Difference between School-based qualification for Speech The

Focus: School-based services primarily aim to support a student's educational needs and their ability to succeed in the classroom. The speech or language difficulties must adversely affect the child's educational performance. This could include impacts on academic learning, social interactions within the school environment, and participation in classroom activities. 

Eligibility: Qualification is usually based on the school district's specific criteria, often involving: 

• Demonstrating an educational impact: The speech or language impairment must be shown to negatively affect the student's learning or participation in school. 

• Meeting state or district eligibility requirements: These often involve scoring below a certain percentile (e.g., 1.5 standard deviations below the mean or below the 7th percentile) on standardized speech and language assessments in one or more areas of language development (morphology, syntax, semantics, or pragmatics). Some districts may also consider articulation, voice, and fluency disorders if they significantly interfere with communication in the educational setting. 

• An Individualized Education Program (IEP): If a student qualifies, speech therapy services are outlined in their IEP, which details specific goals related to their educational needs. 

Focus: Private speech therapy operates under a "medical necessity" model and can address a wider range of speech and language difficulties, regardless of their direct impact on academic performance. The focus is on the individual's overall communication needs and well-being. 

Eligibility: The criteria for private speech therapy are generally less restrictive and are based on a demonstrated need for improvement in communication skills. 

• Clinical judgment of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP): An SLP assesses the individual's speech and language skills and determines if therapy is warranted based on their professional judgment and assessment results. 
• Parent/individual concerns: Parents or individuals can seek private therapy if they have concerns about speech, language, voice, fluency, or social communication, even if these issues are not significantly impacting schoolwork.
• No strict academic impact requirement: Therapy can be initiated even for milder delays or disorders that might not meet the eligibility criteria for school-based services. 
• Insurance or out-of-pocket payment: Qualification often involves having insurance coverage for speech therapy or the ability to pay privately for the services.

School Therapy: Primarily concerned with how speech and language impact a student's ability to learn and participate in the school environment. Goals are often tied to the curriculum and classroom performance. 

Private Therapy: Focuses on the individual's broader communication needs in all aspects of life, including social, emotional, and daily living. Goals are individualized and may not be directly linked to academic requirements.

In summary, school-based speech therapy aims to help students succeed academically by addressing speech and language issues that hinder their learning. Qualification requires demonstrating an educational impact and meeting specific district criteria. Private speech therapy, on the other hand, focuses on a wider range of communication needs based on clinical judgment and the individual's or family's concerns, without a strict requirement for academic impact. Sources and related content 

If your child did not qualify for speech and language in the school setting because an academic impact was not identified or your child did not score low enough to qualify but is still struggling, please schedule a 15 minute consultation and attach the report. We can review the report with you.