No More “Speech Only” Evals
Comprehensive Evaluations with
Specific Speech/Language
Concerns
Historically, An Informal Process
 The elementary classroom teachers asks the
Speech/Language therapist to observe a
child and a speech screening was done.


Passed – no referral action
Did not pass – student was evaluated for
speech services



“Speech Only” Evaluation
No interventions attempted
Separate process
Because the Regulations Say So!
 Comprehensive evaluation
“The evaluation must be sufficiently
comprehensive to identify all of the child’s
special education and related services needs,
whether or not commonly linked to the
disability category being considered for the
child.”
 Speech/Language is a category of disability,
and not just a related service.

So – everything applies!
 No more “speech only” evaluations
“We Think We Have
a Child With a Disability”
School Procedures:
 Student is part of the school’s RTI process
and has progressed through Tiers 2 and 3, or
the student may have completed including 46 weeks of Speech/Language Interventions
for students with specific speech concerns.

This will be considered “S/L RTI”
S/L RTI: Requesting a Screening
Old Way
1. Classroom teacher
asks the S/L Therapist
to do a Speech
Screening
Right Way
1. Classroom teacher
confers with the
school’s RTI
Coordinator and
together they
complete A Request
For S/L Screening and
Intervention Form
S/L RTI: Completing a Screening
Old Way
2. S/L Therapist
completes a Speech
Screening


PASS – No Action
DID NOT PASS –
S/L Therapists
initiates and
completes a S/L
evaluation
Right Way
The RTI Coordinator
routes completed
S/LRequest Form to the
S/L Therapist
3. S/L Therapist completes
the screening
4. RTI Coordinator and S/L
Therapist determine
mutually agreeable
day/time for an RTI
meeting to discuss
screening results.
2.
S/L RTI – School Team Consideration
The Speech/Language Therapist shares the
screening results with the school’s RTI
team. If the student did not pass the
screening, the RTI team directs the
implementation of S/L Interventions and
data collection. (4-6 weeks)
4.
•
•
•
S/L Articulation Intervention Data Sheets
S/L Fluency Intervention Data Sheets
S/L Language Intervention Data Sheets
The Exception…
In the case of “Voice” issues or significantly
severe “Language”, “Fluency”, or
“Articulation” issues detected during the
screening, the RTI team may complete the
Comprehensive Student Review/Referral
Form. (yellow form)
S/L RTI:
5.
Intervention
After 4-6 weeks of interventions, the S/L
Intervention results are shared with the RTI
team.
If appropriate, the referral process is begun with
the completion of the Comprehensive
Student Review Form. The referral process
proceeds with the steps outlined in the P-12
school referral process.
Follow the Referral Procedures
“I Think We Have a Child with a Disability!”
From here, the process follows the Elementary
Special Education/Section 504 Referral
Procedures
Parent Request…
 A parent request for a speech and language
evaluation follows the same procedures for a parent
request for a special education evaluation (Right side
column on the Referral Procedures).


Parents can be asked if they want to try interventions
If parent choose NOT to do interventions, the
evaluation will include the implementation of
interventions. The intervention data will be reviewed
at the eligibility meeting.
What About OT and PT?
 Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
are different because they are only related
services.
 Related services are only provided to
increase the child’s ability to benefit from the
special education services

You can’t have OT or PT without first
suspecting or identifying an area of disability
This Means…
 OT and PT screening can only be requested
by:



Student IEP teams or IEP team members (for
students already eligible for special education
services under IDEA)
School-based intervention and problemsolving teams as a part of RTI or intervention
development for specific motor concerns
Student Section 504 teams
Next, We Need to Talk With…
 Your RTI coordinator


We’ll make an appointment to have an ESE
administrator and your S/L Therapist meet
with your RTI coordinator and go over these
referral procedures.
End of September
Questions?
 Send me an e-mail
 Want your entire staff trained? – get it on my
calendar!