Debunking Misconceptions About What Speech-Language Pathologists Do

“So, you’re the reading teacher, right?” “But their speech is clear, I don’t understand why they need to see you.” “I don’t hear any speech impediment.” I hear these phrases quite a bit and am sure other speech-language pathologists do, too. As this year’s Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) draws to a close, I want to share common misconceptions I face, and strategies I use to educate families and colleagues about what exactly we SLPs do. What’s language got to do with it? Everything is language—from the sounds embedded in a phonics program to the multi-step directions in a math word problem. When it comes to both oral language and written language, SLPs can help. Some parents, professionals and educators don’t quite grasp all the issues we treat within our scope of practice. AAC and that’s it. I cannot begin to calculate the amount of time I spend training other professionals that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) goes beyond simply giving a child a device and teaching them skills for effective use. Our training includes treating the whole child to improve all aspects of communication, not focusing on disparate skills. Evaluate, and get out of the way. Sometimes when you work in schools, you can feel as though you are valued primarily for the assessments you provide. You get time to work with students, but perhaps not as much or as focused time as other professionals are allotted. I know this already, what can I do about it? ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Source Type: blogs