Guidance to School Districts Facing Shortage of Speech & Language Pathologists

Transcription

1 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists August 2014 This publicatin is designed t assist schl districts in: (1) Recruiting and retaining fully licensed Speech and Language Pathlgists (Wiscnsin DPI 820 licensed). (2) Identifying ptins when facing a shrtage in emplying fully licensed Speech and Language Pathlgists (SLP) Special thanks t Wiscnsin DPI staff fr ensuring that all ptins described in this publicatin are in cmpliance with IDEA 2004 and Wiscnsin 115 Statutes. 1

2 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists C- Chairs: Nissan Bar- Lev, CESA 7 Barb Van Haren, CESA 1 Cmmittee Membership Brian Andersn, Appletn Area Schl District Lisa Buechner, Stughtn Public Schls Terry Cane- Petersn, Appletn Area Schl District Kurt Eley, Waunakee Schl District Sue Fell, CESA 2 Mardi Freeman, Hamiltn Schl District Ken Kassees, Kettle Mrraine Schl District Diane Knudsn, Eleva- Strum Schl District Hildegard Kpp, CESA 3 Dave Kwiatkwski, CESA 8 Greg Nyen, Steven Pint Area Schl District Tammy Nyen, Wausau Area Schl District Julie Preman, CESA 1 Laurie Schmidt, New Lndn Schl District Sheryl Thrmann, Wiscnsin DPI Dawn Western, CESA 11 2

3 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Recruitment and Retentin f Speech Pathlgists Jb Vacancies Pstings: Wiscnsin DPI prvides free f charge vacancy psting at Teachers- Teachers.cm, and at the State f Wiscnsin Jb Seeker Prtal. Tuitin Reimbursement Prgram: Infrmatin abut tuitin reimbursement available t university students wh cmmit t teach in high- need fields, including SLP, at varius Wiscnsin public schls, has been made available by DPI t the IHE preparatin prgrams. Infrmatin is psted nline at schlarships/teach Cntracted Services: Cntracting with utside vendrs fr fully licensed speech and language pathlgy services, as well as speech and language pathlgy assistants (SLPAs), under the paraprfessinal license is allwable. These cntracted services are aidable and may als be charged t the IDEA grant. Incentives: Schl districts may attract SLPs by ffering varius financial incentives which may include reimbursement fr American Speech Language Hearing Assciatin (ASHA) dues. 3

4 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Student Teaching Opprtunities: Districts emplying SLPs wh are currently ASHA Certified are eligible t ffer a student teaching placement fr graduate level SLPs. SLPs wh have a psitive experience during their externship are likely t pursue nging emplyment with the schl district. University Partnerships: Many universities welcme schl district representatives t speak with their students abut future emplyment pprtunities. Fcus n Wrklad: Cnsider ptins in determining caselads. The DPI dcument fund at dpi.wi.gv/files/sped/dc/cseldptn.dc cntains the Statewide Caselad Frmula and the Statewide Caselad Numbers. The charts are designed as starting pints t guide discussins abut caselad determinatin, if the LEA chses t use ne f these mdels fr discussin. Als, please review the DPI page n Services fr Students with Speech & Language Disabilities. It includes a guide n speech & language assessment, an eligibility criteria PwerPint presentatin, checklist and much mre: 4

5 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Identifying ptins fr schl districts that are facing a shrtage in emplying fully licensed Speech and Language Pathlgists (SLP): Optin 1: Supprt frm Teachers : The Individual Educatin Prgram (IEP) Team utilizes the Language Arts skills and knwledge f special educatin teachers t supprt language related IEP gals. The IEP Prcess: Once the IEP team determines that a child meets eligibility in ne f the impairment categries and needs special educatin, the team determines gals and bjectives related t the child's needs that affect educatinal perfrmance. When a child has language needs, the IEP team shuld als cnsider whether the child s language and cmmunicatin needs culd be met thrugh ther special educatin services, r by ther special educatin prviders. The team can decide t write gals that will be addressed in a prgram area ther than speech and language. When writing the IEP, the team will describe the special educatin services needed (fr example, language instructin, amunt, lcatin & duratin) t address the gals. The services culd be prvided by a different special educatin teacher. It's imprtant fr the IEP team t cnsider whether there are reasnable alternatives t speech and language, such as regular educatin prgram mdificatins r supplementary aids and services. Issues like pragmatic language skills, vcabulary, and augmentative cmmunicatin can be 5

6 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists addressed in a variety f ways. Just because the SLP evaluated and fund skill deficits des nt autmatically mean that his/her services are required. Fr example, children wh require services t imprve their vcabulary may be receiving this service frm a regular educatin teacher r anther special educatin prvider wh teaches vcabulary develpment. As anther example, a CD teacher r assistive technlgy specialist may have sufficient training and experience t meet the needs f a child wh requires services fr augmentative cmmunicatin needs, such as picture cmmunicatin bards r electrnic cmmunicatin devices. An IEP team culd, therefre, determine that a particular child s augmentative cmmunicatin needs culd be met thrugh a service prvider ther than a speech and language pathlgist. Pragmatic language skills are defined as the scial rules fr using language. Pragmatic language is the ability t cmmunicate effectively in a variety f scial cntexts. Scial skills instructin prvided by a special educatin teacher ften addresses pragmatic language needs. The IEP team may decide that a particular student s pragmatic language needs culd be met thrugh the special educatin teacher prviding scial skills instructin rather than thrugh the SLP. It is imprtant t remember that decisins regarding services must be made n a case- by- case basis thrugh the IEP prcess. Please see the DPI Speech and Language Technical assistance guide chapter VI lcated at: 6

