Current Issues in Current Issues in School-Based Speech-School-Based Speech-Language PathologyLanguage Pathology
Shelly Wier, MS, CCC-SLPShelly Wier, MS, CCC-SLPEaster Seals Outreach Program
501-221-8415
Current IssuesCurrent Issues
Evidence-Based Practice
Responsiveness To Intervention
SLPs’ Role in the School Literacy Program
Status of the SEAS Goal Project
Show and Tell: New products, programs, ideas, and collaborative successes
EBP: What Is It?EBP: What Is It? “. . . the integration of best research evidence
with clinical expertise and patient values.”
- Sackett et al., 2000
“. . . the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual students by integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic research.”
- adapted from ASHA 2004
EBP: Why Should I Care?EBP: Why Should I Care?
You don’t want to say “Huh?” when a parent asks you why you are using a particular technique.
Your principal asked you how you were complying with the NCLB requirement to use scientifically-based practices.
You don’t want to go to a due process hearing without a rationale for what you are doing.
You are a conscientious professional and want to make sound decisions about intervention.
You know the students you serve don’t have time to waste with practices that may be ineffective.
Goal of EBPGoal of EBP
Current Best Evidence
Clinical ExpertiseFamily/Student Values
EBPEBP
PAIRS READ ACTIVITYPAIRS READ ACTIVITY
Read Paragraphs 1-11
Stop at Paragraph 12
thenSummarize: Go back and quickly write one concise
sentence for each paragraph.
In reality EBP is neither . . .In reality EBP is neither . . .
nor . . .nor . . .
Rather . . .Rather . . .
Responsiveness To Responsiveness To InterventionIntervention
Prior Knowledge Check
A problem-solving framework that may be used to detect academic and
behavioral difficulties and guide the use of research-based interventions
to provide intensive instruction.
Current ApproachCurrent Approach
TOO MANY STUDENTS
MINORITY REPRESENTATIONS
“WAIT TO FAIL” PROCESS
WRONG STUDENTSCOST OF ASSESSMENT
AND SERVICES
IDENTIFICATION COMES TOO LATE
Prevention ModelPrevention Model
New and improved pre-referral intervention
(validated interventions and valid progress monitoring)
that precedes a comprehensive evaluation.
Prevention Prevention ANDAND Identification Identification
Children who remain unresponsive to increasingly intensive
interventions are “eligible” for special education.
No comprehensive evaluation is necessary.
Why SLPs Should Know About It?Why SLPs Should Know About It?
You should be informed about what’s going on in the general education arena
It may be the alternative to regression analysis that your district chooses to implement
It has the potential to change the way SLPs are involved with learning problems, especially in literacy
It may impact your workload It may begin to change the way we think about
students with language impairments
Three-Tier ModelThree-Tier Model
Tier 1: High quality instructional and behavioral supports are provided for all students in general education.
Tier 2: Students whose performance or rate of progress falls behind their peers receive specialized instruction or remediation in the general education classroom.
Tier 3: Comprehensive evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team to determine eligibility for special education and related services.
The SLP and Tier IThe SLP and Tier I
Help identify appropriate, scientifically-
based curriculum, assessment, and
instruction in language and literacy
Explain the language base of literacy
Help identify signs of struggle with language
within school-wide progress monitoring
systems
Consult about appropriate adaptations for
struggling students
The SLP and Tier IIThe SLP and Tier II
Consult with and model for the team
delivering targeted interventions to
help make instruction most beneficial
for students with language-learning
difficulties.
The SLP and Tier IIIThe SLP and Tier III
Provide curriculum-relevant language
therapy for students who have not benefited
from Tiers I and II
Engage other educators in a partnership to
provide therapeutic intervention
Consult with other special educators to help
make their intervention language-sensitive
Provide assistance to general educators in
making appropriate accommodations
IssuesIssues
Number of Tiers
Movement across Tiers
Distinguishing Tier II and Tier III interventions
Length of time in Tier II prior to receiving
“specialized instruction” in Tier III
Eligibility and identification
Reconfiguration of existing resources
Older students
Advantages of RTIAdvantages of RTI
ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED IN A
TIMELY MANNER
DATA INFORMS & IMPROVES
INSTRUCTION
NON-RESPONDERS ARE NOT GIVEN A
LABEL
ENSURES THAT POOR
PERFORMANCE IS NOT DUE TO POOR
INSTRUCTION
ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION ARE
CLOSELY LINKED
RTI and SLIRTI and SLI
If SLPs are more involved
in Tiers I and II, some language
impairments may be prevented.
RTI and SLIRTI and SLI
Use of RTI can circumvent
problems we encounter with
identification using standardized
norm-referenced tests.
RTI and SLIRTI and SLI
Providing tiers of instruction
may help us identify a smaller
group of students for
intensive therapeutic services.
RTI and SLIRTI and SLI
Providing tiers of instruction
may help us to become involved
with a broader population
as part of our workload.
What Will It Require?What Will It Require?
Greater understanding and recognition of the
role of language in curriculum and instruction
on the part of educators
SLPs becoming more of a “front and center”
resource to schools
Mechanisms that involve SLPs in all tiers
while maintaining a reasonable workload
Transition from a “caseload” to a “workload”
orientation
Let’s ChatLet’s Chat
Role in literacy
SEAS Goals Project
Show and Tell
Show & Tell StationsShow & Tell Stations
Video: Arkansas SLPs
EBP: ASHA’s 4-Step Process
RTI: Reading Interventions
Review Self-Study Materials
Review New Tests & Materials
Bloom & Hicks
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