The Speech-Language Pathologist's Changing Role

Abstract

This study gathered descriptive information on the status of classroom-based speech and language services in Canada through a questionnaire mailed to school speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Seven service delivery approaches for classroom-based intervention ranging from least collaborative to most collaborative were listed. The approaches were used by the largest percentages of respondents for language disorders, followed in order by those for articulation, fluency, and voice disorders, and for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, followed in order by those for Grades 4 to 6, Grades 7 to 9, and Grades 10 to 12. The approaches were judged to be successful with all disorder types and all grade level categories by the majority of respondents who used them. The less collaborative approaches were used by larger percentages of SLPs than the more collaborative approaches. Results are consistent with reports in the literature on the use of classroom-based approaches by SLPs. Findings reflect the SLP's current role as a communication and language specialist who collaborates with teachers to meet students' communication needs, often through the use of classroom-based approaches. Conclusions of the study lead to suggestions for facilitating collaboration between SLPs and teachers.