School-based Speech-language Pathologists Research Articles

The Role of Teachers' Unions for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists: Preliminary Findings From Florida.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of teachers' unions for school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and their perceptions of the benefits and barriers to union membership. A 44-item survey was used to solicit information about the perceptions of and participation in teachers' unions of 320 school-based SLPs. Directed content analysis of 70 district collective bargaining agreements was also conducted to explore the presence and content of SLP contract provisions. Results confirm that teachers' unions collectively bargain on behalf of SLPs as they are often recognized as bargaining unit members. SLP provisions pertaining to salary supplements, caseload and workload caps, opportunities for professional development and mentorship, and alternative evaluations were uncovered. However, SLPs' perceptions of teachers' unions and collective bargaining were mixed. Frequently cited benefits of union membership included improved working conditions, legal and professional protections, and collective bargaining. Common barriers were misunderstandings about the role and responsibilities of unions and monetary costs. The findings of this study suggest that teachers' unions are not a widely used support structure for school-based SLPs. Despite the barriers highlighted by participants, unions can collectively bargain for provisions that could improve the living and working conditions of practitioners, such as salary supplements, caseload caps, and professional development. Although unions could improve outreach to SLPs in the schools, SLPs may benefit from additional training and professional development opportunities to support the degree to which they advocate and engage with their bargaining units. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27947940.

Teachers’ and kindergartners’ perceptions of children’s participation in interactive book reading

Children learn language through participating in language-rich activities such as book reading. This longitudinal qualitative study explored the perception of 11 teachers and 78 kindergartners regarding children’s participation in book-reading in order to understand how it is experienced by those most involved in this activity. Each participant was interviewed three times, before, after and 3-month after a professional development program on interactive book reading. The reflexive thematic analysis yielded four themes describing: 1) the shift from a more adult-controlled to a more spontaneous child participation; 2) the challenges teachers faced in facilitating children’s participation while maintaining the rhythm of the story; 3) the evolution of children’s perceptions of their role in reading; and 4) children’s perceptions of the relationship between their behavior and their right to participate. The findings have implications for supporting collaboration between teachers and school-based speech-language pathologists to facilitate the implementation of language-supportive practices in the classroom.

Mentorship of New(er) School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Beyond the Clinical Fellowship: A Pilot Study

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the perspectives of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with varying levels of experience to identify the components of a postclinical fellow (CF) school-based speech-language pathology mentorship program, barriers to implementation, and potential solutions. Method: After seeking feedback from school-based SLPs, a survey was created and distributed via e-mail and national social media sites. Topics included gathering perspectives about experiences with school-based speech-language pathology mentorship, components of a possible post-CF mentorship program, barriers to implementation, and potential solutions. Results: Sixty-five school-based SLPs with varying years of experience responded to the survey. Results suggested that respondents felt a setting-specific post-CF school-based speech-language pathology mentorship program may be valuable. Time, compensation, and filling knowledge gaps were identified as both important components of a mentor program but also potential challenges to implementation. Conclusions: A post-CF school-based speech-language pathology mentorship program has the potential to be beneficial to both parties in tangible and intangible ways. SLPs appear to be interested in mentorship not only as a way to support future generations of SLPs but also for a sense of self-fulfillment and professional development. A formal mentorship program may operationalize support related to decision making, advocacy, paperwork, scheduling, and working through challenging cases.

Recognizing and Resisting Ableist Language in Schools: Suggestions for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists and Related Professionals.

The language that school professionals use to describe disabled students can reveal and perpetuate ableist assumptions. Professionals' language choices can also challenge ableist attitudes to help create more inclusive, equitable learning environments. This tutorial seeks to guide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other school professionals to identify ableist language, understand the ableist ideologies that such language reveals, and develop strategies to implement ways of communicating with and about disabled students that align with an anti-ableist stance. We offer a brief description of ableism in schools, describe models of disability and their varying alignments toward ableist ideologies, and identify ways in which language can reflect and perpetuate ableism. Using Individualized Education Program goals as an example, we examine the ways in which ableist language can manifest in school practices. Finally, we provide suggestions to guide SLPs and other school professionals to examine and change their language to better align with an anti-ableist stance. School professionals' language use is not neutral and may reveal and maintain ableist assumptions about disability and disabled students. While dismantling ableism requires systemic change, we suggest that individual professionals can use language in ways that resist ableism and powerfully impact their students' educational experiences.

