A Case History of Professional Evolution: From SLP To Communication Instructor

Abstract

This contribution is a case history of professional development. It traces philosophical changes that impacted service delivery to communication disordered school-age children. The evolution from "speech therapist" to "communication instructor" has been the result of adopting an educational model vs. a medical (or clinical) model, through integrating communication instruction into the students' natural learning environment, and through collaborating with other educators. Suggestions for instructional activities that are the product of a re-definition of the SLP role are provided.

Implementation of the Consultative Approach in the Classroom in Support of Related Services

“…For related service objectives to be recast into an educational framework, special services providers can benefit by considering themselves as educators, a fist step in becoming part of the mainstream (Johnson, 1987). They must redefme their own professional goals into educational goals , developmental goals, and vocational goals.…”

“…Consequently, these are financial disincentives to serving regular education children who may have subtle delays but are not formally identified ris in need of special education because school systems may not want to pick up related service providers on the regular education budget. School systems should consider supporting related service providers on regular education budgets so that all children may benefit (Johnson, 1987).…”

“…Indirect benefits fromdecreasing reliance on pull out services are especially acute for adolescent youth, such as overcoming the rebelliousness associated with pull out services for that age group (Johnson, 1987).…”

The development of a model for geodesic learning: The geodesic information processing model

“…One of the communication needs stressed in the alternative service delivery literature is the need to integrate communication skills with academic material with the emphasis on the learning process (Paul-Brown, 1992). This is due to the academic environment requiring competent communication skills -both oral and writtenas prerequisites for school success (Johnson, 1987). A student's successes and failures are bound up in the way they share and create meaning through language.…”

“…lates that well-meaning traditional speech-language approaches have actually ended up creating "educational casualties" as a consequence of segregating and labelling students, leading them to become addicted to 1:1 attention. This has led to the development of passive attitudes towards learning by falling into patterns of "learned helplessness" due to believing their "disabled" labels (Johnson, 1987). Alternative service delivery approaches have consequently emerged in response to the increasing awareness of the inefficiency of traditional approaches to communication, with immediate impact on the role of the speech-language therapist.…”