Bloomington Public Schools/District 87



Bloomington Public Schools/District 87

Speech and Language Therapy Guidelines

Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational program. Speech and language services will be provided for all students with speech and/or language impairments, which interfere with their educational development.

Speech and language services shall include, but not be limited to:

• Screening and diagnosis of children with suspected language impairment

• Planning and developing the therapy program

• Therapy for children with impairments of oral language comprehension, production or usage, including disorders of fluency, voice, articulation, and oral language formation

• Parent counseling/consultation

• Referrals and follow-up

• Consultative and resource services to other professional personnel

Role and Responsibility of Speech-Language Pathologist

The scope of practice of the speech-language pathologist includes, but is not limited to:

1. Identification and evaluation of students with speech and language impairments;

2. Participation in the determination of eligibility for special education and related services in the area of speech and language impairment;

3. Participation in teacher and parent conferences including multidisciplinary conferences, IEP meetings, and annual reviews;

4. Development and implementation of IEPs for all students eligible for special education and related services in the area of speech and language impairment;

5. Provision of inservice programs to parents, teachers, students, administrators, and other professionals;

6. Completion of required documentation and reports;

7. Participation on problem solving and building level intervention teams;

8. Facilitation of curriculum and instructional modifications;

9. Participation in continuing professional education.

Screening Assessment

Screening offers a brief assessment of a student’s communication skills and may provide an intermediate step for a subset of potentially eligible students. Screening includes the administration of a basic set of tests and is designed to proactively identify areas of concern. Screenings will be conducted as determined appropriate by the building intervention team. Individual screening requires parental consent.

As a result of screening the speech therapist may:

• Make recommendations for supporting the student’s communication development in the home or classroom

• Monitor and re-screen based if determined appropriate

• Refer for a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation

The following instruments will be used for screening:

• Articulation - Hodson – Preschool; PAT III

• Vocabulary

o Receptive – PLS-5 – Preschool; PPVT-4 (form A)

o Expressive – EVT-2

• Processing/Concepts – CELF-5; Differential Screening Test for Processing

• Syntax/Morphology/Language Structure - SPELT III

Response to Intervention - Articulation Concern(s)

1. Speech Therapist Consults with Classroom Teachers

a. Provides information on Developmental Guidelines

b. Provides information on “who” should be referred for screening

2. Students with articulation errors are referred by classroom teachers.

a. Speech Therapist provides suggestions/strategies for the classroom to the classroom teacher

b. Parent Notification of Intervention

3. Students are screened by the Speech Language Therapist for misarticulations in spontaneous and elicited speech and in oral reading. Hodson Screener, Photo Articulation Test and/or language sample

4. Students with mild misarticulations receive a prescribed amount of intervention. (Exclusionary factors: developmental, dialectal, or secondary language deficits.)

a. Who

i. One or two articulation errors/processes

ii. Stimulable for target sounds or can achieve placement

b. Schedule Examples

i. 5 to 10 minutes 4/5 days per week

ii. 10 to 20 minutes 3x/week

iii. 20 to 30 minutes 2x/week

c. Group Size – Individual; 2 to 5 students

d. Focus – Correct productions of target sound(s)

e. Home folders when appropriate

i. Home Practice when appropriate

ii. Daily/Weekly Student/Parent Signatures – Calendar when appropriate

f. Progress Monitoring

i. Student/Therapist track number of correct responses (weekly)

ii. Probes – 5 Minute Solutions

g. Assessment

i. Screening

ii. Treatment

iii. Post Treatment Assessment

h. Paperwork

i. Parent Letter

ii. Instructional Planning Form

iii. Intervention Progress Update

5. At the end of the prescribed amount of intervention, progress monitoring is reviewed. The team determines next steps.

a. Desired Outcome Achieved – Discontinue Intervention

b. Monitoring

c. Continued intervention – Additional prescribed time

d. Referral for a case study evaluation

Comprehensive Full and Individual Case Study Evaluation

Speech/Language Therapists work with diagnostic and educational teams to provide comprehensive language and speech assessments for students. A full and individual evaluation includes procedures that are used selectively with an individual student to assess his/her need for special education and related services. Referrals must be made according to district procedures (see referral guidelines).

A case study evaluation should be considered if any of the following are present:

• Multiple articulation errors (more than 2 sounds or processes)

• Non-responsive to intervention

• Significant adverse impact

• Language concerns, including social

• Cannot achieve placement

• Stuttering

Additional Guidelines for Pre-School Speech Referrals

• Preschool children referred to speech therapists will be requested to participate in a screening process prior to receiving a speech evaluation.

