Language impairments/disorders/difficulties, can greatly affect a student’s ability to learn and to socialise.
Children with little or no functional speech who are often referred to as “non-verbal” can have a functional communication system that does not rely on voice. This is referred to as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (“AAC”).
There is no reason for children with little or no functional speech to languish in schools without the means to understand or contribute.
The proper response to students with language disorders is for a Speech Pathologist to observe how their disorder affects their classroom and peer communication, and for a language/communication plan to be developed.
It is recommended that Speech Pathologists working for DET are not considered to undertake this function for the following reasons:
- they have a conflict of interest in that their school may advise them that they have no money to spend on further speech pathology support and therefore this recommendation is unlikely to be made;
- they are unable to provide intensive services directly due to workload and their priority of writing up assessments for the Program for Students with Disabilities as opposed to actually providing direct assistance to students;
- they are often new graduates;
- they often have no expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
The language/communication plan, similar to an individual education plan, should have short-term and long-term goals, strategies, and measurable outcomes. Data should be taken on achievement in order that progress against goals can be measured.
Speech Pathologists do not necessarily need to attend school frequently and give ongoing direct therapy. If they know how to develop a professional communication/language plan such a plan can be provided to a class assistant or teacher to implement. However it is recommended that the Speech Pathologist monitor and supervise the plan in the event that goals are not being achieved and strategies need to be changed.
The cheap “consultation” method favoured by the Department of Education and Training may assist students with mild language disorders, and even the entire class, but many students need an individual approach which will only be recommended by an independent Speech Pathologist. Segregated schools often advertise speech therapy, however individual speech therapy is not provided to children unless recommended by a teacher, teachers not having the qualifications to know whether a child needs individual speech pathology or not.
Students with little or no functional speech will often require equipment, ongoing training, intensive assistance to use their communication method in the classroom, and a Communication Partner who is trained in the use of any equipment and the relevant communication method. Most segregated schools do not provide their children with their communication devices except at lunchtime and recess. You need to specifically request and insist that their communication devices or method be with them at all times, and that you expect to see an expansion of vocabulary every week.
Many children with little or no functional speech will need a Communication Partner. A Communication Partner is not someone who is the general aide for the class and occasionally brings out the child’s high or low tech device for communication opportunities. It is not someone who works for the child for 15 minutes every day on their communication.
Students with little or no functional speech need to be able to communicate at any time throughout the day in the same manner as students without language disorders do. Students without language disorders do not have their ability to speak or hear rationed. Students with little or no functional speech should not either.
It is particularly apparent that where you would expect to see speech pathologists experienced in augmentative and alternative communication and the development of communication plans, you do not, and that is in segregated schools which often have access to their own school speech pathologist.
If you want to optimise the assistance your child will receive to address their language disorder, and therefore learn, ask your school to engage an independent speech pathologist. Speech pathologists with expertise in augmentative and alternative communication can be found through AGOSCI.