Back to Normal or New Reality? How the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues to Influence School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists at the Start of the 2023-2024 School Year.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a far-reaching disruptor in K-12 education beginning in the spring of 2020 when nearly all schools pivoted to remote instruction. Although the pandemic was officially declared over by the World Health Organization in May 2023, many questions remain about the long-term impact of the pandemic on K-12 education. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the continued impact of the pandemic among school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at the onset of the 2023-2024 school year. This study involved a survey of 193 school-based SLPs between September and December 2023. The results of the survey were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify key themes and trends related to how the pandemic influences both their direct work with students and how they approach and reflect on their own careers. Multiple efforts were made to ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of the analysis. This survey found that although many SLPs in public schools have largely returned to prepandemic practices, most perceived that the pandemic continues to influence their work in key ways. Specifically, survey responses highlighted the altered needs of students (e.g., social-emotional needs and academic gaps) as well as changes to how SLPs reflect on their careers as professionals serving communities. The results of this study indicate that although the most obvious effects of the pandemic are no longer visible in schools (e.g., masking, distancing, relying on virtual services), the pandemic continues to make the work of school-based SLPs more challenging as they navigate the disconnect between the postpandemic demands of their work and prepandemic expectations, policies, and regulations.

Speech-Language Pathologist Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction: Resources in Special Education Eligibility Decisions.

Situated within the conservation of resources theory, this study sought to understand how resources such as self-efficacy, job satisfaction, caseload size, and geographic location influence the number of data sources used by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to determine eligibility. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, 665 school-based SLPs from the United States reported professional demographics, workload, and assessment/eligibility characteristics, as well as levels of job satisfaction and self-efficacy. Multiple regression was used to examine the effects of self-efficacy, job satisfaction, caseload size, and geographic location on the number of data sources used in eligibility decision making and to examine the effects of caseload size and job satisfaction resources on SLP self-efficacy. SLPs, on average, reported using 7.98 data sources to support eligibility determinations. Standardized tests, conversation samples, and review of records were most used, and literacy assessments were used least. Results of multiple regression models indicate that SLPs with higher self-efficacy scores reported using significantly more data sources and that SLPs with higher job satisfaction indicated significantly higher self-efficacy. This study affirms self-efficacy as a strong resource for school-based SLPs and that it is, in fact, related to the number of data sources used in eligibility decisions. Limited literacy assessment was reported, despite the SLP's critical role in an educational setting. Job satisfaction as a predictor of self-efficacy and self-efficacy, in turn, as a predictor of data sources underscore the need for SLPs to advocate for work conditions that support their work.

Identifying the Role of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Through the Perspective of Aristotle’s Phronesis

Identifying the Role of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Through the Perspective of Aristotle’s Phronesis

AAC Business as Usual: Clinical Practice of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists

School speech-language pathologists (SLPs; n = 233), via survey, provided the following business-as-usual (BAU) augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practices: (a) service delivery models, (b) treatment intensity, (c) the number of aided models provided, and (d) caseload size and knowledge. In addition to descriptive analyses, logistic regressions determined if caseload predicted the most frequently used BAU practices. Group pull-out with two, 30-minute sessions per week was used most frequently. Most SLPs provided fewer than 20 aided models per 15-minute period. Logistic regressions revealed that SLPs with larger caseloads did not utilize the group pull-out model as frequently as SLPs with smaller caseloads. As caseload size increased, SLPs were more likely to use classroom-based services. Finally, only SLPs with large caseloads were considered high-frequency modelers. Overall, this survey provides clinicians with a starting point to enhance clinical decisions until additional BAU quantitative research is conducted with children who use AAC systems.

Spelling Facilitates Reading: A Tutorial on the Spell-to-Read Approach.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), prevention, identification, assessment, and intervention of children who are learning to read and write are within the scope of practice for school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Furthermore, for SLPs who work in the school setting, it is not uncommon to have struggling readers and poor spellers on their caseloads. Importantly, for students who have difficulty in spelling, their spelling errors are among the early indicators of dyslexia and can provide a means for identifying readers who may benefit from early intervention. SLPs can both assess spelling skills and implement evidence-based spelling and literacy diagnosis and instruction. Spelling instruction in kindergarten through the high school grades that is heavily grounded in metalinguistic activities can provide access to mental representations of word spellings, pronunciations, and meanings; links between whole-word and phonics approaches to reading instruction; and a foundation for reading fluency and comprehension. Learning to spell is essential for learning to read. Accordingly, this tutorial aims to elucidate how to (a) assess and identify phases of spelling development and (b) teach spelling to facilitate reading through a listening-first approach.