• If a preschooler’s parent contacts Sarah Raymond School of Early Education and there are no concerns except speech and language and no scheduled district-wide screening within a reasonable time frame (4-6 weeks), the speech therapist will arrange a screening date.

• Preschool children identified through screening as having significant speech/language concerns will be referred for a case study evaluation. The scope of the evaluation will be determined at the IEP meeting.

• If a child is determined to meet criteria for speech services only, an IEP will be developed and implemented.

Purpose of the Evaluation

The purpose of the speech and language evaluation is to determine the degree and extent of language disorder, receptively and expressively, and language processing abilities. Areas of language competencies that need to be examined should include fluency, voice, articulation, and language.

Language is the ability to use the symbols of language through proper use and understanding of words and meanings (semantics), appropriate grammatical patterns (syntax), and correct usage and understanding of meaningful word markers or elements (morphology). Areas usually assessed are receptive and expressive language and pragmatics.

Articulation is the accuracy and precision of speech sound selection and usage and the rules that govern their production (phonology).

Fluency is the flow of speech. It covers breaks or interruptions, repetitions, or prolongations in that flow. Usually the number and type of dysfluencies are quantified based on conversational samples obtained under a variety of circumstances.

Voice is the use of the voice and its observable characteristics including pitch, resonance, quality, and volume. These characteristics are usually evaluated during a sample of conversational speech and a physician referral.

*Cultural influences, differences and the primary language of the student must be taken into account prior to test selection and evaluation.

Eligibility for Special Education and Related Services

Once the evaluation is completed, an IEP/Eligibility Conference will be scheduled. The purpose of the conference is to establish a composite understanding of the student’s learning and educational needs, determine eligibility for services, determine the student’s unique educational needs, and determine the nature and degree of special education intervention needed.

Determining the existence of a speech and language impairment is the first step in the determination of eligibility for special education. Subsequent to identifying impairment, the adverse impact of the disability on the student’s educational performance and the need for special education and related services must be documented.

Speech-language can be a primary or secondary disability or a related service. A speech or language impairment can be considered as a primary or secondary disability when it adversely affects a student’s educational performance and when the need for specialized services is documented. Speech-language pathology can be considered as a related service when it functions as a supportive service required to assist a student with a disability to benefit from special education.

Adverse effect is defined as problems resulting from the manifested characteristics of the student’s disability, which interfere with learning and educational performance. The documentation of effect on educational performance must clearly indicate the manner in which the student’s communication deficit affects his/her performance in the educational setting and the adverse nature of the effect.

Speech/language impairment does not include language differences due to nonstandard English, regional dialect, or from learning English as a second language, unless the student has language impairment in his/her native language. Testing in native language must be conducted to the fullest extent possible.

Eligibility Criteria

• Documentation of student deficits in one or more of the following areas: Auditory, Articulation/Phonology, Fluency, Language, Voice

• An adverse impact on the student’s educational performance must be documented.

• Specialized services to address the adverse effect are determined appropriate.

Questions to Consider When Determining Eligibility

1. Do the student’s communication skills meet his/her needs in current environments?

2. Would working with this student significantly change his/her ability to communicate?

3. Does the identified speech and language impairment interfere with the student’s educational, social or emotional progress so as to consider it a disabling condition?

4. Is the student’s level of language functional for his/her level cognitive level or developmental/adaptive behavior?

5. Is a physiological factor an interference?

Additional Considerations for Ages Three to Five

Three- to five-year-olds will participate in the district-wide preschool screenings. If as a result of the screening a referral is determined appropriate, the conference to review evaluation domains will be scheduled at Sarah Raymond School of Early Education.

Eligibility will be based on formal and informal assessment including normed instruments and checklists. The focus of the evaluation will be placed on the child’s ability to function in their natural environment.

3 & 4 year-old – Receptive and expressive language skills fall, at a minimum of 6 months below age/ability expectations as compared to developmental norms.

Service Delivery Model

Goals and Objectives - Specific goals/objectives shall be established for each child who receives services. Therapy services shall be sufficient to be educationally or therapeutically adequate, as determined by the evaluation of the child’s needs.

Consultation - Speech and language therapist functions as a consultant. Consultation between the teacher and the speech therapist may encompass ongoing direct intervention, intermittent intervention, or no direct intervention.

Integrated Services – Speech and language therapist provides direct services to eligible students across educational activities/settings in cooperation with other education professionals.

