support, and let your voice be heard.

Understanding speech impairments involves recognizing their classification as disabilities and the implications for educational support. According to ASHA, speech impairments include difficulties with articulation, fluency, and voice, which can affect communication and learning. Understood.org emphasizes that early intervention and speech therapy are critical for improving outcomes for students with speech impairments.

What is the impact of speech impairments on daily life?

Speech impairments can make social interaction, professional tasks, and everyday activities challenging. The magnitude of impact can depend on the severity of the impairment, the individual's resilience, and the level of support available.

What are some specific types of speech impairments?

The article discusses various types of speech impairments and their unique challenges. It does not detail each type but implies they include a wide range from pronunciation issues to fluency complications.

What services are available to support individuals with speech impairments?

Individuals with speech impairments can benefit from therapeutic interventions such as speech and language therapy. Educational support centers and individualized education programs are also available. Digital tools and mobile apps contribute significantly to speech development.

Can digital tools aid individuals with speech impairments?

Yes, digital tools, such as mobile apps, can assist in improving pronunciation, vocabulary building, sentence construction, and fluency exercises. These tools provide accessible and interactive aid, therefore, highly recommended.

What message does the article convey to individuals with speech impairments?

The article encourages individuals with speech impairments not to allow their limitations to prevent effective expression. It encourages the exploration and utilization of available resources to manage and improve their conditions.

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Are Speech Impairments Disabilities? Understanding the Scope

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Uncover the classification of speech impairments as disabilities and their implications in education.

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When looking at the related service and the disability classification.

Speach therapy can apply to any of the disabilities. The child can have just a speech or language impairment, or they can have any one of the other 12 categories. This is something that is not limited to one of the categories, it can have students who qualify from any and all categories, as long as they have a speech need that they qualify for.

School Health and School Nurse Services has specific guidelines to be able to qualify for the services but a child with a disability from any classification can qualify as long as they meet the guidelines. Some of the students who will need this the most often but not always are Physical Impairments, Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities, Other Health Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Developmental Delays.

Transportation is also one of the areas that a child from any of the classification can qualify for. If a child needs help getting to school because of their disability or if they have to travel to a special program for school. The child can receive free transportation services.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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300.34 Related services.

(a) General. Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also include school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.

(b) Exception; services that apply to children with surgically implanted devices, including cochlear implants.

(1) Related services do not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of that device's functioning (e.g., mapping), maintenance of that device, or the replacement of that device.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (b)(1) of this section-

(i) Limits the right of a child with a surgically implanted device (e.g., cochlear implant) to receive related services (as listed in paragraph (a) of this section) that are determined by the IEP Team to be necessary for the child to receive FAPE.

(ii) Limits the responsibility of a public agency to appropriately monitor and maintain medical devices that are needed to maintain the health and safety of the child, including breathing, nutrition, or operation of other bodily functions, while the child is transported to and from school or is at school; or

(iii) Prevents the routine checking of an external component of a surgically implanted device to make sure it is functioning properly, as required in §300.113(b).

(c) Individual related services terms defined. The terms used in this definition are defined as follows:

(i) Identification of children with hearing loss;

(ii) Determination of the range, nature, and degree of hearing loss, including referral for medical or other professional attention for the habilitation of hearing;

(iii) Provision of habilitative activities, such as language habilitation, auditory training, speech reading (lip-reading), hearing evaluation, and speech conservation;

(iv) Creation and administration of programs for prevention of hearing loss;

(v) Counseling and guidance of children, parents, and teachers regarding hearing loss; and

(vi) Determination of children's needs for group and individual amplification, selecting and fitting an appropriate aid, and evaluating the effectiveness of amplification.

(2) Counseling services means services provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel.

(3) Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children means the implementation of a formal plan for identifying a disability as early as possible in a child's life.

