Speech | Bedford Public Schools

Per the American Speech-Language Hearing Association:

“Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children.” This includes the following profiles:

Speech disorders occur when a person has difficulty producing speech sounds correctly” (ex. articulation) “or fluently (e.g., stuttering is a form of disfluency) or has problems with his or her voice or resonance.
Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings (expressive language). Language disorders may be spoken or written and may involve the form (phonology, morphology, syntax), content (semantics), and/or use (pragmatics) of language in functional and socially appropriate ways.
Social communication disorders occur when a person has trouble with the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication. These disorders may include problems (a) communicating for social purposes (e.g., greeting, commenting, asking questions), (b) talking in different ways to suit the listener and setting, and (c) following rules for conversation and story-telling.”
Provide support and consultation for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“Provide augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for individuals with severe expressive and/or language comprehension disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder or progressive neurological disorders.”

In an educational setting, the purpose of speech-language services is to support a child’s development of the speech and language skills that are required to participate in the classroom, both academically and socially. School based services are not necessarily about remediation, but about one’s ability to engage in education. Eligibility for and delivery of speech therapy is dependent on the impact of deficits on educational performance.

Range of Responsibilities in Bedford Public Schools:

Participation in child find process
Assessments and Screenings
Direct intervention/therapy inside or outside of the classroom depending on the needs of the child
○ Services are provided in accordance with IEPs, 504 Plans and general education
Response to Intervention programs
Collaboration and consultation with other professionals including occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education liaisons, general education teachers, etc.

Reference: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association