Speech and language therapy is provided at the school for children who demonstrate an educational disability secondary to an identified speech or language delay. Any child who is suspected of having a speech or language delay can be referred by the classroom teacher or by a parent to the special education team. The team will then consider what testing needs to be done and they will reconvene after testing is completed to determine the needs of the child. If the student demonstrates a moderate-severe need in the area of speech or language development and there is evidence that this delay is affecting the classroom performance, therapy may be recommended. At that time, the school team will develop an IEP (Individualized Education Program) with the parent in order to outline services and goals.
When the team gathers for an IEP meeting, the parent can expect to see the classroom teacher, an administrator, and any of the professionals listed on the invitation sent by the school. This may include the school psychologist, special education teacher, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school nurse, and reading teacher. The team gathers to share information on testing and observations in order to create the most successful learning environment for your child through direct services or accommodations. The meetings typically last for about 40 minutes, but times vary from case to case.
