Speech Language Support
Speech-Language Pathology Services
TM Roberts School
CARING ABOUT COMMUNICATION
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) helps people of all ages affected by communication disorders and delays. SLPs in the school setting assess and support students with a wide range of communication difficulties, including:
- Speech and articulation delays and disorders (how we say sounds and put them together into words)
- Fluency- improving the flow of speech. A stutter may sound like repeated words or sounds, pauses, or getting stuck on a word or sound.
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication- methods of communication to replace or supplement verbal speech. This may include gestures, pictures, or high-tech devices such as an iPad
- Receptive & Expressive Language- understanding of what we hear and read (receptive language) and use of language to express our thoughts, feelings, needs, and ideas (expressive language)
- Social communication skills, including things like understanding how to have a conversation, non-verbal communication, and understanding other people's perspectives
- Voice quality (how our voice sounds and how we use our voices)
- Early literacy skills, such a rhyming and blending & segmenting sounds & syllable
What are some signs that a student may have a speech or language difficulty?
- Speech (sounds & using sounds in words)
- The student has difficulty being understood by peers, parents, or teachers
- The student is getting frustrated or being teased about how they talk
- If you have concerns about a particular sound, these are some general expectations:
- By the end of Kindergarten: All sounds expected except: r, s, z (a frontal lisp can be considered developmental), ch, sh, j, v, th, zh
- By the end of Grade 1: All sounds expected except: r, th, zh
- By the end of Grade 2: All sounds are expected to be accurate.
- Language (understanding and use of language)
- Compared to peers, the student has difficulty with:
- Understanding or remembering instructions compared to peers
- Understanding of concepts
- Limited vocabulary
- Clearly expressing thoughts & ideas
- Telling a cohesive story
- Making inferences, prediction, or conclusions
- Grammatical errors
- Conversation skills, including turn taking, topic maintenance, understanding perspectives, nonverbal skills (personal space, understanding and using gestures and facial expressions)
- In the older grades, this may look like difficulties with learning & using vocabulary, managing classroom demands, difficulties with peer relationships, solving problems, making connections within information
- Compared to peers, the student has difficulty with:
- Referral Process:
- Parents: Please discuss any concerns with your child's classroom teacher.
- Teachers: After connecting with parents, teachers can bring the child's name forward to the School Based Team or to the school's SLP to discuss.
** If a formal referral is recommended, a referral form is completed and sent home for a signature. Parent/guardian consent is required to initiate a Speech-Language Referral**
What does Speech-Language support look like?
- Assessment- this may include a variety of informal (e.g., observation, checklists) and/or formal (e.g., standardized assessment tools) measures.
- Screening- The school's SLP may do a brief screen with all incoming kindergarten students to help inform supports.
- Following assessment, a plan will be made to best support the student. This could include:
- Discharge from SLP services if no support is recommended
- Monitoring the student's progress
- Providing strategies for home & school
- Collaborating and consulting with parents, teachers, and other school personnel
- The SLP or SLA (Speech-Language Assistant) may provide services in the classroom, in a small group, or individually