My issue was that my s sounded like th. I wasn’t embarrassed by it in second grade … but I am certain that I would have been mortified by it if I still had it in fifth or sixth grade. I guess I was really fortunate to have been able to go to my small group speech class back in the day.
The teachers in my school have no problem making a case for educational impact and putting it in my report.
A lateral lisp is not a typical error and those kids always qualify here because a) it is not a typical error and b) it is very distracting during reading, class discussions etc (educational impact).
I often see the th/s kids informally, without classifying them.
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Not true. Where I am, this would be addressed. The correct production can be taught…and this seldom self corrects.
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All I can think of when I read this is Cindy Brady! She had the same issue on The Brady Bunch! 
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You don’t know until you try. All of us use data based instruction. We are required to show that the kid has made progress, and this progress is noted by others (parents and teachers). That is a mandate also. And it has been settled with some Supreme Court cases as well.
This profession has hugely changed from when most of us were little kids.
Services in my district could continue all the way through high school. We sometimes had parents who requested that their kid be discontinued…but when the kid was in middle or high school asked to have services…and they were provided.
I’m working with an older kid now who asked her parent to contact me. It happens, and we are very responsive.
Reinforcement in the classroom and at home is important too. Most of us provide information to families so that their kids can do some home practice on things they can do accurately with a teeny bit of guidance with their families. And NO I don’t expect the parents to do all the work!
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One would hope! Except I have seen it not happen. As I mention above, I know a child whose speech was not brought up at all by the first school, but was immediately flagged by second school. Parents were told “your child doesn’t make a single sound correctly” after the initial eval. A child should not have to wait until age 7 to receive a diagnosis and services for childhood apraxia of speech.
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@fiftyfifty1 i do think parents are wonderful advocates for their students.
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Agree. And this doesn’t happen very often…I hope!
This is where parent advocacy comes in…as I said previously. Any time a parent has a question, they can request an evaluation from the school based team, or the early intervention team for those younger than school age. If a parent notes a significant issue…and apraxia would be one…they don’t have to wait for a teacher to make a referral. Parents can draft a letter or call…and request this. It’s seldom declined.
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I have no doubt that you use data based instruction, and your district sounds outstanding.
But I have seen the (recent day) failures from others, and these are not outcomes I would ever want for my own child.
Except when they aren’t because they don’t realize the extend of the problem, or when they are told that “it doesn’t qualify” and so are led to believe it isn’t a problem or that their child will likely outgrow it.
No, your kid may not!
I started this thread to offer suggestions. I understand some folks are less than satisfied with things they have seen…but I’m trying hard here to offer positive suggestions that can help folks.
Can we please stick to that?
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For sure! The schools are an amazing (and cost-free) resource!
In addition to this, as a doctor I recommend that parents seek a 2nd opinion with an outside speech therapist if they have any concerns.
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Not sure how typical this resource is, but this was the best tip I received when my kids needed speech therapy when they were younger: the speech-language program at our local university ran a clinic where students were supervised by professors and both of my kids were able to get slots and received an hour of speech therapy twice a week for several years until they graduated the program. They didn’t accept insurance but the charge was nominal (I believe we paid $10/session) and the students and professors were all fantastic. I was blown away with the activities the students came up with and my kids loved going. The professors who supervised the sessions were very attentive and so helpful. I still rave about our experience and recommend the program to others.
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If you live near a college with a graduate speech pathology clinic…yes, that can be a good resource. Many now are set up more like private clinics, and most do have a charge although sometimes a sliding scale. In my grad program, we also ran preschool speech groups that were wonderful. A playgroup that also incorporated speech services. I don’t know how common that is now.
But yes…a college with a graduate program in speech pathology with a clinic can be a great resource. The only down side is that the clinician will likely change every term…and for some students that doesn’t work so well.
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I agree that if you live near a college that has a speech therapy department and students getting that degree, they may have a program where they will treat appropriate children at no or nominal charge. In our case, there was no charge and our S loved it and found it best of all the many years of different speech therapy programs he participated in. I can’t remember if it was once or twice a week but he really loved it and thrived in it.
