 |
What is a Speech or Language Impairment?
A speech or language impairment
means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired
articulation, a language impairment or a voice impairment, that
adversely affects a student's educational performance.
|
What do school-based Speech-Language Pathologists do?
|
|
School-based SLPs provide
*speech therapy to children with articulation, phonological, oral-
motor, fluency (stuttering), or voice
disorders that adversely impact
their education performance
*oral language therapy to children who display
delays or disorders of
receptive (comprehension) or expressive
(use) language, language
processing, or phonological awareness
*therapy for written language weaknesses,
including difficulty with
reading (decoding and/or comprehension),
written spelling and
organization, and other aspects of written
language that stem from
phonological and oral language deficits
*therapy for a variety of other
low-incidence disorders that can impact
communication abilities, including
Down syndrome, developmental
disabilities, autism spectrum
disorders, and so on
|
How does a child qualify for speech-language
therapy?
|
|
If you have concerns regarding your child's speech
or language development, you can talk to his or her classroom teacher,
principal, one of the speech-language pathologists, or another involved
educator who knows your child. Screenings, which serve as sorting
tools to determine which children may require a "closer look," can be
conducted without written parental permission. However, if an
evaluation is deemed appropriate, no testing will occur until you have
given written permission.
|
Can children younger than school age receive
speech-language therapy?
|
|
Yes. Children from birth to school-age who
demonstrate disabilities are entitled to free services if they qualify.
If you are a resident of the Brittonkill Central School District and have
concerns regarding a child between the ages of birth and 2 year 9 months, contact the
Rensselaer County Department of Health in Troy, New York, at 518.270.2654.. If the
child in question is between ages 3 and 5, contact the Brittonkill
Committee on Special Education office at 518.279.4600, x679 for further
information. |
|