(4) Interpreting services includes-

(i) The following, when used with respect to children who are deaf or hard of hearing: Oral transliteration services, cued language transliteration services, sign language transliteration and interpreting services, and transcription services, such as communication access real-time translation (CART), C-Print, and TypeWell; and

(ii) Special interpreting services for children who are deaf-blind.

(5) Medical services means services provided by a licensed physician to determine a child's medically related disability that results in the child's need for special education and related services.

(6) Occupational therapy-

(i) Means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist; and

(A) Improving, developing, or restoring functions impaired or lost through illness, injury, or deprivation;

(B) Improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost; and

(C) Preventing, through early intervention, initial or further impairment or loss of function.

(7) Orientation and mobility services-

(i) Means services provided to blind or visually impaired children by qualified personnel to enable those students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community; and

(ii) Includes teaching children the following, as appropriate:

(A) Spatial and environmental concepts and use of information received by the senses (such as sound, temperature and vibrations) to establish, maintain, or regain orientation and line of travel (e.g., using sound at a traffic light to cross the street);

(B) To use the long cane or a service animal to supplement visual travel skills or as a tool for safely negotiating the environment for children with no available travel vision;

(C) To understand and use remaining vision and distance low vision aids; and

(D) Other concepts, techniques, and tools.

(i) Parent counseling and training means assisting parents in understanding the special needs of their child;

(ii) Providing parents with information about child development; and

(iii) Helping parents to acquire the necessary skills that will allow them to support the implementation of their child's IEP or IFSP.

(9) Physical therapy means services provided by a qualified physical therapist.

(10) Psychological services includes-

(i) Administering psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures;

(ii) Interpreting assessment results;

(iii) Obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about child behavior and conditions relating to learning;

(iv) Consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the special educational needs of children as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, direct observation, and behavioral evaluations;

(v) Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for children and parents; and

(vi) Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

(11) Recreation includes-

(i) Assessment of leisure function;

(ii) Therapeutic recreation services;

(iii) Recreation programs in schools and community agencies; and

(12) Rehabilitation counseling services means services provided by qualified personnel in individual or group sessions that focus specifically on career development, employment preparation, achieving independence, and integration in the workplace and community of a student with a disability. The term also includes vocational rehabilitation services provided to a student with a disability by vocational rehabilitation programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.

(13) School health services and school nurse services means health services that are designed to enable a child with a disability to receive FAPE as described in the child's IEP. School nurse services are services provided by a qualified school nurse. School health services are services that may be provided by either a qualified school nurse or other qualified person.

(14) Social work services in schools includes-

(i) Preparing a social or developmental history on a child with a disability;

(ii) Group and individual counseling with the child and family;

(iii) Working in partnership with parents and others on those problems in a child's living situation (home, school, and community) that affect the child's adjustment in school;

(iv) Mobilizing school and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program; and

(v) Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

(15) Speech-language pathology services includes-

(i) Identification of children with speech or language impairments;

(ii) Diagnosis and appraisal of specific speech or language impairments;

(iii) Referral for medical or other professional attention necessary for the habilitation of speech or language impairments;

(iv) Provision of speech and language services for the habilitation or prevention of communicative impairments; and

(v) Counseling and guidance of parents, children, and teachers regarding speech and language impairments.

(16) Transportation includes-

(i) Travel to and from school and between schools;

(ii) Travel in and around school buildings; and

(iii) Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.

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Sec. 300.34 Related services - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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300.34 Related services. (a) General. Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment...

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Harmony Square - Educational Videos & Activities

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How are Related Services defined in Special Education? - IDEA Basics

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School Health and School Nurse Services 

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School Health and School Nurse Services 

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"School Health Services and School Nurse Services

School health services have long been a part of IDEA’s related services definition. In IDEA 2004, the term has been changed to school health services and school nurse services, with the following definition at §300.34(c)(13):

(13) School health services and school nurse services means health services that are designed to enable a child with a disability to receive FAPE as described in the child’s IEP. School nurse services are services provided by a qualified school nurse. School health services are services that may be provided by either a qualified school nurse or other qualified person.