Written Language Practice, Self-Efficacy, and Beliefs: A Survey of Speech-Language Pathologists Working With School-Aged Clients.

This study examined the clinical practice, self-efficacy, and beliefs about assessing and treating written language among speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with school-aged clients (aged 5-21 years) in school and nonschool settings in the United States. A survey was completed by a nationwide sample of 344 SLPs working with school-aged clients in the United States. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine differences between (a) SLPs' self-efficacy in assessing and treating spoken versus written language and (b) school-based and non-school-based SLPs' clinical practice, self-efficacy, and beliefs about their roles with written language. All respondents reported significantly lower rates of self-efficacy in assessing and treating written language compared to spoken language, and their self-efficacy had a significant, positive relationship with the amount of clinical time devoted to written language. School-based SLPs devoted a significantly lower percentage of clinical time to written language, had significantly lower self-efficacy in addressing written language, and had lower rates of agreement on statements about their roles and responsibilities with written language compared to non-school-based SLPs. These differences were not found with spoken language. The most prevalent written language needs on respondents' workloads were reported as written expression (69.3%) and reading comprehension (66%). School-based and non-school-based SLPs report different levels of clinical time devoted to written language, self-efficacy in addressing written language, and beliefs about their roles in addressing written language. There is a need to investigate the reasons for these differences and the potential impact of preservice and in-service training in ameliorating them. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25511047.

Pediatric Feeding Disorder and the School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist: An Evidence-Based Update for Clinical Practice.

This prologue introduces the forum "Pediatric Feeding Disorder and the School-Based SLP: An Evidence-Based Update for Clinical Practice" and informs the reader of the scope of articles presented. The guest prologue author provides a brief history of pediatric feeding and swallowing services in the public-school setting, including previous forums on swallowing and feeding services in the schools (Logemann & O'Toole, 2000; McNeilly & Sheppard, 2008). The concepts that have been learned since the 2008 forum are shared. The contributing authors in the forum are introduced, and a summary is provided for each of the articles. The articles provide evidence-based information on topics that are uniquely of interest to school-based speech-language pathologists managing pediatric feeding and swallowing in their districts. The topics shared in this forum range from relevant information on anatomy, physiology, developmental milestones, and differential diagnosis to therapeutic practice when identifying and treating pediatric feeding and swallowing in the school setting. The forum also includes focused articles on the necessity of collaboration with families during the treatment process, current information on legal parameters dealing with school-based pediatric feeding disorder services, and a framework for assessment and treating pediatric feeding disorder in the school setting.

Comparing Spoken Versus iPad-Administered Versions of a Narrative Retell Assessment Tool in a Practice-Based Research Partnership.

In the current age of greater digital delivery of services, it is important to examine the validity and differences between spoken and digital delivery of materials. The current study is a practice-based research partnership between school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and researchers, evaluating presentation effects and validity of a narrative retell assessment tool created by SLPs. Fifty-one children across kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 completed the narrative retell task, retelling One Frog Too Many and Frog Goes to Dinner in three in-person story presentation conditions administered 1 week apart: spoken, iPad with audio-recorded natural rate of speech, and iPad with slow rate of speech. This was followed by 10 comprehension questions related to story events. Children also completed the Story Retelling subtests from the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS). Children recalled significantly fewer events in the spoken condition compared to audio-recorded iPad conditions. No significant effect of speaking rate was found. Presentation condition and rate did not affect performance on comprehension questions. Correlations among retell measures and corresponding subtests on a standardized language test ranged from weak to strong, providing some evidence of concurrent validity. This practice-based research partnership provided valuable insight into differences in delivery modality as well as the validity of a school-based SLP created narrative retell assessment tool. This study found that rate did not impact recall of events or performance on comprehension questions. Additionally, children performed better on narrative retell measures when stories were told using an iPad. This highlights the potential for iPad delivery as an option in narrative retell tasks. Finally, this study provided an initial examination of the Narrative Evaluation Tool's validity, finding the tool captures ability to recall narrative events; however, future studies are needed to examine the tool's validity as a measure of narrative comprehension. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25260910.

Effect of Phonological Awareness-Focused Interventions on Phonological Errors and Phonemic Awareness in Young School-Age Children.

