Introducing My First Book!

Today I want to introduce my first book! 

The School Speech Language Pathologist

An Administrator’s Guide 

to understanding the role of the SLP in schools

along with strategies to aid staffing, workload 

management and student success.

I wrote The School Speech Language Pathologist to help demystify and define the role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the school setting.  The concrete suggestions provided in this book will help to foster more productive speech and language services, aid caseload management, aid student success and guide program development in schools.  

The role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the schools is diverse and crosses both medical and educational disciplines.  SLPs are developmental experts and have to know how to address the needs of clients from birth to adulthood.  Speech and language development is extremely complicated, sequential and neurologically based.  For most children speech and language skills are acquired in a typical naturalistic manner and fall within an expected range of development.  For those students who demonstrate developmental language disabilities, moderate/severe language disabilities or learning disabilities, school can be especially challenging, confusing, frustrating and just plain difficult.

Speech and language skills are also life skills.  Without strong language abilities, students will struggle to succeed in college and in the work place.  Poor language abilities and decreased understanding can even effect personal relationships.

Over the past 30 years the role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the schools has evolved.  Growing special needs populations, changing curriculums and needed legislation has created larger caseloads and workloads for Speech Language Pathologists without significant changes in staffing levels.  We are no longer just articulation experts.  Our scope of practice in the areas of language and learning disabilities goes far beyond what most people think.

Thank You for your interest in learning more about speech and language skills and services in schools.  It’s a short read but full of good ideas.

Teresa

You can also purchase The School Speech Language Pathologist through the amazon link on my blog The School Speech Therapist

Check out my new expanded blog

Google has made life a little difficult. We lets just say not as easy as it was. I was hoping to maintain this blog in conjunction with new expanded blog "The School Speech Therapist". If you find this site helpful please talk a look at Thanks Teresa

Hearing loss in teens on the rise

http://www.examiner.com/speech-pathology-in-boston/earbuds-proceed-with-caution

A new article in examiner focusing on appropriate use of earbuds to help maintain hearing health.
Teresa

Curriculum in Therapy

I was recently asked by a new therapist, working at the middle school level, if I was able to use curriculum material in therapy.  Over the years I found that it was very difficult to incorporate curriculum into therapy.  So I guess my answer is no but with some clarifications and of course exceptions. 

Speech therapists generally don’t see the kids often enough to keep up with the curriculum.  Most of my students in middle school also work with a special education teacher that services them much more often both in and out of the classroom.  The special education teachers are or at least should be connected to the regular education teachers.

Therapy groups are often made up of students from several different classes (sometimes even different grades) rarely are they working on the same thing at the same time.  I’ve occasionally been able to organize a session around a specific  book a grade might be reading.  Talking about higher level language, underlying meaning setting or conflict.

If planning time with teachers isn’t built in clearly you will not know what is specifically going on in the classroom.  One thing that you can always ask teachers for is curriculum vocabulary.  It never hurts to preview, review or introduce a knowledge connection to new vocabulary.

Occasionally when I’ve consulted or observed a classroom where I noticed a skill or concept introduced that looks challenging.  I can usually assume that my students might need simplification, clarification, reinforcement, relevant examples or a knowledge connection.  I’ll start out by asking them about what was covered in therapy to see what they retained.  Then adjust the therapy session accordingly.

Even though many would disagree with me, the speech pathologist is not there to teach academics.  We are there to fill gaps.  The SLP needs to focus on teaching underlying skills that aid independent learning and life skills.  It is difficult to work on remediating language disabilities if we also have to address academics.
Last thoughts......It is important to have an idea of the basic curriculum.  If a student asks for help with academics, try to drop everything, find out what they need and help them out.  I know that if a student comes to me with an academic questions they are either struggling, confused or overwhelmed.

Teresa
From my newest blog The School Speech Therapist  for more information on Speech and Language development.

Your Middle Schooler is staying put!

Hello Everyone,
     Last week I launched my new blog The School Speech Therapist.  On my new blog is a page for "Your Middle Schooler:  A Unique Age".  I was going to discontinue this blog but have decided to post middle school material on both blog sites.  Please visit my new site and let me know what you think.

Thanks
Teresa

Your Middle Schooler: A Unique Age is Moving!

Hello Everyone!

     Your Middle Schooler: A Unique Age is not only moving but expanding.  The new site is called
The School Speech Therapist.  Your Middle Schooler: A Unique Age will have its own page on the site.
     I am very excited about the prospect of expanding my site.  There have been many topics in the field of Speech Language Pathology that I have been interested in writing about that don't quite fit in Your MIddle Schooler.
     Please take a look but keep in mind the site is still under construction.  I welcome comments and questions.  I really want this site to become interactive for parents, therapists, teachers and administrators.

Sincerely,
Teresa Sadowski MA/SLP-ccc

http://www.theschoolspeechtherapist.com/
http://www.theschoolspeechtherapist.com/?page_id=7

For SLP's Only.........Goal and Objective Writing

     I would love to find out how other speech therapists across the country are writing goals and objectives.  I want to collect actual goal samples  in all areas  but especially in the areas of pragmatics and higher level language development.  I'm interested in how detailed you get and how you measure those goals (observation vs. hard data).  Please include what area of the country you are from, how big your caseload is, what type of school/clinic you work at and if you do your own testing.  
     After over 25 years of working maybe I need to freshen up my skills a little.  I also want to know it there is such a think as a "right" way to write goals and objectives.
     I would also be interested in speech and language materials that would be leveled for specific ages and grades.  Any suggestions are welcomed     Please send samples to my e-mail tsmotherof3@verizon.net or post on this site.  I may compile the sample goals for an article.

Thanks

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Teresa Sadowski
Ipswich MA

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