Current Issues in School- Based Speech-Language Pathology Shelly Wier, MS, CCC-SLP Easter Seals Outreach Program [email protected] 501-221-8415.

Current Issues in Current Issues in School-Based Speech-School-Based Speech-Language PathologyLanguage Pathology

Shelly Wier, MS, CCC-SLPShelly Wier, MS, CCC-SLPEaster Seals Outreach Program

[email protected]

501-221-8415

Current IssuesCurrent Issues

Evidence-Based Practice

Responsiveness To Intervention

SLPs’ Role in the School Literacy Program

Status of the SEAS Goal Project

Show and Tell: New products, programs, ideas, and collaborative successes

EBP: What Is It?EBP: What Is It? “. . . the integration of best research evidence

with clinical expertise and patient values.”

- Sackett et al., 2000

“. . . the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual students by integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic research.”

- adapted from ASHA 2004

EBP: Why Should I Care?EBP: Why Should I Care?

You don’t want to say “Huh?” when a parent asks you why you are using a particular technique.

Your principal asked you how you were complying with the NCLB requirement to use scientifically-based practices.

You don’t want to go to a due process hearing without a rationale for what you are doing.

You are a conscientious professional and want to make sound decisions about intervention.

You know the students you serve don’t have time to waste with practices that may be ineffective.

Goal of EBPGoal of EBP

Current Best Evidence

Clinical ExpertiseFamily/Student Values

EBPEBP

PAIRS READ ACTIVITYPAIRS READ ACTIVITY

Read Paragraphs 1-11

Stop at Paragraph 12

thenSummarize: Go back and quickly write one concise

sentence for each paragraph.

In reality EBP is neither . . .In reality EBP is neither . . .

nor . . .nor . . .

Rather . . .Rather . . .

Responsiveness To Responsiveness To InterventionIntervention

Prior Knowledge Check

A problem-solving framework that may be used to detect academic and

behavioral difficulties and guide the use of research-based interventions

to provide intensive instruction.

Current ApproachCurrent Approach

TOO MANY STUDENTS

MINORITY REPRESENTATIONS

“WAIT TO FAIL” PROCESS

WRONG STUDENTSCOST OF ASSESSMENT

AND SERVICES

IDENTIFICATION COMES TOO LATE

Prevention ModelPrevention Model

New and improved pre-referral intervention

(validated interventions and valid progress monitoring)

that precedes a comprehensive evaluation.

Prevention Prevention ANDAND Identification Identification

Children who remain unresponsive to increasingly intensive

interventions are “eligible” for special education.

No comprehensive evaluation is necessary.

Why SLPs Should Know About It?Why SLPs Should Know About It?

You should be informed about what’s going on in the general education arena

It may be the alternative to regression analysis that your district chooses to implement

It has the potential to change the way SLPs are involved with learning problems, especially in literacy

It may impact your workload It may begin to change the way we think about

students with language impairments

Three-Tier ModelThree-Tier Model

Tier 1: High quality instructional and behavioral supports are provided for all students in general education.

Tier 2: Students whose performance or rate of progress falls behind their peers receive specialized instruction or remediation in the general education classroom.

Tier 3: Comprehensive evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team to determine eligibility for special education and related services.

The SLP and Tier IThe SLP and Tier I

Help identify appropriate, scientifically-

based curriculum, assessment, and

instruction in language and literacy

Explain the language base of literacy

Help identify signs of struggle with language

within school-wide progress monitoring

systems

Consult about appropriate adaptations for

struggling students

The SLP and Tier IIThe SLP and Tier II

Consult with and model for the team

delivering targeted interventions to

help make instruction most beneficial

for students with language-learning

difficulties.

The SLP and Tier IIIThe SLP and Tier III

Provide curriculum-relevant language

therapy for students who have not benefited

from Tiers I and II

Engage other educators in a partnership to

provide therapeutic intervention

Consult with other special educators to help

make their intervention language-sensitive

Provide assistance to general educators in

making appropriate accommodations

IssuesIssues

Number of Tiers

Movement across Tiers

Distinguishing Tier II and Tier III interventions

Length of time in Tier II prior to receiving

“specialized instruction” in Tier III

Eligibility and identification

Reconfiguration of existing resources

Older students

Advantages of RTIAdvantages of RTI

ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED IN A

TIMELY MANNER

DATA INFORMS & IMPROVES

INSTRUCTION

NON-RESPONDERS ARE NOT GIVEN A

LABEL

ENSURES THAT POOR

PERFORMANCE IS NOT DUE TO POOR

INSTRUCTION

ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION ARE

CLOSELY LINKED

RTI and SLIRTI and SLI

If SLPs are more involved

in Tiers I and II, some language

impairments may be prevented.

RTI and SLIRTI and SLI

Use of RTI can circumvent

problems we encounter with

identification using standardized

norm-referenced tests.

RTI and SLIRTI and SLI

Providing tiers of instruction

may help us identify a smaller

group of students for

intensive therapeutic services.

RTI and SLIRTI and SLI

Providing tiers of instruction

may help us to become involved

with a broader population

as part of our workload.

What Will It Require?What Will It Require?

Greater understanding and recognition of the

role of language in curriculum and instruction

on the part of educators

SLPs becoming more of a “front and center”

resource to schools

Mechanisms that involve SLPs in all tiers

while maintaining a reasonable workload

Transition from a “caseload” to a “workload”

orientation

Let’s ChatLet’s Chat

Role in literacy

SEAS Goals Project

Show and Tell

Show & Tell StationsShow & Tell Stations

Video: Arkansas SLPs

EBP: ASHA’s 4-Step Process

RTI: Reading Interventions

Review Self-Study Materials

Review New Tests & Materials

Bloom & Hicks