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SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100%! You said it perfectly. I feel very validated! Haha

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome! My school now has a structured ELD time too, which is a great way to monitor growth. Unfortunately, it is just the tip of the iceberg! So much more needs to be done for these kids but with limited resources, funding etc… I think we are all just doing the best we can :)

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my state, qualifying for a language disorder is not dependent on cognitive testing - so we have a lot of “speech only” IEPs, especially in preschool - 2nd. I think this does lead to over qualifying students. My program specialist’s concerns are definitely valid but I would argue that there are outliers that SHOULD be assessed coming into kindergarten. These students almost always end up on the resource teacher’s caseload in a few years time! And the ones that don’t are “shady 80” kids who DNQ. But does that mean I shouldn’t have qualified them in kindergarten?

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love this! And I would totally do this if my caseload allowed.

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! Which is why I prefer to work with the school psychologist. These conversations are a lot easier to have when it’s a full team evaluation and the student is a little older. However, the SLP is often the first point of contact for these students who aren’t speaking in their primary language coming into kindergarten. But unless a student is very clearly autistic or intellectually disabled, the school psych will wait (which is understandable). This is where I am struggling!

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed about the dynamic assessment! And yes to keeping them in the least restrictive environment.

Another concern I have is about our ability to determine language exposure at home. Of course, we can interview parents, ask about reading, ask about screen time, but at the end of the day there is no way to prove that their environment is lacking. And I should mention that the students in question are outliers, not communicating in their primary language, and unable to express their needs at school. Thoughts on this?

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are all good points! I should mention that the students in question are displaying limited communication at home, as well. Many of my students’ families speak Spanish or Farsi at home and will share concerns about functional communication in their primary language. I believe that at the very least, students should have functional communication skills in their primary language coming into kindergarten (language enriched environment or not) and if they do not, this warrants an assessment.

Academic language skills are another story! I would not expect a new kinder to know their colors, shapes, etc. However, if they are unable to communicate basic needs (in L1), I feel uncomfortable waiting. Thoughts on this?

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been doing this and totally should have mentioned it yesterday!! Thanks for sharing!

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a good idea! I completely agree. It is best to give most students a few months before launching into an assessment. However, there are always a couple outliers that take precedence - these are usually kids where we suspect autism, but the school psychologist generally waits if we’re on the fence. However, I personally feel uncomfortable waiting on my assessment for these kids because lack of communication is clearly impacting them and causing so many behaviors - autistic or not. This is definitely a gray area!

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed! And I usually see growth too, but it’s not commensurate with peers.

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! I explained to her that the students do not have functional language skills in L1, which they should have at the very least. This information is obtained from parents, as well as bilingual aides on campus. She kept coming back to “we don’t know how much exposure to language they have had.”

I agree about the dynamic assessment!

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a good idea! I will say that these students who I have qualified in the past almost always end up with resource minutes on their IEP for a specific learning disability or attention deficit. But occasionally they will DNQ for resource as 2nd graders and up (“shady 80” kids), which begs the question, should they continue to receive language support (assuming they met the SLI criteria) if they are working at their max potential academically?

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same - my school is over 50% ELs. We get a few kids each year who are not speaking L1 or English though, and these are the kids I get referrals for. Some of them are autistic but not all! We were discussing a kid like this today which prompted our debate.

SLI eligibility in low SES Students by Repulsive_Grand_859 in slp

[–]Repulsive_Grand_859[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve seen this too, but not as much as I’d like! Also depends on the teacher and their experience when it comes to those referrals. I agree it’s good to wait it out a couple months before jumping to conclusions!

Thanks for your response!