Direct Services

• Students are seen individually, or in small groups, during specified blocks of time throughout the school day within or outside of the regular division classroom.

• If removal from the regular education environment is required because the nature or severity of the student’s speech and language needs are such that education in general with the use of appropriate supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily the student may be placed in a special education classroom. The following should be addressed when considering instructional programming:

1. The student is eligible for Speech and Language.

2. Documentation that skill deficits are not a result of a lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math or limited English Proficiency.

3. Documentation of severe speech and language delays/impairments adversely impacting educational performance.

4. Documentation that student’s skills are significantly discrepant from grade level peers.

5. Documentation that student is progressing at a significantly slower rate than expected given current educational programming with supplemental supports.

6. Documentation that the student’s needs are significantly different and exceed general education resources.

Exit Criteria

• The need for specialized services to address the adverse effect(s) on educational performance is no longer present.

• The disability no longer has an adverse effect on the student’s educational performance.

• The disability no longer exists.

• The student has met graduation requirements or reached maximum age for schooling.

• The student’s functional language is at a level commensurate with students developmental level and/or cognitive ability.

Termination

To terminate special education services for a primary or secondary disability, an evaluation must be completed and an IEP eligibility conference held. A related service may be terminated at the annual review.

Guidelines for English Language Learners

A student in transition from another language to American English who is receiving support services through the Transitional Program of language Instruction will not be seen by a speech and language therapist unless referred as a student who has language delay/disorder in his/her first language and delays are not attributed to dual language acquisition. This would include problems with the basic conceptual underpinnings of language, syntactical, or morphological difficulties.

If a bilingual or non-English-speaking student is referred to the speech and language therapist:

1. Determine if TPLI services are appropriate and initiate a referral.

2. If TPLI determines that the student does not meet criteria for this service, the building level intervention team should meet to plan intervention strategies and accommodations.

3. Determine if a speech/language or complete case study evaluation is appropriate. Eligibility decisions would be made based on District criteria.

Guidelines for Participation in

Special Education Annual Reviews

Annual review staffings will be held for all students eligible for services. When speech is provided as a related service, the decisions regarding attendance at the annual review will be made on an individual basis.

• For any cases where speech/language is a major concern, plan to attend the annual review. Therapy for students scheduled during the time of the review will need to be rescheduled or canceled.

• For cases where you do not plan to attend the annual review, prepare a short report documenting the extent to which goals and objectives have been mastered, continuing speech/language needs, and recommendations for continued services. Information should be provided to the student’s special education case manager.

Guidelines for Scheduling and Planning

An Individualized Education program (IEP) is written for each student receiving speech services, which provides for a program appropriate to the student’s needs.

• Therapy is scheduled in individual, small group, or whole class settings.

• Time schedules are made cooperatively with classroom teachers and other staff members.

• Students are scheduled based on their level of severity and IEP requirements.

• Therapy plans are developed based on IEP goals and objectives.

Guidelines for Speech Therapy

Non-Public Schools

Private School – Specifically, this refers to privately operated elementary and secondary schools only.

Serving District – The district wherein the private elementary or secondary school is located and where the child at issue attends.

Screening/Evaluation Referrals

ALL EVALLUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE SERVING DISTRICT

Screening

Students who reside within District 87 boundaries and attend non-public schools may be referred by the non-public school principal, classroom teacher, parent, or other agency. District #87 speech therapist(s) will conduct the screening.

Referrals

A referral may be made by school district personnel, a student’s parent(s) or guardian, community service agencies, persons having primary care and custody of the child, other professional persons having knowledge of the student’s problems, the student, or the State Board of Education. The serving district shall be responsible for determining the appropriateness of the referral, deciding what further action should be taken and initiating notification of the resident district.

The referral process for students enrolled in Private/Parochial School is as follows:

• Private/parochial school personnel will discuss a student’s needs with the building principal or counselor who will schedule a building-level meeting.

• Private/parochial school personnel will explore all possible alternatives for working with the student within the school setting and as appropriate a school-based intervention plan will be developed.

• After several interventions are implemented, if concerns continue a building level conference will be scheduled to determine if further action is needed. Parents and staff from the serving school will be included in this meeting. At this meeting, previous interventions and results will be shared and a decision will be made relative to the appropriateness of a case study evaluation. If an evaluation is deemed appropriate, the team will determine the scope of the evaluation and the domains that the evaluation will address.

o The consent for evaluation paperwork will be completed.

o Parent consent will be obtained.

o Referrals will be sent to:

▪ District 87 – Bloomington Public Schools Special Education Office, 300 East Monroe, Bloomington, IL 61701 – Attention: Gail Joslin

o Central Office staff will disseminate referral information to district staff.