Returning to an issue that was raised under Medical Services, many children with disabilities, especially those who are medically fragile, could not attend school without the supportive services of school nurses and other qualified people. Over the years, the extent of the health-related services that are provided in schools has grown, as might be expected when you consider medical advances in the last decade alone. In Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F., the question of whether or not public agencies are responsible for providing health-related supports that are complex or continuous was settled. They are, “only to the extent that the services allow a child to benefit from special education and enable a child with a disability to receive FAPE” (71 Fed. Reg. at 46574-5). What was previously called “school health services” in IDEA has been expanded to distinguish between services that are provided by a qualified nurse and those that may be provided by other qualified individuals.

States and local school districts often have guidelines that address school health services and school nurse services. These may include providing such health-related support as:

Special feedings;

Clean intermittent catheterization;

Suctioning;

The management of a tracheostomy;

Administering and/or dispensing medications;

Planning for the safety of a child in school;

Ensuring that care is given while at school and at school functions to prevent injury (e.g., changing a child’s position frequently to prevent pressure sores);

Chronic disease management; and

Conducting and/or promoting education and skills training for all (including the child) who serve as caregivers in the school setting."

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Related Services: Supports for Students with Disabilities – The Roles and Responsibilities of the Special Educator

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"Transportation

Transportation is included in an eligible child’s IEP if the IEP team determines that such a service is needed in order for the child to benefit from his or her special education. The term has a specific meaning. IDEA defines transportation as:

Travel to and from school and between schools;

Travel in and around school buildings; and

Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability. [§300.34(c)(17)]

The last bullet isn’t just talking about a separate bus that only children with disabilities ride to school. The Department of Education states, “It is assumed that most children with disabilities will receive the same transportation provided to nondisabled children” (Id.), in keeping with LRE requirements. Thus, transportation as a related services may also mean providing modifications and supports so that a child may ride the regular school bus transporting children without disabilities. (71 Fed. Reg. at 46576).

As part of longstanding OSEP policy and numerous written policy letters, memos, and summaries, public school districts must provide transportation to children with disabilities in two situations. These are:

If a district provides transportation to and from school for the general student population, then it must provide transportation for a child with a disability; and

If a school district does not provide transportation for the general student population, then the issue of transportation for children with disabilities must be decided on a case-by-case basis if the IEP Team has determined that transportation is needed by the child and has included it on his or her IEP.

Not all children with disabilities are eligible to receive transportation as a related service. A child’s need for transportation as a related service and the type of transportation to be provided must be discussed and decided by the IEP team. If the team determines that the child needs this related service to benefit from her or her special education, a statement to that effect must be included in the IEP, along with relevant details and arrangements."

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Related Services: Supports for Students with Disabilities – The Roles and Responsibilities of the Special Educator

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Students who would benefit from Speach Therapy

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Students who would benefit from Speach Therapy

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Students with any form of speech or language difficulties and qualify for speech services. This can be a primary disability or a related service.

"Determination of eligibility for special education services is a multistage process that should answer three questions:

1. Is there a disability?

2. If so, is there an adverse effect on educational performance resulting from the disability?

3. If so, are specially designed instruction and/or related services and supports needed to help the student make progress in the general education curriculum?"

Eligibility and Dismissal in Schools (asha.org)

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Overview

Determination of eligibility for special education services is a multistage process that should answer three questions:

1. Is there a disability?

2. If so, is there an adverse effect on educational performance resulting from the disability?

3. If so, are specially designed instruction and/or related services and supports needed to help the student make progress in the general education curriculum?

Key Issues

Dismissal Versus Continued Eligibility

The goal of public school speech-language pathology services is to remediate or improve a student's communication disorder such that it does not interfere with or deter academic achievement and functional performance.

