Administrators' Views of Classroom Based Speech-Language Intervention

Abstract

By Anna Schneider, Speech and Language Hearing Sciences

Advisor: Nancy Creaghead

Presentation ID: 164

Abstract: This study investigated the perspectives of school administrators regarding providing speech-language services in the child's classroom versus in the therapy room. Both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) encouraged school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to provide speech and language therapy in the general education classroom rather than in a resource room. Contrary to this recommendation, ASHA reported in 2016 that school-based SLPs provided therapy outside of the classroom setting 18-19 hour per week, while they only provided services in the classroom 4.6 hours per week (ASHA, 2016). Eighteen SLPs were interviewed via a video chat to examine the experiences of school-based SLPS who provide or have provided classroom based services. SLPs answered the following questions related to administers: 1. Was administration supportive of you providing speech and language therapy in the general education classroom? 2. Has administration ever told you that you needed to use one service delivery model? Each interview was transcribed verbatim by two researchers, and the agreement was calculated. The answer to the two questions about administrators were reviewed to determine common themes. SLPs reported that their administrators were supportive of classroom based services, but relied on them to make decision regarding the best service delivery model. Given the fact that school administrators typically do not determine the service delivery model, SLPs report that they consider the child's academic needs, peer modeling, scheduling needs, distractions, and the student's feelings about being singled out.