SERVICES
Professional Development Sessions
Full day, half-day or shorter professional development sessions can be planned for educators. The sessions may be tailored to a specific grade-level team so that examples can align with curriculum expectations. There are many topics to choose from, such as:
Oral Language Foundation Skills for Learning; The Oral-Written Language Connection; The Importance of Students’ Vocabulary Development for Long-term Academic Success; All about Phonological Awareness Skills; Evidence-based Strategies for Students Struggling with Developing Literacy Skills; Best Practices for English Language Learners.
Workshops can also be designed to address self-selected topics to match specific staff development goals and needs.
Meetings with School Team Members
Classroom teachers, learning support teachers, early childhood educators and administrators may meet to discuss how to support students who are experiencing learning challenges. An educational SLP is a voice at the table providing a different perspective why the student may be struggling; helping to plan next steps for possible further assessment and sharing possible solutions which can be used to support the student.
When a student’s learning profile is further defined following assessments, the educational SLP will meet with staff to review the results and recommendations. Specific accommodations and modifications to the curriculum will then be planned, as well as sharing of materials and demonstration of specific strategies.
In-Class Visits
The following services may be provided when an educational SLP is invited into the classroom:
- Consulting with educators regarding how a student or group of students are responding to instruction
- Follow-up observation and interaction for a particular student staff are concerned about
- Informal screening of speech, expressive and receptive oral language, reading and writing skills
- Modelling of specific facilitation strategies
- Introduction of language and literacy assessment tools and sharing of engaging learning materials, including hands-on activities, Apps and online programs
Assessment
There are three options for assessing a student’s oral language, literacy or speech skills:
Observation: The educational SLP observes a student in class, or in other school settings (e.g., outdoor play) to see if a concern is developmental in nature or if further assessment is needed.
Informal Screening: Along with observation, the educational SLP interacts with the student in class to obtain speaking, oral language or literacy samples to determine if further assessment is warranted.
Comprehensive Assessment: The student is withdrawn from class and meets with the educational SLP in several sessions to complete a battery of formal, standardized tests as well as informal and diagnostic tasks. A written report is provided and parents and staff are invited to meet to discuss the results and recommendations.
Direct Intervention with Students
When an educational SLP works with students at school, opportunities to collaborate with staff are optimized, resulting in better progress for students in acquiring target skills. Educators can inform the SLP about in-class learning goals, topics and assignments so that these can be included in intervention sessions. The educational SLP can demonstrate and model strategies directly with educators so they can be implemented throughout a student’s academic day, across subject areas.
Parent Support
An educational SLP may offer various services to parents:
- Information sessions for families on various topics, such as learning about speech, language and literacy development at specific ages and stages or how to expand their child’s expressive language skills
- Meeting with the educational SLP to explain their child’s language and literacy learning profile and how to best assist with areas of need
- Private services at home, including assessment and intervention sessions
- Sharing of home program materials to accompany the goals and activities used in direct intervention sessions
- Coaching, to help parents provide the best language modelling possible when communicating and playing with their chidren.