7 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Optin 2: The Use f Paraprfessinals in Speech and Language Prgrams The special educatin prgram aide license allws an individual t assist as a paraprfessinal in a schl- based speech and language prgram. The use f supprt staff may allw the Speech & Language Pathlgist t increase his/her frequency and amunt f services t students, fcus mre n prfessinal- level tasks, and achieve mre efficient/effective use f time and resurces. The IEP Team is encuraged t discuss hw the district utilizes supprt persnnel in its Speech and Language prgram. Based n the prvisins in Chapter PI 34, the duties f a paraprfessinal in a speech and language prgram may include the fllwing: 1. Prviding direct supprt t students thrugh the practice f IEP gals in the frm f review and reinfrcement after the skill has been intrduced by an SLP: Time spent with the paraprfessinal wrking n review and reinfrcement is cunted as speech and language service indicated in the child's IEP as Special Educatin r Related Services n the IEP Prgram Summary I- 9 frm. The SLP must ensure that the activity is apprpriate fr a special educatin paraprfessinal t implement. This will vary based n the paraprfessinal s skill level, the level f training prvided, the mdel f service delivery, and needs f the caselad. 7

8 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists 2. Assisting the SLP with the management f student behavir and scial interactins: Taking a child that is challenging ut f a grup fr shrt perids t allw them t calm dwn. Prviding behavir cues t a child while the SLP leads a grup lessn. Rle play a situatin in a grup. Vide tape a child s interactin fr later review. 3. Maintaining and prgramming equipment: Prgram devices used by students n the caselad. Make sure devices used by students n the caselad are peratinal. Truble shting when device breaks dwn n child. Respnsible fr charging a device. Respnsible t ensure batteries are charged r changed when apprpriate. Knws where t rder r get new batteries/charger. 4. Prviding clerical supprt: Take attendance and maintain attendance recrds. Maintain speech and language recrds. Clerical preparatin f dcuments as directed by the SLP. Generate wrksheets r cpies f material that will be used fr each sessin. 8

9 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Phtcpying and laminating. Put tgether hme prgrams as directed by the SLP. 5. Assisting in an array f nn- instructinal activities as assigned: Make Therapy Materials as directed by the SLP. Knw hw t run Bard Maker Sftware. Create varius visual representatin systems needed fr therapy n the lw technlgy t high technlgy cntinuum as directed by the SLP. Assist in setting up learning envirnments. Cmplete bservatins and cllect data fr the SLP. SLP creates data cllectin tls and des analysis (Surce, Wiscnsin DPI website: 9

10 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists Optin 3: The use f Telespeech (Online/Web- Based) as a service delivery methd fr Speech & Language services. Telespeech is an apprpriate remte service delivery mdel fr speech and language pathlgists. Lcal Educatin Agencies (LEAs) are required t prvide a free apprpriate public educatin (FAPE) in the least restrictive envirnment (LRE) t all students enrlled in special educatin in the district. As part f FAPE, the IEP team may cnsider a number f service delivery ptins t meet each individual student s needs. If the IEP team determines the use f Telespeech prvides FAPE t the student, it may be used as a methd f service delivery. Surce: DPI When a schl district uses a Telespeech delivery service, infrmatin is transmitted acrss a telecmmunicatin cnnectin, (in real time audi and visual) between the prvider and the student wh are in different lcatins. Rle f the Schl District The schl district must ensure that the SLP wh prvides the Telespeech service hlds a Wiscnsin DPI 820 Speech & Language Pathlgy teaching license. The schl district must insure that the Telespeech prvider strictly enfrces Family Educatinal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prvisins addressing cnfidentiality requirements. Any videtaping f sessins will require parental cnsent. 10

11 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists The schl district must cnduct an in- persn IEP evaluatin / reevaluatin with a lcal speech pathlgist (at this time). The Telespeech delivery services cannt be billed t Medicaid Schl Based Services at this time. Schl Districts may use their IDEA grant funds fr Telespeech services if the Speech Pathlgist cnducting the service hlds a Wiscnsin 820 DPI license. Rle f the IEP Team Discuss with parents the ptential use f Telespeech at the IEP meeting. If the IEP Team determines that the use f Telespeech prvides FAPE t the student, it may identify Telespeech as a methd f service delivery. T determine the student candidacy fr Telespeech, the IEP Team may cnsider such variables as: the student s attentin skills (fr example, ability t sit in frnt f a cmputer screen and attend t the prvider); Auditry cmprehensin (ability t fllw directins); Cgnitive ability; Hearing ability; Visual ability; Manual dexterity (ability t perate a keybard r muse if needed); Physical endurance (sitting tlerance); Cmfrt level with technlgy, etc. 11

12 WCASS Special Prjects Cmmittee Reprt: Guidance t Schl Districts Facing Shrtage f Speech & Language Pathlgists In sme cases, a Paraprfessinal may be needed t assist the student in accessing the Telespeech service. Students wh are nt apprpriate candidates fr Telespeech will require direct in- persn services frm a Speech Pathlgist. When needed, prvide a paraprfessinal n- site supprt fr the Telespeech sessins. The IEP Team must nte the use f Telespeech (in terms f lcatin, amunt, frequency and duratin) n the IEP Prgram Summary (I- 9) frm under special educatin, r related services. 12