1 | Kathy Mortensen
2008/09/10 at 12:02 am

Speech and Language Role with
RtI
2008-2009
(Draft)
Speech and Language Therapists and all assistants recognize that referral processes are different between each school district and between school buildings.

SLP’s and SLP-A’s can observe a child to help determine referral needs without parent permission.

SLP’s agree that to isolate a child for a screening or 2nd level intervention requires parent permission.

RtI and Referral process

1. Know your school and building level processes
2. SLP’s and SLP-A’s can observe and recommend
3. All referrals to an SLP for more than observation (evaluation, screening or RtI) need to come from the RtI team (SPOT, SIT, Student Study Team, whatever they are called within the building) OR the special education teacher (depending on the building process).
4. The SLP or SLP’A makes a decision:
(the diagram will not cut and paste)…

SLP decides screen for RtI or screen and evaluate
RtI process will include progress monitoring.

Speech Language Pathologists (SLP’s) role in RtI relates to Language Development
Language Development has 2 overall components: Expressive and Receptive.
These 2 components are defined below.

Expressive Receptive

Articulation Listening
Vocabulary Following Directions
Sentence Structure/Syntax Understanding/Comprehending
Language Development Phonics
Voice Phonemic Awareness
Fluency
Phonics
Phonemic Awareness

At the Universal Intervention Level or 1st Tier, SLP’s will provide intervention techniques for the whole classroom or for large group instruction that fits into the daily routine of a classroom for concerns related to language development as listed above.

At the Targeted Intervention Level or 2nd Tier, SLP’s will provide intervention techniques for individual students who are involved in a Student Study Team process with concerns related to language development as listed above. Recommendations from an SLP will be presented at team meetings, not provided to individual teachers outside of the study team process. Due to geographic responsibilities, SLP’s may or may not be able to attend these meetings. Ideas can be shared with a primary contact person from the Student Study Team if the SLP is not available to attend the meeting. The primary contact person can share the recommendations. SLP’s will also provide tools, when needed, to progress monitor intervention’s effectiveness. After the determined progress monitoring time, for scheduled follow up meetings, SLP’s will provide additional techniques or information when needed/requested. Written parent permission to complete individual activities is required.

At the 3rd Tier or Intensive Intervention Level, SLP’s will provide direct intervention for students on an IEP. An occasional student without an IEP can receive some direct intervention under the guidance of the Director of Special Education. Written parent permission for intensive activities is required.

SLP’s 3 Tiered Diagram is attached. (Diagram won’t cut and paste)

7 | Kathy Mortensen
2009/01/13 at 7:57 pm

Early Childhood Special Education Role in RTI

Our role is to support and participate in the RTI process at our sites and to help recognize which children should go to ECSE evaluation and for which children more targeted intervention and data collection is necessary before an ECSE evaluation is warranted.

For initial referrals, a meeting with identified team partners to determine which referrals go to RtI and which referrals go to evaluation will be held. Initial referrals may go immediately to evaluation or a joint decision may occur to wait and have the child supported through a problem solving/RTI process.

Decisions for immediate evaluation may require some or all of the following informational sources: Screening results; Observation; Teacher or Parent Report; Health History (including vision and hearing information); Professional Judgment; Team Input. ECSE will seek related service staff input on decisions for speech and motor concerns.

Referrals for immediate evaluation must consider the following timelines:

IDEA 2004 requires an evaluation be completed within 60 days from the day a permission to test is received by SLV BOCES or the preschool site. If your site relies on eligibility determination for funding, screening, health history and team input needs to be obtained 2 months before your funding deadline to accommodate IEP team needs to complete evaluations and hold eligibility and IEP meetings before the due date. (i.e. If a child needs an IEP before October 1—as an IEP must be in place before Oct. 1 for funding– then the child needs to be referred the first week of August for us to meet your funding requirement).

For preschool students in the RtI process, the preschool RtI/problem solving team, with support from ECSE, will identify student needs; goals; timeframes/progress monitoring tools and persons accountable for fidelity of implementation through a problem solving process.

ECSE role in 1st level of intervention:

ECSE can model and support best practice for social emotional and academic/readiness skills as it relates to the curriculum in use at the preschool site.
ECSE can provide support in data analysis and data interpretation. (i.e. DECA, cc.net. or other curriculum).
ECSE can provide research based/best practice strategies as it relates to universal intervention.
ECSE can provide consultation on implementation of intervention, fidelity or monitoring of intervention in regards to best practice/research based interventions as they apply to: relationships, environment and curriculum.

ECSE role in 2nd level of intervention:

Preschools role is to have a problem solving team in place, with roles and responsibilities of team members outlined and agreed upon. (i.e. who at the site is responsible for minutes; time frames, transitioning RTI to Kindergarten, organizing the meeting, ensuring all team members are notified, ensuring fidelity of instruction, data collection, etc.).

ECSE can model and support best practice for social emotional and academic/readiness skills as it relates to the curriculum in use at the preschool site.
ECSE can provide support in data analysis and data interpretation. (i.e. DECA, cc.net. or other curriculum).
ECSE can provide research based/best practice strategies as it relates to universal intervention.
ECSE can provide consultation on implementation of intervention, fidelity or monitoring of intervention in regards to best practice/research based interventions as they apply to: relationships, environment and curriculum.
ECSE can attend RTI meetings when jointly scheduled.

ECSE role in 3rd level of intervention:

ECSE can assist with long term interventions and/or will determine special education eligibility by using a variety of different assessment methods
ECSE will consult with general teachers on interventions and programs for special education students
ECSE will assist teachers with progress monitoring and interpreting data for special education students and may assist for regular education students who have long term needs.
ECSE can write FBA (Functional Behavior Analysis Plans) and help implement results of FBA’s and revising behavior plans
ECSE provides direct special education services and provide special education collaboration/consultation with teachers, related service staff and parents