This study aimed to explore the effects of an integrated phonological awareness intervention on phonological errors and phonemic awareness among young school-age children. Three children with at least one phonological error pattern and below-average phonological awareness skills participated in a non-concurrent multiple baseline single-subject design across participants' investigation. The integrated phonological awareness intervention consisted of completing blending and segmenting activities using 20 trained words, with a dose of 70 to 100 productions of the targeted phonological error pattern for 10, 30-minute sessions. All participants showed improvement in the primary dependent variable of percent consonants correct for their targeted error pattern for trained words. Results for percent phonemes correct showed gains for both blending and segmenting for all participants. All the participants transferred targeted skills to untrained words with their error pattern and generalized blending and segmenting to consonant-vowel-consonant words that did not contain their target error pattern in a pretest/posttest. Integrated phonological awareness intervention was an effective method of simultaneously improving speech production and phonemic awareness skills for young school-age children across 5 hours of treatment. The intervention was designed to be replicable by school-based speech-language pathologists seeking to efficiently support students with phonological errors and phonological awareness deficits.

Exploring Speech-Language Pathologists' Perception of and Individualized Education Program Goals for Vocabulary Intervention With School-Age Children With Language Disorders.

Among the varied roles and responsibilities of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are the planning and delivery of effective vocabulary intervention for students with language disorders. Despite the abundant literature regarding effective vocabulary intervention, practice patterns indicate that the research has not yet translated to practice. The purpose of this study was to examine SLPs' beliefs and expectations regarding vocabulary instruction and the content of Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals to better inform continuing education and research programs to generate lasting effects on SLP practices. We queried a national sample of school-based SLPs via an online survey regarding their perspectives on robust vocabulary instruction, vocabulary intervention practices, and IEP goal development targeting vocabulary skills for school-age children with language disorders. There was consistency across the sample for SLPs' beliefs about the importance and impact of robust vocabulary instruction. However, they reflected varied expectations about the vocabulary intervention they provide. Qualitative analysis of IEP goals for vocabulary reveals the range and frequency of strategies and intervention targets as an artifact of implementation of robust vocabulary instruction. School-based SLPs believe that vocabulary is important and have a strong understanding of the impact robust vocabulary instruction can have on reading and writing outcomes. SLPs in this sample had varying expectations regarding the way their instruction is implemented and generalized. Implications and limitations of these results are discussed. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25077992.

What School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Need to Know About Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding Development and Disorders.

School-based speech-language pathologists are at the frontline for treating children with pediatric feeding disorders (PFDs). Often, speech-language pathologists are the primary allied health professionals who are charged with maximizing safety, supporting nutrition and neurodevelopmental growth. Due to the increasing need for assessment and treatment of PFDs in schools, it is fundamental that PFDs and dysphagia are detected, differentially diagnosed, and addressed to support developing children. This tutorial addresses the anatomy, physiology, and development of functional feeding and swallowing patterns across the spectrum of childhood for both PFDs and dysphagia. A clinical expert review of the anatomy, physiology, and development of functional feeding and swallowing patterns in children across the spectrum of childhood will be completed. The aim of this tutorial is to support school-based speech-language pathologists in their understanding of the anatomy and physiology of feeding and swallowing. School-based speech-language pathologists should complete this tutorial with an increased understanding and breadth of knowledge related to typical anatomy and physiology versus atypical or disordered presentations. This tutorial would support school-based speech-language pathologists in determining whether a child presents with characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia and/or a PFD.

Go Team Go! Interprofessional Practice for Pediatric Feeding in the Schools.

The purpose of this clinical focus article is to discuss processes and procedures for building school-based programs to address the feeding and swallowing needs of students in the public-school setting. Interprofessional practice (IPP) team member roles and responsibilities, screening, eligibility, considerations for developing Individualized Education Programs that address the needs of students with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and dysphagia, as well as billing documentation requirements, are discussed. Additionally, coordination across the continuum of service delivery for students with PFD and dysphagia is investigated. Guidance on documentation, processes, and procedures that comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates will be provided. This clinical focus article will demonstrate that students with PFD and dysphagia continue to present to public schools and require skilled services and supports in order to meet their individualized needs. School-based speech-language pathologists have a legal requirement to provide these supports when deemed educationally relevant. Schools must employ processes and procedures that result in the timely and effective evaluation and identification of students with PFD and dysphagia. An IPP approach to the management of PFD and dysphagia is critical to ensure optimal outcomes for students found eligible for services.