The dismissal of students from speech-language pathology services is sometimes a difficult, conflicted, and even contentious process. Some parents and/or teachers believe that once a student is determined to be eligible for speech-language pathology services, that student should be entitled to those services for the duration of his or her school career. It is often challenging for SLPs to determine if a communication problem continues to adversely affect academic achievement and functional performance and to communicate aspects of this determination to parents and teachers.

The first step in the dismissal process should occur when the student is first determined to be eligible for services through an IEP. The SLP should make the goals of speech-language pathology services clear to parents and teachers. The goals are as follows:

to determine if the student's communication disorder is adversely affecting academic achievement and functional performance;

to provide intervention for those communication disorders that are adversely affecting academic achievement and functional performance, specifying goals leading to specific criteria for dismissal;

to dismiss the student from speech-language pathology services once the criteria for eligibility are no longer met.

Excerpt from: " Implementing IDEA 2004 Part I: Conducting Educationally Relevant Evaluations, Technical Assistance for Speech-Language Pathologists" (out of print).

"Adversely Affects Educational Performance"

This chronology includes letters from the U.S. Department of Education that serve to clarify and interpret the phrase " adversely affects educational performance" as it applies to students with speech-language disorders. It is emphasized in each letter that educational performance is not limited to academic performance. A student with a disability cannot be denied service even if there are no concomitant academic problems. The adverse effect of a speech-language disorder must be considered on a case by case basis in order to meet the individual needs of each student. Also, each state must ensure that a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) is available to any student with a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade.

March 8, 2007: Letter to Catherine Clarke [PDF] from U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, clarifying "adverse affect on educational performance." The letter reiterates the position from the 1980 letter (below) that "educational performance" is not limited to academic performance.

July 2002: "Adversely Affects Educational Performance" Policy 1980-2002; Nothing Has Changed, SIG 16 Perspectives on School-Based Issues, Vol. 3, 3-7.

May 30, 1980: Letter to Stan Dublinske [PDF] from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (Office of Education, Washington, D.C). This letter interprets the term "adversely affects educational performance" as it relates to students with speech language disorders.

Cognitive Referencing

Cognitive Referencing is the practice of comparing IQ scores and language scores as a factor for determining eligibility for speech-language intervention. It is based on the assumption that language functioning cannot surpass cognitive levels. However, according to research, some language abilities may in fact surpass cognitive levels. Therefore, ASHA does not support the use of cognitive referencing.

Resources

Access to Communication Services and Supports: Concerns Regarding the Application of Restrictive "Eligibility" Policies, Position Statement andTechnical Report

Admission and Discharge Criteria in Speech Language Pathology (Guidelines)

IDEA Part B Issue Brief: Individualized Programs and Eligibility for Services

Relation of Developmental Skills to Service Eligibility - National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC)

Decision Making in Termination of Services - National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC)

Special Education Eligibility: When is a Speech-Language Impairment Also a Disability?, The ASHA Leader, April 2011, Vol. 16, 12-15

The Educational Relevance of Communication Disorders, The ASHA Leader, August 2010, Vol. 15, 20-21

Evaluation and Eligibility for Speech-Language Services in Schools, SIG 16 Perspectives on School Based Issues, December 27, 2016, Vol. 1, 79-90

Tips to D.E.V.I.S.E. a New Plan When Sessions Stall, The ASHA Leader blog, April 26, 2016

Making Treatment Transition Easier for Clients, The ASHA Leader blog, March 23, 2017

State Speech-Language Eligibility Guidelines

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Determination of eligibility for special education services is a multistage process that should answer three questions: Is there a disability? If so, is there an adverse effect on educational performance resulting from the disability? If so, are specially designed instruction and/or related services and supports needed to help the student make progress in the general education curriculum?

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A Parent’s Guide to Speech, Language, and Hearing Services in Schools

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Students who would benefit from Speech language services would be students who struggle to speck, students who struggle to understand what is being said to them, students who struggle to understand the context of conversation and anything related to speaking.

