Speech Language Services

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent disorders related to speech, language, communication, voice, and fluency. Speech pathologists can work in a variety of environments.

The goal of school-based SLPs is to remediate, improve, or alleviate student communication within the educational environment. Speech professionals in the schools can have multiple roles within the school environment. This can include prevention, screening, providing comprehensive evaluation, determining the type and severity of s/l impairment, individualized education program (IEP) development, intervention, consultation, caseload management, data analysis, supervision/mentorship, and professional development. In PA, school-based speech language professionals are certified through the department of education. Professionals can hold either the Educational Specialist Certificate for School Speech and Language Pathologist PreK-12 or Special Education – Speech and Language Impaired PreK-12. A school-based therapist may also hold a PA State License and the certificate of clinical competence (CCC) provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).