Overcoming the Research–Practice Gap: Key Considerations for Speech-Language Pathologists Related to Multitiered Systems of Support

Purpose: This tutorial highlights the challenges and opportunities school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face related to engagement with the multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework in their public school work practices. It positions SLP involvement in MTSS as an area where a gap between research and practice exists and highlights key ways for SLPs to overcome barriers to support student success within this framework. Method: This tutorial provides a general description of the MTSS framework and highlights the immediate applicability of the framework to SLP school practices. Key considerations are offered for SLPs ready to take concrete steps related to implementing the MTSS framework. Hypothetical cases are used to illustrate how school-based SLPs can use these considerations to guide meaningful but realistic changes. Results: Ongoing concerns about the impact of the pandemic on student outcomes and growing awareness of systemic inequities in education are prompting SLPs to move beyond asking if they should be involved in MTSS to focusing on how they should be engaged with this framework. This tutorial provides five key considerations for SLPs to realistically deepen their engagement with MTSS and overcome the research–practice gap in this area. Conclusion: This tutorial provides a resource for SLPs to take concrete and immediate steps to support at-risk students through MTSS given the needs at this unique moment in time when concerns about learning loss and achievement gaps are front and center in public schools.

A Balancing Act: How School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Navigate Their Efforts Related to Individual Education Plans and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in public schools have a key role in assessment, intervention, program design, compliance, and prevention. They address the needs of students of all ages and disorders, ensure the educational relevance of their services, and provide culturally competent care. Given the scope of their work, SLPs must balance and prioritize their varying responsibilities in school settings. This study investigates how SLPs navigate their involvement with the prevention-oriented framework Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) while providing direct support to students with disabilities through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This study took place in a district with a stated goal for the academic year of deepening their involvement with the MTSS framework. Eight SLPs working in this rural district participated in a series of interviews over the course of the 2022-2023 school year. Qualitative data were collected about SLPs' motivations and evolving views related to MTSS. While participants in this study were motivated to engage in MTSS because they viewed this framework as a useful mechanism to support students outside of special education, they were limited by time constraints and the challenges of forming collaborative relationships. Each participant navigated the process of balancing their efforts related to MTSS and IEPs in a unique way that reflected their specific setting and circumstances. This study directly investigated how SLPs navigate this balancing act in real time and provided a novel perspective on the potential synergies and disconnects between SLPs' efforts related to MTSS and their responsibilities related to providing appropriate speech-language services via IEPs.

Examining Graduate Training in Written Language and the Impact on Speech-Language Pathologists' Practice: Perspectives From Faculty and Clinicians.

This study had two aims. Aim 1 was to query both communication science and disorders (CSD) faculty and school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding how written language is/was covered in their graduate programs. Aim 2 was to query school-based SLPs about their written language service provision. CSD faculty (n = 143) and school-based SLPs (n = 610) completed an online survey examining (a) if and how written language was addressed in their graduate program, (b) what content related to written language was covered in graduate school, and (c) provision of written language services in schools (SLPs only). There was a discrepancy in reports of training provision. Faculty reported providing more training than SLPs reported receiving. However, SLPs with fewer years of experience reported slightly higher levels of training compared to those with more years of experience. Additionally, there was variability among SLPs in how often they targeted written language in therapy. Finally, receipt of training in written language was a significant predictor of provision of written language services, as reported by SLPs. SLPs play a key role on literacy teams in schools, but many SLPs did not receive adequate training in written language. In order to ensure SLPs are trained to work with children with reading difficulties, graduate programs should ensure that written language is part of the clinical and academic curricula. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24543469.

Differences in Child Language Assessment Practices Between School-Based and Non-School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists: Results From a Nationwide Survey.

The purpose of this study was to compare child language assessment practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in school and nonschool settings to determine if their place of employment impacts the diagnostic decision-making process. School-based SLPs (e.g., direct service providers employed in preschool and/or K-12 schools; n = 382) and non-school-based SLPs (e.g., direct service providers employed in private practices, university clinics, and/or medical settings; n = 147) completed a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire examined the types, frequency, and perceived importance of specific assessment tools and potential workplace factors that may impact their diagnostic decision-making process. Both school-based and non-school-based SLPs reported using a combination of assessment tools when evaluating children with potential language disorders. School-based SLPs tended to rank the frequency of use and importance of most assessment tools similarly, while non-school-based SLPs ranked interviews as the most frequently used and most important assessment tool. Statistically significant group differences indicated that school-based SLPs ranked the frequency of use and importance of standardized testing higher compared to their non-school-based counterparts. Also, school-based SLPs rated employment-based factors impacting diagnostic decision making higher compared to non-school-based SLPs. SLPs practicing in school-based settings seem to handle more employment-based factors that impact independent diagnostic decision making than SLPs working in different employment settings when assessing children for potential language disorders. Clinical recommendations are provided, and implications for implementation-based assessment research in child language are discussed.