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Activities to improve academics, physical, and emotional wellbeing. 

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Activities to improve academics, physical, and emotional wellbeing. 

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Activities that students could do to help improve their speaking skills would be practicing reading articles and understanding or decoding what is being said, practicing saying words and sounds, working on sills to understand difficult vocabulary, and any activities that would work towards their speaking goals.

Academically, anything that will help them to improve their communication skills will help them to improve their academics. The more they understand the better their grades will be. The more they can communicate effectively their thoughts the better their grades will be.

Physically, speech can help the student with the way that their mouth functions and the shapes they make while speaking.

Socially and emotionally, students will benefit from SL services because they will be able to better communicate with their peers and to better understand how a conversation works. They will be able to improve the way they speak and people being able to understand what they are saying. This will also help them to be able to make more friends. This will also give them more self-confidence to be able to speak to others and to speak in class. It will also give them higher self-confidence.

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Any students who would not be able to attend school due to a medical condition or issue would benefit from this service.

If a student needs to take medication at school, this service will apply and allow them to stay at school.

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The activities do not directly improve the academics or the child, but they allow the child to still attended school to improve their academics.

Physically, the medical services meet the medical needs of the child. These are things that the child is physically unable to do on their own.

Socially it allows the child to be around their peers and not in a hospital or at home. They would not be able to have the same level of socialization that they otherwise would receive.

Emotionally it helps the child to fell that they are like every other child and are able to make friends .

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If a child is unable to get to school, they are unable to learn and grow with the same opportunities that everyone else has.

If a child is being sent to a program that is far away from their home school because it is not being provided, then the school must provide transportation. This allows the student to receive the best academic opportunities.

Physically it will allow them access to the school and their learning.

Socially and emotionally, it allows them to be at a school that will best fit them and give them more confidence with their peers.

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Transportation would benefit a student who wouldn't be able to attend school because of a transportation issue, like their parents don't have a vehicle to transport their wheelchair. This would also benefit a child who is being sent across town for a special program, like a pals program.

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The testing will not tell you if a student needs transportation or health services. The student's needs are not always related directly to their qualifying disability.

For Medical services a physician or medical specialist must give a diagnosis to the student. The school nurse is able to administer medication that has been issued to the student by a doctor. They can also help with ongoing needs that the student has at school

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"Speech and language therapists use various language assessment tools and techniques to help individuals improve their communication abilities. Therapy sessions may involve exercises to strengthen speech muscles, language development activities, and strategies for improving social communication skills. The ultimate goal of this therapy is to help individuals communicate effectively.

Speech and language therapy addresses various aspects of communication, including:

Articulation Disorders: Articulation disorders involve difficulties in producing speech sounds correctly. Children or adults with articulation disorders may substitute, omit, distort, or add sounds to words.

Fluency Disorders: Fluency disorders disrupt the natural flow, rhythm, and speed of speech. Fluency disorders include stuttering -inability to get out a sound- and cluttering -speaking extra fast and merging words.

Resonance Disorders: Resonance disorders affect speech quality due to issues with the vibration of the vocal cords and airflow through the oral and nasal passages.

Receptive Disorders: Receptive language disorders involve difficulties understanding spoken or written language.

Expressive Disorders: Expressive language disorders pertain to difficulties in expressing thoughts and ideas clearly. This can involve limited vocabulary, grammatical errors, and trouble forming coherent sentences.

Cognitive-Communication Disorders: These disorders affect thinking skills related to communication, such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and reasoning. This is majorly due to an injury to the part of the brain responsible for thought.

Aphasia: Aphasia is a language disorder often caused by brain injuries like strokes. It impairs the ability to speak, read, write, or understand language.

Dysarthria: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder characterized by weakness, paralysis, or poor coordination of the muscles used for speech. This results in slow or slurred speech."

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What Is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy is a specialized form aimed at helping children and adults who experience difficulties with communication, speech production, language development, and related skills. This therapy is performed by speech and language therapists, also known as .

Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Standardized Tests

The GFTA is a short test, taking only about 20 minutes to complete. This makes it great for kids who have a . GFTA-3 assists in diagnosing articulation disorders and planning speech therapy interventions to target specific sound errors.

Non-standardized Tests

How To Recognize the Need for Speech and Language Therapy in Kids

Benefits of Speech and Language Therapy

Conclusion

What Is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy is a specialized form aimed at helping children and adults who experience difficulties with communication, speech production, language development, and related skills. This therapy is performed by speech and language therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists .

Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Standardized Tests

The GFTA is a short test, taking only about 20 minutes to complete. This makes it great for kids who have a short attention span . GFTA-3 assists in diagnosing articulation disorders and planning speech therapy interventions to target specific sound errors.

Non-standardized Tests

How To Recognize the Need for Speech and Language Therapy in Kids

Benefits of Speech and Language Therapy

Conclusion

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Growing up, many children may have trouble speaking or understanding words. To figure out what's going on, there are lots of tests that speech therapists can make use of. These tests can be used to diagnose a potential case of autism.If you're a parent looking for an early intervention, you might wonder which test is best for your child.

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"Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Testing for speech and language therapy involves tests to determine if there is a speech disorder and the best method to provide support and intervention services. These tests are divided into two categories: standardized and non-standardized tests.

Standardized Tests

Here are some of the most common standardized speech and language therapy tests:

Test of Preschool Vocabulary (TOPV)

The TOPV assesses the vocabulary skills of preschool-age children -ages 2 to 5 years, 11 months- to determine if their vocabulary development is within the expected range for their age. It uses both expressive and receptive vocabulary to determine a child’s ability to use single words representing basic concepts.

During the test, the words are introduced in order of difficulty, starting from the most common words to less familiar ones. TOPV results can help:

Identify vocabulary deficits

Diagnose early semantic ability

Compare expressive and receptive vocabulary knowledge

Guide intervention planning for children with language delays or disorders

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF)

CELF is a comprehensive assessment tool used to evaluate a wide range of language skills in individuals ages 5 to 21. A person's age will determine the version of the test they receive. This test is applicable for kids who experience difficulty forming sentences, following multi-step directions, or remembering verbal information.

The CELF consists of several subtests that can access all parts of a child’s vocabulary skills, including:

Concepts and Following Directions

Word Structure

Expressive Vocabulary

Recalling Sentences

Sentence Structure

Basic Concepts

Recalling Sentences in Context

Word Classes

Phonological Awareness

Comprehension Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL)

The CASL assesses the processing and expression of spoken language in individuals aged 3 to 21. CASL includes subtests with referral questions that assess receptive and expressive language skills, such as understanding idiomatic expressions and answering questions about paragraphs.

It is good for determining if a child has a language delay or disorder. It also gauges the language abilities of learners of the English language.

Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA-3)

GFTA-3 assesses the articulation skills of children and adults aged 2 to 21. It evaluates the production of sounds, words, syllables, sentences, and entire conversations to identify speech sound errors.

The GFTA is a short test, taking only about 20 minutes to complete. This makes it great for kids who have a short attention span. GFTA-3 assists in diagnosing articulation disorders and planning speech therapy interventions to target specific sound errors.

Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS)

The OWLS assesses how a child can form sentences verbally and in written language. It can be administered to individuals aged 3 to 21 to determine listening comprehension, oral expression, reading, and writing skills.

The assessment will require your child to finish a story based on a picture prompt shown to him/her. The story will then be assessed for:

Logical flow,

Vocabulary usage,

Punctuation errors,

Age-appropriate grammar

This test could take between 40 minutes to 2 hours to finish, depending on the child's ability.

