Collaboration between teachers and speech and language therapists: Services for primary school children with speech, language and communication needs

Abstract

Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are prevalent among primary school aged children. Collaboration between speech-language therapists (SLTs) and teachers is beneficial for supporting children's communication skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the needs of both professional groups and their preferences for service delivery when working with mainstream, primary school aged children with SLCN. This study was undertaken within one education region in New South Wales, Australia, using a mixed-methods research design. In Phase 1, all teachers (schools n=156) and all SLTs (n=36) working within the region were invited to complete a questionnaire. Responses were obtained from 14 teachers and 6 SLTs. In Phase 2, a subsample of participants (n=4) contributed to a focus group. Within the study sample, minimal collaborative practice was reportedly occurring. Teachers and SLTs expressed a desire for increased training and knowledge and more collaborative practice. Teachers and SLTs also expressed frustration at perceived systemic inadequacies with regard to funding, personnel and resources. Findings from this study suggest that change to service delivery needs to be considered at an individual, interpersonal and organisational level to enable better outcomes for children with SLCN and increased support for their families and the professionals who work with them.3 Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are highly prevalent (Law et al., 2000a), affecting between 12% and 13% of primary and secondary school children (McLeod and McKinnon, 2007). Indeed, SLCN is reportedly more prevalent than other areas of learning need including behavioural/emotional difficulty, physical/medical disability, intellectual disability, hearing and visual impairment (McLeod and McKinnon, 2007).Children with SLCN often have difficulties with literacy, academic achievement and socialisation throughout their school years (Felsenfeld et al., 1994;McCormack et al., 2011).Persistent SLCN has been linked to reading difficulties (Catts, 1997), problems with literacy (Dockrell & Lindsay, 2000;Schuele, 2004), educational underachievement (Snowling et al., 2001, and behavioural difficulties (Botting and Conti-Ramsden, 2000). In addition, children with SLCN have been found to receive lower ratings of social acceptance than typically developing peers (Lindsay and Dockrell, 2002). Difficulties may be due to the impact of SLCN on children's ability to "access the curriculum and interact with their peers" (Dockrell and Lindsay, 2000: 25).In Australia, the presence of SLCN has been identified by teachers as the most important predictive factor for their recommendation that students required a high level of support in the classroom (McLeod and McKinnon, 2010). However, teachers have also reported that the majority of students identified as having SLCN receive no involvement from outside agencies (i.e. speech and language therapists or professionals other than teachers) (McLeod and McKinnon, 2007). Whilst early and timely ...

Consequential differences in perspectives and practices concerning children with developmental language disorders: an integrative review

“…While restructuring of SLT services in some countries has allowed SLTs to work more directly in schools, changes at this macro‐level have not necessarily resulted in effective collaboration (Brandel , Glover et al . ). Our knowledge of how to facilitate IPC in practice remains limited.…”

“…It is recognized as essential to the role of the SLT working in schools (American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) 2001, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) 2018, Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) 2011) and has been the subject of ongoing discussion in the SLT literature (Law et al 2002, McCartney 1999, 2000, 2002. While restructuring of SLT services in some countries has allowed SLTs to work more directly in schools, changes at this macro-level have not necessarily resulted in effective collaboration (Brandel 2011, Glover et al 2015. Our knowledge of how to facilitate IPC in practice remains limited.…”

Do We Need to Apply Problem Based Learning Model to Improve Students' Communication Skills?

“…The social interaction process is not separated from the communication process occurred in groups. Discussion activities provide opportunities for the students to work in team, to interact, and to develop students' communication skills [15]. Moreover, group discussions facilitate students in developing a sense of responsibility as well as volunteerism to contribute in groups, and enhance the students' social sensitivities.…”

Design and delivery of an innovative speech pathology service-learning program for primary school children in Far West NSW, Australia

“…9 This service deficit is evidenced by the high rate of speech, language and communication delays experienced by Far West NSW primary school children, compared with the NSW average. 10,11 The 2015 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) indicates that there are a substantially greater than average number of children in the vulnerable and very vulnerable range for learning deficits in Broken Hill schools. 12 The reported prevalence of communication delays in Broken Hill primary schools ranges between 13% and 28.6%.…”

“…16 Identifying and treating delays in the early years can mitigate these poorer life outcomes. 11,17,18 In 2009, the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health (BHUDRH) established a student-led speech pathology clinic in local primary schools in partnership with school education, the local health service and a metropolitan-based faculty of health sciences. The service was developed in response to concerns expressed by primary school principals about the high proportion of children entering school with communication impairments 6,10,19,20 and the lack of access to allied health services, in this case qualified speech pathologists.…”