- to identify, screen, assess, diagnose, and treat speech and language disorders
Services may be provided in the classroom or therapy room depending on student needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term "speech or language impairment" as follows: "(11) Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child's educational performance."[34 CFR §300.8(c)(11]
Refer your child to a speech language pathologist if he/she shows difficulty in any of the following areas:
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Stuttering/Fluency: repetitions or pauses in sounds, syllables, or words, causing a break in the flow of speech
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Articulation: production of speech sounds
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Voice: may sound hoarse, nasal, too loud or too soft
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Language: vocabulary, grammar, listening
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Pragmatic/Social Skills: initiating, maintaining conversation, asking questions
The speech-language pathologists in the Balsz School District are state licensed and may hold additional certifications.
