Back to School with Speech Therapy: Team Work

Welcome to day four of my Back to School with Speech Therapy series. Each day you’ll receive a few tips on how I survive that first week back as I plan for students. Today, I’m focusing on Back to School with Speech Therapy: Team Work.

My Team

Teamwork is unavoidable as an SLP. Thankfully, I’m one of the lucky ones. I am blessed to have a strong team that I work with daily. In addition to me and another SLP, we have three full-time resource teachers, a psychologist, social worker, behavior specialist, RtI Coordinator/Counselor, 2 OTs, a PT, a pre-school evaluation team, and our Autism and EBD teachers. Thankfully, we are all willing to help each other out and fill in when needed. However, in addition to our SPED teams, there are two other crucial links in the chain: teachers and parents.

Teachers Are Your Best Friends

It didn’t take me long to learn that it is imperative that service providers have good working relationships with our teachers. As SLPs, we’re not just there to service our kids during the time they are in our rooms. We need to be in close contact with their classroom teachers. We need to let them know what we are working on and how the student is progressing. We also need to tell them any concerns we have and listen to their concerns as well.

I often ask the teachers what they are working on in the classroom and build on that in therapy. Therapy should not be “extra” work for the kids. It should help give them interventions they need to be successful in the classroom. In addition, I want the teachers to know that I am there as a resource for them. This is even more important now with the enactment of Response to Intervention (RtI) and MTSS.

Teachers, (just like us and everyone else in a school), are swamped. Often times when there is a language concern, teachers appreciate our input on interventions they can be doing in the classroom. With students who are working on articulation or fluency, we can show teachers how they should respond or encourage the students outside of therapy.

Teachers are invaluable. We need them to know that we are on their side, that we understand their frustrations, and that we are there to offer our expertise when needed.

Professional Development on What We Do Helps!

There are still other professionals out there who aren’t exactly sure what Speech Language Pathologists do. Have you ever been asked why a student sees you for therapy when they can say all their sounds?!?!

At the beginning of each school year, I request a few minutes of a facult meeting to review what I do and the types of students I see. This has helped many staff members know the referral processes when they have a student they are concerned about. In addition to the quick inservice, if a teacher had a student who is on my caseload, I try to give them a little research or information on the student’s disability and how they can help, in addition to a copy of the student’s IEP and any classroom accommodations.

Parent Involvement is Key

The other crucial link in the student success chain is undoubtedly the parents. Research shows that when parents are involved in the therapy process, the students are much more likely to succeed. This is the case in other areas aside from academics as well. Parents are a necessary and extremely important part of the team.

Having a good rapport with your parents and staying in close communication with them throughout the year is extremely important. I even send home parent surveys around January to see how I’m doing! Letting parents know how they can help their child will help the child progress faster and make your job easier!

Parent Communication Makes All the Difference

At the beginning of every school year, I send a letter home to the parents introducing myself and giving them my contact information. I also send home a letter before Christmas Break and a Summer letter attached to homework packets for summer vacation. Below is a copy of the letter I give my parents at the beginning of the year. In addition, I have a bulletin board for parents to see what is going on in speech and language, and have some handouts for Parent Nights too.

I send home this Student Information Sheet for parents to fill out each year, which gives me important contact information, as well as the parents’ concerns. You can download this form and others for free by clicking the link below!

Quick Communication for Parents & Teachers