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OSSTF District 11- Thames Valley
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District 11 Office |
Education Matters Online
Feature
Volume 3, Issue 2: December 14, 2004
So What Does a Speech Language Pathologist Do?By Janet Donkervoort, Speech Language Pathologist and PSSP Bargaining Unit Member |
Being a speech-language pathologist for a Board of Education is, in my mind, one of the most challenging and rewarding of settings for a speech language pathologist to work in! Speech language pathologists support students directly through a continuum of interventions and provide support to other TVDSB staff in a variety of ways. In addition to the academic requirements, this setting requires flexibility, multi-tasking skills extraordinaire, an elephantine working memory, people skills, physical stamina, and on and on. A little background....
One speech teacher and forty speech language pathologists staff Speech and Language Services’ 31.6 positions across the TVDSB. Speech and language pathologists have specialized knowledge and skills in speech, language and communication development and disorders, and are key members of interdisciplinary educational teams. Speech-language pathologists are professionals whose practice is controlled in Ontario by the ‘Regulated Health Professions Act’ and the ‘Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act.’ In an education setting, speech-language pathologists are also controlled by the ‘Education Act.’ All of the speech-language pathologists belong to the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). Some of the speech-language pathologists and our speech teacher belong to the Ontario College of Teachers as well.
Studies have shown that students experiencing academic difficulties are highly likely to have oral language difficulties. These students have deficits in areas such as grammar skills, narrative comprehension, and receptive vocabulary. These deficits effect taking in information presented orally and in print as well as giving information both orally and in writing. Therefore, Speech & Language Services staff can provide support to schools for students who are at risk for developing literacy/learning skills.
Speech & Language Services staff provide a number of services to support other staff and, ultimately, support student learning. Some of these are not unexpected, but others may not typically come to mind. Speech language pathologist support student learning at a variety of levels within the Board:
Student Supports Provided:
 | Assessment of oral communication, comprehension, and phonological awareness skills and link to literacy, learning, and social development |
| Assessment of oral language and learning and linking these to the use of technology to access the curriculum. Speech-language pathologists can provide the practitioner’s report as part of ISA 1 submissions. |
| Work with students directly, either individually or in small groups, to build oral language and learning skills |
| Provide input into a student’s IEP to address language needs |
| Assist in identifying undetected language problems that contribute to other difficulties, such as academic delays or behavioural problem |
Teacher Supports Provided:
| Screening all senior kindergarten students in the area of phonological awareness skills to assist in building early literacy programming |
| Assist in the development of identified students’ IEPs |
| Provide strategies to help build language skills in the classroom for any student we have seen |
| Team teach in the classroom, especially in Partnerships for Excellence schools, to build the language skills of all students |
| Provide in-service about a variety of topics such as phonological awareness, the language-literacy connection, how to build comprehension skills, and many more |
| Provide information about special populations (autistic, developmentally delayed, Tourette’s, etc.) and the impact on language/learning development |
Program Development Team Roles:
| Present assessment information and add to the overall ‘picture’ of the student’s needs |
| Provide information about the language demands of the curriculum and how that impacts students |
| Participate in development of the student’s program to meet his/her needs |
Parent Supports Provided:
| Discuss assessment results for their child |
| Discuss the interaction of their child’s speech/language difficulties and learning |
| Provide materials and direction for home activities to build skills |
| Provide general parent information sessions, such as ‘How to Build Phonological Awareness Skills.’ |
| Participate in TVNELP sessions at participating schools |
| Participate in school based Literacy Open Houses as requested |
System Supports Provided:
| Provide in-service sessions for TVDSB staff on a variety of topics |
| Provide documentation as part of processes such as ISA |