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)

The PPVT assesses receptive vocabulary skills for Standard American English in individuals aged 2.5 to 40 years. It also provides an estimate of the individual’s verbal ability or aptitude. The PPVT English language version contains 175 vocabulary items that increase in complexity as the test continues. A similar test for Spanish is the Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP).
The individual first listens to a word, is presented with a series of pictures, and is asked to select the picture that best describes the word.

Screening Test for Developmental Apraxia of Speech (STDAS)

The STDAS is designed to identify children aged 4 to 12 with suspected developmental apraxia of speech. This motor speech disorder prevents kids from forming the words they think. It measures a child’s receptive language skills compared to their expressive language skills and only takes 15 minutes to finish.

If a child understands more than they express, it is a major sign of apraxia of speech. However, this is not a comprehensive assessment but serves as a screening tool. Therefore, after the screening, a speech-language pathologist will still carry out further testing to get a definite diagnosis.

Test of Language Development (TOLD)

The TOLD is a comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates the ability of a child to understand and form language. Like the CELF, TOLD tests vary based on the child's age and can be administered to kids of different ages, ranging from young to adolescents.

This test ranges from 40 minutes to 20 hours, depending on the child's skills and the presence of any attention problems.

Non-standardized Tests

Non-standardized tests are informal assessments that speech-language pathology specialists use to determine a child’s language skills and abilities. Here are some non-standardized assessment methods used in speech and language therapy:

Language Sampling

Language sampling involves collecting spontaneous speech or writing samples from individuals during natural communication. It allows speech-language pathologists to assess various aspects of language, providing valuable insights into an individual's real-world language abilities.

SLPs may engage individuals in conversations, storytelling, or writing tasks. The samples are then transcribed and analyzed for language errors, sentence structure, vocabulary usage, and overall communication effectiveness.

Dynamic Assessment

Dynamic assessment is a flexible and interactive evaluation approach used to understand an individual's learning potential and how they respond to intervention. Rather than relying solely on fixed tasks, dynamic assessment involves teaching the individual specific skills or strategies within the assessment process. The SLP observes how the individual learns and adapts, providing insights into their ability to benefit from intervention.

Dynamic assessment is useful for assessing children with language disorders, learning disabilities, or those who may potentially improve with targeted instruction. It helps SLPs identify the best approaches for therapy.

Parent and Teacher Questionnaires

Questionnaires are valuable tools to gather information from parents, caregivers, teachers, and other individuals who interact with the individual regularly. They provide insights into communication and behavior in different settings. Questionnaires may include questions about language development, social communication, behavior, and any concerns or observations related to speech and language.

Parent and teacher questionnaires help SLPs comprehensively understand an individual's communication strengths and weaknesses in various environments. This information can then guide treatment and intervention planning."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What Is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy is a specialized form aimed at helping children and adults who experience difficulties with communication, speech production, language development, and related skills. This therapy is performed by speech and language therapists, also known as .

Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Standardized Tests

The GFTA is a short test, taking only about 20 minutes to complete. This makes it great for kids who have a . GFTA-3 assists in diagnosing articulation disorders and planning speech therapy interventions to target specific sound errors.

Non-standardized Tests

How To Recognize the Need for Speech and Language Therapy in Kids

Benefits of Speech and Language Therapy

Conclusion

What Is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy is a specialized form aimed at helping children and adults who experience difficulties with communication, speech production, language development, and related skills. This therapy is performed by speech and language therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists .

Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Standardized Tests

The GFTA is a short test, taking only about 20 minutes to complete. This makes it great for kids who have a short attention span . GFTA-3 assists in diagnosing articulation disorders and planning speech therapy interventions to target specific sound errors.

Non-standardized Tests

How To Recognize the Need for Speech and Language Therapy in Kids

Benefits of Speech and Language Therapy

Conclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Growing up, many children may have trouble speaking or understanding words. To figure out what's going on, there are lots of tests that speech therapists can make use of. These tests can be used to diagnose a potential case of autism.If you're a parent looking for an early intervention, you might wonder which test is best for your child.