Speech-Language Dismissal

This event is being funded with State and/or Federal funds and is being provided for employees of school districts, employees of the Mississippi Department of Education and Department contractors. Miss. Const. Art. 4, Section 66 prohibits governing authorities from making donations. According to the Mississippi Attorney General, once the Federal funds are turned over to the State, the rules for the expenditure of State funds apply. Based on Mississippi law, this event is not being provided for third party vendors or external providers ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support2

Vision _________________________________ To create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens Mission _______________________________ To provide leadership through the development of policy and accountability systems so that all students are prepared to compete in the global community ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support3

All Students Proficient and Showing Growth in All Assessed Areas Every Student Graduates High School and is Ready for College and Career Every Child Has Access to a High-Quality Early Childhood Program Every School Has Effective Teachers and Leaders Every Community Effectively Using a World-Class Data System to Improve Student Outcomes ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support4

The OSE now has a teacher listserv available for special education teachers. The purpose of the listserv is to inform special education teachers of upcoming trainings, upcoming webinars, and other resources provided by MDE ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support5

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This training is designed to provide Speech- Language Pathologists and Speech Therapists with information on procedures for dismissing a student from Speech-Language, whether it is the primary disability or a related service. The ultimate goal is to provide therapy for as short a time as is feasible, and return the student to his Least Restrictive Environment with full access to grade-level academics as soon as possible ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support7

Reevaluation procedures must be followed when dismissal is considered for a student with a Speech-Language disability. The IEP Committee must meet to determine if the student is no longer in need of special education. Reevaluation data should be collected and reviewed at the IEP meeting. The procedures are the same, whether S/L is the primary disability or a related service ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support8

Reevaluation data may include, but is not limited to: Observation across settings Interviews with teachers, parents, student Therapy log data Current academic status (report cards, progress reports, etc.) Discipline and absence reports Universal screening data Eligibility criteria / adverse impact ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support9

For a child ages 30 months or older, there must be evidence that the child’s articulation skills are below age-appropriate peers based on normative data. Documentation of a communication impairment that adversely affects educational performance in academic, social, and/or vocational settings ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support10

A student with speech and language difficulties may be eligible for special education services if s/he meets one or more of the following criteria: (1) Articulation Disorder, which reduces intelligibility and significantly interferes with communication and attracts adverse attention. The student’s articulation competency must be below what is expected for her/his chronological age or developmental level and not just an abnormal swallowing pattern; (2) Voice Disorder, which is characterized by persistent, defective voice quality, pitch, or loudness; (3) Fluency Disorder, in which the flow of verbal expression, including rate and rhythm, adversely affects communication between the student and listener; (4) Language Disorder, standardized test score must be at least 1.5 standard deviations below the mean of the test in the areas of expressive language and/or receptive language, including morphology, syntax, semantics, and/or pragmatics ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support11

Current data must be sufficient to determine whether the student no longer has a Speech-Language (S/L) disability that causes an adverse effect on his/her academic, social/behavioral, and/or vocational performance, or his/her ability to benefit from special education ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support12

Adverse impact is evident when a student’s disability negatively impacts his/her: Involvement and advancement in the general education program (academic impact); Education and participation with other students without disabilities (social impact); Participation in extracurricular and other non- academic activities (vocational impact) ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support13

Federal special education law distinguishes between “educational” performance and “academic” performance and establishes that “educational” performance is a broad concept. For example, children must be assessed by schools in all areas of suspected disability. [20 U.S.C. Sec. 1414(b)(3)(B).] Those areas are defined by Federal regulations to include: health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities. [34 C.F.R. Sec (c)(4).] Academic performance is only one of the areas in which children must be assessed ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support14

Examples: The child is unable to make letter/sound associations and spell phonetically due to his/her inability to articulate age-appropriate sounds. (articulation) A child has difficulty comprehending grade-level reading material. (language) A child with average or above average intelligence remains quiet during class discussions or free time. (fluency) A child is bullied or shunned due to his inability to understand jokes, or because he sounds different. (social) ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support15

©MDE - Office of Instructional Support16 By Ana Paula G. Mumy, MS, CCC-- ‐ SLP

If current information does not clearly indicate that there is no longer a disability, the IEP Committee may decide that a more extensive formal evaluation is necessary to make a conclusive decision. If a parent requests additional assessment prior to dismissal, the IEP Committee must comply ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support17

A reevaluation is not required for dismissal if: 1.The student is graduating with a standard high school diploma, or 2.The student has exceeded the age limit for FAPE under State law (20) ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support18

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Procedures should include, but are not limited to: A review of the IEP; Review of current data to determine adverse educational impact; Administration of formal assessments, if appropriate; Interviews with teachers, parents, and therapist(s); Observations across settings ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support20

If formal assessment is warranted, or requested by the parent, the parent must receive: –Procedural Safeguards –Prior Written Notice –Informed Parental Consent for testing Any decision made by the IEP Committee should be fully documented on the IEP in the PLAAFP and the Summary of Revisions. Progress should be marked on all goals relevant to dismissal ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support21

Students should be dismissed from speech therapy when one of the following criteria is met: They no longer have a disability; and/or They no longer require speech services due to their disability ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support22

The IEP Committee can determine that S/L services are no longer warranted because: A.The student no longer meets eligibility criteria for S/L services when: o He/she has mastered IEP goals/objectives. o S/L skills are within normal limits ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support23

B.The student’s progress has plateaued and/or the student no longer benefits from S/L services. o IEP shows lack of progress, and reevaluation data supports this. o Lack of progress is due to: Limited ability to self-monitor communication; Poor attendance; Lack of motivation; Limited potential for significant change ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support24

C.Communication skills no longer have an adverse impact on academic, social/behavioral, or vocational performance. D.The student no longer requires S/L services due to their disability. o Skills can be monitored and maintained in the student’s environment. o Skills are being addressed by others in the student’s environment (i.e., special education teacher, general education teacher, parent, etc.) ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support25

SLP Handbook forms: Reevaluation Checklist, pg. 101 Dismissal Criteria Form, pg. 102 These forms are not required, but contain checklists of dismissal procedures and criteria for your convenience ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support26

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Teresa Laney, M.S., CCC-SLP, Instructional Specialist April Rice, Office Director Tanya Bradley, Bureau Director Office of Special Education ©MDE - Office of Instructional Support28