Initial Case Study Evaluation

The school district will conduct all components of the evaluation. The evaluation will include a series of procedures designed to provide information about a child’s suspected disability, the nature and extent of the problems that are or will be adversely affecting his/her educational development, and the type of intervention and assistance needed to alleviate these problems. The evaluation shall cover all domains which are relevant to the individual child.

When the assessment is complete, a multidisciplinary staffing (for the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility only) will be scheduled. All potential service providers will be invited to participate in the multidisciplinary conference.

The conference to review the case study evaluation results and determine eligibility for special education and related services must be scheduled within sixty (60) school days of the date of parent consent.

Reevaluation

A series of diagnostic procedures which are performed in accordance with the state rules for the purpose of determining a child’s continued eligibility for special education services. If after a review of all domains, the team determines that no new assessments are necessary in order to establish eligibility, the team must document that it is the consensus of the team that the child does have a disability that adversely affects educational performance, the information provided is sufficient to ensure that the IEP team can develop an appropriate program for the child, and the parents were involved and notified in writing of the decision not to conduct new or additional testing, the reasons for the determination and their right to request an assessment. If the parent requests new or additional assessments, the team must conduct a new evaluation.

Reevaluations are to be conducted at least every three years. In addition, a reevaluation may be requested if there are concerns related to eligibility.

▪ At least 60 days prior to the 3-year anniversary date, the serving district will schedule an IEP conference at which time the reevaluation will be discussed. Decisions will be made relative to the scope of the evaluation and a determination of the evaluation components will be made.

o Staff from the serving district will complete all paperwork.

o Staff from the serving district will obtain parent consent.

o Paperwork will be submitted to the special education office of the serving district.

▪ The serving district evaluation team will complete the case study evaluation and schedule a multidisciplinary staffing to discuss the results within sixty days and prior to the anniversary date of the last MDC.

o The purpose of the meeting will be to determining the student’s eligibility.

o All potential service providers will be invited to participate in the multidisciplinary conference.

▪ If eligibility continues, the Serving District will be responsible for developing a Service Plan.

Home School Parents

• Home School parent should call the school psychologist at the Building where the child would attend were they enrolled in the Public Schools.

• The school psychologists will assist them with all evaluation/reevaluation procedures.

Services

Private/Parochial students will be provided a service plan for speech therapy upon determination of eligibility for services.

Services provided to students who are eligible to receive special education services and who attend private/parochial schools are provided primarily through consultation with private/parochial school teams. The consulting teacher provides guidance and support regarding the student’s goals and objectives, classroom accommodations and other educational services/supports delineated in the student’s service plan to private/parochial teachers rather than providing direct services to the student.

Consultation should be ongoing throughout the duration of the service plan and minimally include the following activities.

1. Beginning of School Year

a. Review the student’s service plan in FileMaker

b. Schedule an appointment to talk with the teacher at the private/parochial school year regarding the student’s goals for the current year.

c. Visit the private/parochial school

i. Meet/Visit with the student

ii. Observe in the classroom (if possible)

d. Conduct assessment (if appropriate)

2. Monthly

a. Contact the classroom teacher – email or phone

b. Review progress monitoring data

c. Make recommendations/suggestions for programming

3. Quarterly

a. Schedule a face-to-face meeting with the private/parochial teacher

b. Review quarterly progress

c. Ensure quarterly progress reports are completed and sent to parents

4. End of Year

a. Schedule observation/meeting at the private/parochial school

i. Observe the student

ii. Review quarterly reports/annual progress with the classroom teacher

iii. Build goals for following year

iv. Conduct assessment (if deemed necessary)

b. Ensure annual meeting is scheduled

Direct Services

• If direct services are recommended, the non-public student will be assigned to speech therapy service during the District 87 student attendance hours.

• Speech therapy services will be offered in a District 87 public school building. The following criteria will be considered regarding a student’s speech therapy school placement:

1. District enrollment center assigned to serve students attending the private/parochial school of attendance.

2. Appropriate placement for scheduling, e.g., primary disability or related service, severity of the speech and language needs.

Procedure for Assigning Students to Caseload

• All standard procedures regarding speech therapy services will be followed.

• The District 87 speech therapist will be responsible for notifying parents and/or the non-public school if speech therapy must be cancelled/rescheduled for any reason.

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