Rhode Island Department of Education and The Central Falls Speech and Language Capacity Project

1. Rhode Island Department of Educationand The Central Falls Speech and Language Capacity Project Students with Speech And Language Impairments Meeting Their Needs A Guide for Schools and Families

2. 2002-2003 Speech and Language Manual CommitteePatricia Iafrate Bellini M.S. CCC/SLPEllen Connery M.S. CCC/SLPElizabeth Connors M.S. CCC/SLPNancy Pariseault Cordy M.S. SLPAnne DeFanti M.Ed.Thomas DiPaola Ph.D.Kimberly R. Rothwell-Carson M.Ed.Debbie SpazianoSusan Wood Ph.D

3. Before we learn to read and write, we learn to communicate.

4. The importance of speech and language skills cannot be understated in the ability of a child to access the general curriculum and other aspects of his or her educational setting.

5. This guide book will: • Provide clarity • Assist with making eligibility decisions • Provide information • Provide uniform standards • Align with changes in IDEA 97

6. This guide book DOES NOT: • Provide a formula to rate the severity of communication impairments • Determine length or frequency of intervention • Determine the service delivery model • Set Caseload/Workload standards

7. Basic Premises and Rationale • Be a TEAM member • Teacher Support Team (TST) • Evaluation Team (ET) • IEP Team • Gather Appropriate Information • No child should be considered eligible for speech/language services on standardized testing alone • Look at the child’s strengths and weaknesses in a variety of settings/sources • Discrepancy between language and intellectual testing by itself should not be the only factor used in eligibility determination

8. Basic Premises and Rationale Continued • Write a Comprehensive Report • The report must address the presence or absence of any adverse impact of the child’s communication impairment on his or her educational performance • Justification for special education services are a necessity • Service Determination and Delivery • Decide what is the best service delivery model for the child • Direct Service • Classroom Based • Consultative

9. Main Areas • Preschool Referral • School Age Referral • Special Populations

10. Preschool Referral • Evaluation • Obtain a Hearing Screening • Medical and Family History • Formal and Informal Measures can be used and should include a Language Sample as well as information from teachers and parents • Eligibility • May qualify under Developmental Delay • 25% delay and /or a score equal to of greater than 2 standard deviations below the mean in one area of development or a score greater than 1.5 standard below the mean in 2 areas of development (RI Regulations)

11. Preschool Referral Continued • Speech Eligibility • Consistent non-developmental errors on one or more phonemes or phonological processes • Intelligibility • Errors cause considerable concern to the child and may limit social, emotional or academic functioning

12. School Age Referral • Evaluation • Information from teacher and parents • Information about communication style within the classroom and within the home environment • Adverse Effects on Educational Performance • Formal and Informal Measures can be used • Look for information that supports an adverse effect on the child’s educational performance • Best Practice: Obtain a Hearing Screening • Best Practice: Obtain information on Medical and Family History

13. School Age Referral Continued • Eligibility • Evaluation Results Formal and/or Informal • The determination of eligibility CANNOT be made solely on the basis of discrepancy between language and cognitive measures. • May be used to support or supplement findings • Worksheets • Summary of Evaluation Findings • Teacher Input • Evidence of Adverse Effect

14. Eligibility • Articulation • Voice • Fluency • Language

15. Definition Articulation/Phonology • An articulation or phonological disorder is, “the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions additions or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility” Children with phonologic disorders exhibit error patterns in the application of phonological rules for speech.

16. Articulation/Phonology • Eligibility Criteria • One or more consistent non-developmental sound errors • Unintelligible to significant members of his/her environment • Articulation patterns that cause significant concern to the child which limit social, emotional and academic functioning • Oral Motor Considerations • English Language Learners (ELL) Considerations

17. Articulation Continued • Worksheet Data • Evidence of Adverse Effect • Appendix Information

18. Definition: Voice • A voice disorder is characterized by the abnormal production and/or absence of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance or duration which is inappropriate for an individual’s age, cultural background and/or sex, draws unfavorable attention to the speaker and interferes with communication. Disorders of the voice may be functional or organic.

19. Voice • Physician Evaluation, preferably an ENT • Eligibility Criteria (Must include physician recommendations) • Mild Vocal Deviations • Moderate to Severe abnormal vocal characteristics which interfere with social, emotional, academic and/or vocational functioning • Vocal difference that is distinctly abnormal or the age and sex of the child that interferes or limits the child’s participation in the educational setting • Intelligibility due to vocal characteristics

20. Voice Continued • ELL Considerations • Worksheet Data • Evidence of Adverse Effect • Appendix Information

21. Definition: Fluency • A fluency disorder is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior and secondary mannerisms.

22. Fluency • Eligibility Criteria • Mild Dysfluencies • Child with moderate to severe dysfluencies where secondary characteristics may or may not be present • ELL Considerations • Worksheet Data

23. Fluency Continued • Evidence of Adverse Effect • Appendix Information

24. Definition: Language • An educationally significant language disorder is impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol system. The disorder may involve (1) the form of language (phonology, morphology, syntax) (2) the content of language (semantics) and/or (3) the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination

25. Language • Eligibility Criteria • Children who present with mild to moderate through severe profiles • ELL Considerations • Worksheet Data • Evidence of Adverse Effect • Appendix Information

26. Exit Criteria • Determining whether services are needed or no longer needed is a decision for the IEP Team: • Factors to consider: • All objectives have been met • At the request of the parent or of the child (if age appropriate) and support of evaluation • Medical Evaluation recommends temporary or permanent discontinuation of services • Evaluations have indicated that the child has learned sufficient compensation strategies to access the general curriculum without special education and/or related services

27. Exit Criteria Continued • The child no longer needs special education or related services to participate in the general education setting • Decisions should be based on the child’s ability to make progress in the general education setting without the support of speech and language services

28. Special Considerations • Each child is unique! • Not all children fit into the categories we’ve looked at before

29. Special Populations • ELL • Severe and Profoundly Disabled Children • Children with Swallowing Disorders/Dysphagia • Children with Mental Retardation • Children with Traumatic Brain Injury

30. Special Populations Continued • Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Nonverbal Learning Disorder • Other Disorders

31. Make Informed Decisions • Not every child with a disability, even a Speech/Language Impairment requires Speech/Language Services • Other Special Education or Related Services • Section 504 • General Education services • If Speech/Language Services are recommended, decide what service delivery model is best • Direct • Classroom Based • Consultative

32. Resources • Organizations • Resources • Local Support • Parent and Professional Resources • www.ritap.org

33. Patricia Iafrate Bellini MS CCC/SLP On Loan from the Central Falls School Department Rhode Island Department of Education Office of Special Needs Shepard Building 255 Westminster Street Providence, Rhode Island 02903-3400 E-Mail: ride4993@ride.ri.net Main Office: (401)222-3505 Voice Mail: (401) 222-4600 X2316 Fax: (401) 222-6030 TTY: 800-745-5555

34. Kimberly Rothwell-Carson M.Ed.Educational Specialist Rhode Island Department of Education Office of Special Needs Shepard Building 255 Westminster Street Providence, Rhode Island 02903-3400 E-Mail: rid03265@ride.ri.net Main Office: (401)222-3505 Voice Mail: (401) 222-4600 X2336 Fax: (401) 222-6030 TTY: 800-745-5555

35. Where Do We Go From Here? • Peer Review • Pilot Sites • Final Revisions • Final Draft Distribution in January 2004 (we hope!!)