Oak View Middle School

The educationally based speech-language pathologist (SLP) identifies and provides both direct and consultative speech and language services to children, birth through age 21, who have difficulties in the areas of articulation, language, fluency, and voice. The development of communication skills is important for all students and can impact school success. SLP services can target communication disabilities, which adversely affect an individual’s educational performance. The speech-language pathologist (SLP) plays an important role in education and may serve on both special education and general education teams. 

Many students in school have significant communication problems that include difficulties with speech and/or language skill development. According to Minnesota State special education criteria, a child may meet eligibility as a student with a Speech or Language Impairment in four areas: articulation disorder, voice disorder, fluency disorder (e.g. stuttering) and language disorder. Students with other primary disabilities (e.g. developmental delays, learning disabilities, physical impairments, mental impairments, autism) may also exhibit communication problems that co-occur with their primary disability and require the specialized, direct or consultative, services of the SLP.

SLPs serve students with identified speech and/or language impairments and needs at all Anoka Hennepin schools and sites. Services may include screening, pre-referral consultation, referral for evaluation, and indirect or direct service delivery. Intervention is based upon each student’s individual needs and the IEP team helps determine the goals. In keeping with federal and state mandates, SLPs design intervention activities that support state and district standards and grade-level expectations, and often use curriculum-based intervention with materials adapted from general education classroom curriculum, as appropriate.