Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of
students and parents.
- How does a student get speech/language services?
- What are the guidelines for a language disorder?
- What are the guidelines for an articulation disorder?
- What are the guidelines for a stuttering disorder?
- What is educational need?
- What does 'need for direct services from an SLP' mean?
- What is an ARD meeting?
- Are speech/language services considered special education?
- Will my student removed from general education?
- How does a student get dismissed from speech/language services?
- What if I don't agree with your evaluation?
- How are you qualified to be a speech/language pathologist?
How does a student get speech/language services?
TEA (Texas Education Association) and Round Rock ISD have provided guidelines
for qualifying for speech/language services. First, a child with a suspected
impairment should be referred to the Student Success Team. A series of tiers of
intervention are then instituted. If all interventions have been tried and have
not been successful in remediating a suspected disorder, then a child may be
referred for an evaluation. From this time, the SLP has 60 calendar days to
complete an evaluation and report. The SLP collects information including vision
and hearing screenings, teacher input, parent information, and observations. Next,
the SLP completes a battery of standardized tests to determine the presence of a
disability. The presence or absence of a disability is determined by the guidelines
set by Round Rock ISD and TEA. A child may present with a disability at this point,
but is not yet eligible for speech/language services. The student must have an educational
need for services, as well as the need for direct speech/language services
from an SLP. After testing and interpretation of results and information
provided, the SLP will complete a report and share the information with the
teachers and parents. Once the report is complete, an Admission,
Review, Dismissal (ARD) meeting will be held within 30 calendar days of the
to determine if the student is eligible for services. At this time, the ARD committee will determine
placement for the child and services will begin.
What are the guidelines for a language disorder?
The guidelines for a language disorder are that a student exhibit a
disability in form (i.e. grammar), function (i.e. vocabulary) and/or use
(i.e. social skills) of language across settings as identified by the
combination of scores on a standardized test, informal observations within an
academic setting, teacher information, parent information, and a language
sample. The results of these measures are then considered in the decision
that a student has a language disorder.
What are the guidelines for an articulation disorder?
It is expected that most sounds are acquired by the age of 8 years, 6
months. Anything beyond that is considered disordered. However, as mentioned
above, it must also be determine that the student has an educational need and
that direct intervention from a speech/language pathologist is required
What are the guidelines for a stuttering disorder?
A student must stutter on 10% (or 10 out of 100) of words in conversational
speech to be identified as having a stuttering disorder.
What is educational need?
Educational need is a pattern of difficulty a student has learning and making
progress in the classroom. Educational need is determined by teacher
information, a history of failing scores, and a history of failing grades.
Remember, a child may have a speech/language disability, but if it is not
affecting his or her academic progress, then that student does not qualify
for speech/language therapy services through the public school system.
What does 'need for direct services from an SLP' mean?
This means that the child cannot receive remediation through teachers'
instructions, and therefore requires an SLP to help improve that child's
skills. For example, if a child's only area of difficulty was grammar, this
could be addressed by the child's general education or special education
language arts teacher, and therefore, does not require direct intervention
from a speech/language pathologist.
What is an ARD meeting?
An ARD (Admission, Review, Dismissal) is an annual meeting of the ARD
Committee, which consists of parent and/or adult student, administrator
(principal or assistant principal), general education teacher, special
education teacher, and any other professionals who work with that student
(i.e. SLP, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, etc). These meetings
are for special education students only. Here we review progress and
determine continued eligibility and outline the goals and objectives to be
addressed during the next calendar year.
Are speech/language services considered special education?
Speech/language services are an instructional service in the special
education umbrella. SLPs follow the same rules and guidelines as other
special education services. Even if a child qualifies only for
speech/language therapy services and is in all general education classes,
they are still considered to be in special education.
Will my student removed from general education?
This depends on your child and his or her needs. Your child may miss one
general education class (usually an elective) per week for speech/language
services. If your child's language disorder (usually not if it's only an
articulation disorder) is severe enough to impact his ability to make
progress in a general education class, then he or she may be placed in a
special education classroom. However, because of laws around providing the
least restrictive environment for students, we always try to keep students in
general education classes and offer classroom accommodations and/or goals and
objectives to help them be successful in those classes.
How does a student get dismissed from speech/language services?
Students are considered for dismissal under the following guidelines:
1. Student has met all objectives/goals on IEP and no additional areas
warrant intervention
2. Intervention no longer results in measurable benefits
3. Child is unwilling or unable to participate in treatment; or school
attendance is poor
4. Extenuating circumstances warrant discontinuation of services
5. The disorder no longer has an adverse affect on educational
performance
6. The student no longer needs the services to participate in the
general education curriculum
7. The IEP can be better implemented in a less restrictive environment,
or the goals/objectives for the student can be implemented by another
professional (i.e., the teacher).
8. A new evaluation is completed and the student no longer meets one or more
parts of eligibility.
What if I don't agree with your evaluation?
If you do not agree with the evaluation of a school-based SLP, you can get an
independent evaluation. However, as stated above, a disability does not
necessarily qualify a student for speech therapy services. In order to be
eligible, the student must have a disability AND have and educational need
AND require direct intervention from a speech/language pathologist.
How are you qualified to be a speech/language pathologist?
I have a Bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders as well as
a Master's degree in speech/language pathology. I am certified by the
American Speech Language and Hearing Association and licensed by the Texas
State Board of Examiners for Speech/Language Pathologist. I maintain my
certification and licensure by attending continuing education classes
throughout the year.