Eligibility/Placement for
Middle and High School
Students
By Perry Flynn,
Consultant to the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction in the area of Speech-Language Pathology
www.uncg.edu/csd/faculty/perryflynn.html
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Are you willing to conduct business in
a different way to get a different
outcome?
YOU may need to be the catalyst for some
systemic change at least at your school
level.
 If you present a problem can you/ do you
provide some solutions to that problem?
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Discuss dismissal at first IEP meeting and
every annual review thereafter.
Educate staff/ administration/ parents.
Reassure parents that we ALL want to act in
the best interest of their child. Often 1 on 1
in the speech “closet” is NOT in the best
interest of the student. EBP
◦ Have a picture of the student on the table for the
conference
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Gateways to Placement form can be(on
Perry’s website) used at the IEP Team
meetings to discuss placement decisions.
Dismissal
Follow ideal intent of IDEA in authoring
goals.
 Have the entire team collectively write
goals for what is reasonable for the
student to achieve in IEP period. Include
the parent. If you get to them/ initiate
before they get to you, many problems
can be prevented
 THEN decide the service providers needed
to achieve the agreed upon goals.
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IEP Goals
SLPs should CAREFULLY consider students
who have remained eligible for one
triennial evaluation period.
 Is the student appropriately placed?
 Motivation
 Do structure/ function allow for student
progress?
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Speech Primary
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Self contained teachers often are great at
providing communication opportunities
facilitating communication all day long.
Teachers may need us to point out to them
all the great activities they are doing.
Teachers may need us to collaborate with
them to help build communication into daily
activities and create communication rich
environments.
Should be an INDIVIDUAL decision taking
into account personnel…….
Communication
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Should be a data driven decision. Ask
parents/ teachers to produce the data that
suggest the need for a related service.
What data support this need?
Does the student meet the definition for a
related service?
Does the student require the specially
designed, individualized instruction of the
SLP to meet the goals in their primary area of
eligibility?
Related Services
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Student may have direct service goals or JUST
RSSD to provide consultative / collaborative
service on behalf of the student.
RSSD may be used to “wean” students, parents,
teachers off our direct services while providing
what is truly in the best interest of the student
while supporting least restrictive environment
(LRE).
Requires # of session but not time period of
sessions.
NO progress reports because students are not
receiving DIRECT services from the RSSD so no
progress per say is expected.
Related Service Support
Description (RSSD)
Thoughtfully consider transition for these
students.
 What realistically will they do after their
time in school? (student at RCSHS vet.)
 What is functional for them to master in
the area of communication?
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Transition
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What curriculum does the student
participate in?
◦ Standard Course of study
◦ Occupational Course of Study
◦ Extended Content Standards
Does a communication problem negatively
impact the student’s ability to achieve their
functional or academic curricular goals?
Curriculum
Functional!!
 Realistic
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◦ Often more social / vocational less “academic”
by this time in the student’s academic career.
Goals
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If goals are functional, service delivery should be as
well!
Classroom
Vocational settings
Clubs
Lunch
Off campus job sites
◦ Amanda, John, Brett, Johnnie, Nursing home….
LITTLE OR NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CARRYOVER
COMING FROM DRILL AND PRACTICE IN THERAPY
ROOM SETTINGS. ASHA EBP Compendium…other
resources
Service Delivery
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You MUST call for re-evaluation to add or
delete a related service. No testing is
required! Data to dismiss may come from:
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Therapy data
Progress reports
Non standard assessments
Curricular measures
Authentic/ environmental assessments
Observation…….
Dismissal
Involve students in their own IEP
conferences (they may dismiss
themselves).
 Data driven!
 If students lack motivation and parents
are insistent, initiate a contract with
incentives that parents/students/team
members agree on. Contract not
met=dismissal
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Dismissal
DATA driven! Audio tapes……
 Evidence Based Practice
 Administrative support
 If there is dissent among the IEP Team
members the LEA Representative makes
the call.
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Dismissal
Elementary school therapists should
consider placement carefully at times of
transition to K, 6, 9.
 Think carefully about dismissing students
too quickly when they move onto your
workload. Establish trust with parents.
(personal experience…John)
 Caseload is to a certain extent what you
make it. YOU have some power in
determining who is on your caseload!!!
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Final thoughts