Speech Services

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY SERVICES:

Speech and Language services are provided by the Hardin County Educational Services to all school districts in Hardin County . All the Speech Language Pathologists are licensed by the Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology and hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). The Speech Language Pathologists from this county provide services to a wide range of individuals from preschool through school-aged. The staff is progressive in the approaches used to identify and serve the students in the schools of this county. They have developed an intervention severity scale which they use to determine the amount of services needed for the students to achieve their IEP goals. They continue to develop their professional skills through in-service attendance and implantation of new ideas. Assessments are a combination of standardized testing as well as authentic assessment of the students’ progress in the curriculum.

The role of the Speech Language Pathologist is to evaluate student’s speech and language development and provide consultation and direct therapy for student’s identified with a communication delay/disorder. Children may exhibit a variety of communication difficulties that affect their success in the classroom. At one time speech services were provided strictly in a pull-out model to address remediation of incorrect production of sounds. With the focus of education changing to success for all children and literacy becoming a primary target, speech language pathologists have increased their role. Speech Language Pathologists are now an integral part of the education team due to their extensive knowledge of language development and its impact on developing literacy skills.

A Speech Language Pathologist addresses language disabilities including semantics (meaning of words), syntax (grammar), phonology (sound production/articulation), pragmatics (social language), and morphology (how words are formed). Other areas of communication that are addressed by Speech Language Pathologists are stuttering, voice disorders, oral motor functioning, auditory processing, hearing impairments, and alternative and augmentative communication devices.

Speech and Language Supervisor
Gail Peterson
419-674-2288 ext. 314
petersong@hardinesc.org

Speech / Language Therapists:

Program Assistant:

Elaine Drumm

SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPY SERVICES INCLUDE:

Assessment and diagnosis of communication disorders
Articulation - refers to the ability to make sounds in speech. Students with delays in articulation may substitute one sound for another, omit a sound, or have difficulty with motor programming to put sounds together in words. Included in this area would be Phonological Processes disorder, and/or verbal apraxia.
Language - covers the skills necessary to understand and express spoken messages. Some examples include the ability to follow directions , understanding a story, using words appropriately and knowing how to combine words to make sentences
Social communication skills - this is the social knowledge needed to use language skills appropriate to specific situations. Included in this area is how to begin, continue, and end a conversation with other individuals
Fluency - Students with fluency disorders may repeat a sound, word or phrase or have long pauses between sounds. In addition the student may exhibit some tension or secondary characteristics when trying to speak.
Voice - Voice disorders include the quality and volume of speech. It may also include excessive hoarseness or a nasal quality.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication - this provides a way to help a person by adding to natural speech in order to communicate effectively. Tools used might include gestures, signs, pictures/symbols or voice output devises.
Teacher and Parent training regarding student’s communication needs
Developing Individual Education Plans for students identified with a speech/language disability
Direct therapy addressing IEP goals either through pull-out or within classroom environment
Outcome documentation for IEP goals
Collaborate with teachers and other school personnel
Participate in Intervention Assistance Teams to assist with classroom strategies
An integral part of the educational team for students who fall on the autism spectrum
Consultant with early primary teachers and intervention specialists regarding phonemic awareness to assist with pre-literacy and literacy skills.

Frequently asked questions about speech and language development ...

What is language?

Language is a code that we learn to use in order to communicate ideas. Reading, writing, gesturing and speaking are all forms of language.

What is speech?

Speech is the spoken form of language.

How can I help a child learn to talk?

Talk to the child. Read to the child. Encourage the child to communicate, but don’t demand speech. Make talking fun.

What is delayed speech?

There are many speech sounds. Some sounds are easier to make than others. A child learns to make the easier sounds first and the more difficult ones later. Usually children can make all the speech sounds by age eight. Delayed speech means that some speech sounds are not made correctly at the expected age.

What is delayed language?

Delayed language means that words or sentences are not understood or used at the expected age.

What are some indications that language is delayed?

If a child is not using words by two years or is not able to speak in short sentences by three, language may be delayed. If a child does not respond to simple requests “come here” by one year or follow two requests “come here and sit down” by two years, understanding may be delayed.

When should I seek professional help?

When you become concerned. Do not delay. If there is a problem, early attention is important. If there is no problem, you will be relieved of worry.

Is there anything physically wrong with a child who has delayed speech or language?

Delayed speech or language may be associated with health problems. If you have any questions about a child’s overall development, you should consult a physician. If you have questions about speech and language, consult a speech-language pathologist. It is important to get help as early as possible.

Will hearing problems affect speech and language development?

Yes. The first years of life are important for learning speech and language. Even mild hearing losses may result in children missing much of the speech and language around them. If children have ear infections, frequent illnesses, or allergies, be sure to get a medical examination and a hearing (audiological) evaluation to determine whether a hearing loss exists.

Who can help children with delayed speech and language?

A speech-language pathologist with experience in child development can help children with delayed speech and language. A speech-language pathologist is a professional trained at the master’s or doctoral level to evaluate and help the child or adult with a wide range of problems of speech and language. The speech-language pathologist should be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and/or licensed by your state.

What can I expect from a speech-language pathologist?

The speech-language pathologist will advise whether professional help is indicated. If so, sessions are typically scheduled individually or in small groups. The number of sessions will vary depending upon the needs of the child. The speech-language pathologist will also give you guidance as to how you can help. Early help is especially important for problems of delayed speech and language.