The students would reward S by having a brain teaser at the end of the session and S just found it wonderful and was self-correcting!
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Colleges with speech departments are a great resource. The student clinician gets his/her hours and experience (with supervision) and the client gets services at a low cost.
Years ago when I left hospital work I worked in a school district with a girl who stuttered very severely. I put her on my caseload and got in trouble by the principal because she was a straight A student, no social issues, always raised her hand etc. I argued that although those things may be true now, it is just a matter of time before she loses confidence and stops talking in school. Having come from a hospital setting, I was not very well versed in the legalities of school based services. I kept her on my caseload but had to be careful moving forward.
I am now in a small district where nobody would bother me at all if I put this student on my caseload. It would be encouraged, and the teachers would provide me with a strong educational impact. Not only do I see students in my office when indicated, but I push into all of their classes (including art, library etc) in order to assure that the skills are generalizing and to make sure they have the skills that they need to succeed.
As far as getting another opinion: school based therapists, hospital based therapists, and private practitioners all have the SAME degree. I have worked in hospitals, schools, home care and center based programs for early intervention etc. I can leave my job today and return to the clinic tomorrow. If I did that, I would follow the medical model and not the education model, but the disorders would not change. I worked in a hospital for years. The difference is the model, and laws, that we follow.
It is important to know that getting a second opinion at a private practice might not help. The issue is that legally, a school based SLP needs to include educational impact- and that will not come from a private practitioner. That comes from the school team (parents too) and the state/national law.
Also, and not to criticize private practitioners because I worked in 2 private practices, but it is hard to fully understand a child (the issues) when you only spend 2-3 hours completing an eval with them before sending them off with their “second opinion.” I, as a school based therapist, see the child in their natural environment. I see them in classes, at lunch, at recess, with peers, etc. Private practitioners work in a bubble, and not in the child’s natural environment. I am not putting them down- I worked in these settings and they are important- but they often have a very limited view and are not always in a position to write about educational impact. Again- not criticizing. I may go back to this setting one day.
I had a child come in with a neuropsych eval diagnosing a language disorder. The child’s scores were excellent (for me) and he did not struggle academically or socially. I interviewed 6 teachers. He was being dismissed from reading (no more pull out) by a teacher who was a dyslexia specialist. The issue? He did poorly with the neuropsychologist because he did not know her, it was 4:00 in the afternoon and he was exhausted, etc. We need to keep all of these things in mind when we assess kids. He was on my caseload for articulation and his reading (including comprehension) was on grade level.
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Here in NJ it’s a sliding scale, we had to pay something but it was very manageable. I had my son evaluated at 15 months I believe? 18? His issue was physical.
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NJ seems to have their payment arrangements down to a science- I never had any issues brought to my attention.
NYS was going to do this years ago (maybe they do now?) and the plan was to have the therapists collect the money. That did not go over well with therapists. When I left it was a free service- not sure about now.
WAY WAY back in the 1960s I was sent for after-school speech therapy. I had a stutter, but all the therapist ever worked on was a slight lisp I had (and probably still have).
As a young kid, this was brutally frustrating. The lisp had no effect on my life, but the stutter made my young life a living hell—even my teachers (nuns) would make fun of my stutter.
After a year or two I just told my parents I wasn’t going any more, saw no benefit to it.
As an adult I have conquered my stutter and spent 40 successful years as a HS teacher. I would clear the air with my students the first day, that I might occasionally stutter (deal with it!) and there would be no problems.
What has happened is I am hypersensitive when those in the public eye (a certain politician, for one) make fun of stutterers. No tolerance for such bullies. I am inspired by the kindness of another politician who does have a stutter, and how he has reached out to kids with the same affliction.
Have done my best to not be political here
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One other thing that I don’t think has been mentioned, but a full hearing exam should be part of any speech evaluation.
As a child I had speech problems that turned out to be at least partially caused by not being able to hear well.
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