Speech Therapist in Public School

Martha answered this beautifully. I would only like to add that I had a son who qualified for public school speech and was dismissed while still having the same speech defect as your daughter. When he got to jr hi the teasing was relentless! We then sought private speech therapy which rather quickly cleared up the problem. We refer to it as one of the best investments we've ever made because it restored his self-esteem during those critical pre-teen years. I encourage you to get private therapy for your daughter.

Hi B.!

Here is the rub: the school is required to remediate issues so that your child is "functional" in the classroom. If your daughter is doing well otherwise, they are not required to remediate an articulation issue. Social issues related to speech oddites are seldom considered, and when they are, it certiainly is much, much more than the legal standard that any school is requied to follow by IDEA.

It is really funny that your teacher said she did not know. She knows. She has noticed your daughter's issue and knows that if she says something about it, the school is required to evaluate (a mechanism in IDEA.) She also knows that she would most likely be in trouble for triggering an evaluation that the school would rather not pay for, espeically since they will not be offering serivices unless there is an educational need (and she may even have been instructed that educational need means that her OAT's scores will be effected.)

Your best bet is to get some private therapy, which you will probably have to pay for out of pocket, but probably will not take too long to remediate.

Where are you in Columbus?

M.

The public school is typically required to provide such services. She would likely have an evaluation and then a plan written specifically for her which would include therapy at school. I highly recommend requesting this in writing (and keeping a copy!) and submitting it to the principle. Depending on your school, you may have to keep pushing for this and advocating for your child. It costs the schools money so some don't like to do it. Others are overwhelmed with the amount of kids requiring more help.

20 yrs ago when i went through this the school tested and gave the speech therapy in class. he would be pulled out one hour a week for speech and it was during something like music that they miss. get ahold of the special ed dept and they can tell you if your area does it and how to get into it. in 3rd grade if he hasnt outgrown it he probably wont.yess it is worth it to pull them out of class. I would stick with the school so his teachers are aware of what is going on and they will make him talk right. if a teacher knows they also enforce what he is being taught in speech.

Get her screened at school but also seek private help. What Martha says is true, the school does not care about socialization only how it impacts the academics.

Some schools don't have it in their budget. Don't be surprised if it's not available. Shame on the teacher for not saying, "I will ask and see what I find out." If you want to try some at home therapies before you start spending the cash, http://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&... try some of the activities on that page.
Around the time my first daughter was learning to speak she went to a daycare lady who did speech therapy for a little girl. Basically, she would strengthen the muscles of the mouth and tongue by making certain repetitive sounds. My daughter thought it was fun and would mimic like rolling her R's, or blowing raspberries. Try some fun sound activities at home. I'm sure that's what she would be doing in the class at school. You might have to do a little research to find the specific sounds she needs to work on, but it might be fun for your family. I know my family enjoyed all the sounds my kid was making and we would play sounds with her. Good luck!

While you request an evaluation via a letter (must be in a letter, not email, or verbal) to the school, also seek private therapy. The evaluation process generally takes the entire school year to complete and therapy would not likely start until the following year. That is the unfortunate reality due to money and caseload. I am both a mom of a special needs child and a teacher. Schools are not funded as they should be as we all know. While the school therapy will certainly help, if she qualifies (IF meaning it is affecting her academically, and in some districts that means not hitting the minimum #, ie. 400 for reading), she will receive some therapy. It is often insufficient whereas private therapy is in your control. Schools, teachers, and administrators really want to do more but are stuck with the $ provided and the policies guiding the programs.