Speech and Language

Speech/Language Therapy is a Related Service for Exceptional Children in Guilford County Schools. Upon completion of the referral and evaluation process, Speech Therapy may be deemed necessary for the student to access his/her special education. This is determined by the Speech Therapist and IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) Team.  

At Gateway, our mission is to help students develop a functional communication system that enables them to fully engage in the educational environment. We strive to ensure each student learns to use their voice so that they can advocate for their wants and needs, express preferences, reject/refuse, demonstrate knowledge, and actively engage in social interactions.

The school-based Speech Therapist’s primary role is to facilitate and maximize access to special education.  This role includes direct and/or indirect interventions to support goals as indicated in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).  Some of the SLP’s responsibilities include: observation/assessment in the education environment to determine appropriate AAC support materials; creation and re-creation/maintenance/repair of communication support materials; trialing alternative AAC supports as deemed appropriate; provision of staff training to ensure proper intervention techniques for skill practice throughout the educational day; observation and collaboration with staff to identify and problem-solve communication needs and barriers; working with physical and occupational therapists to determine consistent, safe, and effective access to communication supports in various positions and equipment (walkers, standers); collaborating with other specialists (VI, HI, Art/Music/Media/Adapted PE) to ensure continuity of care; and communication with families as needed to provide education and support.   

 School-based Speech Therapy looks very different from the clinical/medical model (early intervention, outpatient, home health).  School-based Speech Therapists, in collaboration with teaching staff and other related services, support and develop goals and objectives that are integrated into the classroom routines so that children learn skills in the natural environment with consistent opportunities for practicing those skills throughout the day, across various activities and routines.  School-based SLPs value the intervention of private or clinic-based/medical model therapists and prefer to communicate with them to ensure consistency in supports and strategies.  

A variety of aided and unaided research-based strategies may be explored as we help students learn to communicate.  We consider each student’s specific needs and abilities when trialing and implementing communication supports and strategies, including abilities/limitations (physical, vision, hearing). 

As students develop their communication skills, we encourage and honor ALL forms of communication!  We want students to learn that their ‘voice’ is important and valued as we work to build a more complex and functional communication system.   

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a term that is used to describe any form of communication other than spoken language. AAC empowers those who are non- or minimally-speaking by giving them a way to communicate with others. Additionally, AAC provides a more permanent/visual representation of speech to help those who need additional time and/or support in processing verbal input.  

Some examples of AAC include:  

UNAIDED (any communication strategy that does not include additional materials/supports): gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, sign language, establishing body proximity (far/near), turning toward/away from, reach/touch, vocalizations (vocal sounds of varying volume, pitch).  

AIDED (any communication strategy that involves additional materials/supports): objects, object symbols, photos, pictures/drawings, picture symbols, simple voice output buttons. The SLP may trial other options, such as dynamic display/high tech devices, if deemed appropriate and necessary for the student to access their education.   

AAC takes time to learn and requires consistent modeling by the entire team to facilitate progress.  “Modeling” includes the communication partner touching pictures or symbols as he/she speaks, pairing the symbol/picture with the spoken word.   

Fact: If AAC learners only see symbols modeled for communication twice weekly in speech therapy for 20-30 minutes, it will take 84 years for them to have the same exposure to aided language as an 18-month-old has to spoken language (approximate exposure of 4,380 hours). 

 

To bridge this gap and foster meaningful language development with AAC, consistent modeling is essential. Modeling can easily be incorporated into everyday routines and activities.  In the same way that typically developing children require lots of exposure to spoken language before we expect them to talk, AAC users also need to see others using AAC before we can expect them to use it themselves. 

We implement, teach, encourage, and honor many forms of AAC at Gateway! 

“Speak AAC to Teach AAC!"