What's Going on in Speech

2010-2011

We had a successful first quarter in speech and language!  Thanks to the students, teachers and parents for all of your hard work!!!

I'm looking forward to continuing serving students in speech and language for this school year.  If you have specific concerns, please email me or call Millbridge Elementary and leave a message.  I'll be more than happy to speak with you or to set up a meeting.  If your child received speech services last year, then he/she will continue these services as outlined in the IEP.  We will hold the annual review meeting of the IEP prior to it's due date.  Additionally, a reevaluation will be discussed at least every 3 years.  Your child is not exited from the program without your notification and a meeting to discuss this decision.  You are required to be personally invited to all meetings regarding your child's EC services.  Additionally, the IEP team for your child is also required to attend.  These members include your child's regular education teacher, an LEA representative (usually a school administrator) as well as the EC staff who works with your child (speech, OT, resource teacher, etc).

Major Changes in the Speech or Language Impaired Program Effective November 2007:

In 2004, IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act) was reauthorized. In November of 2007, the state of North Carolina passed new guidelines for serving students with disabilities under IDEA.  The law states that students must have a disability that adversely affects their educational performance and requires specially designed instruction.  Therefore, we must be able to prove how the speech/language impairment is disabling at school.  We can use standardized testing, observations, teacher input, student input and other means to create a portfolio to show the child's needs and to decide if they are eligible.  Students will go through the intervention process for speech just as they do for academic concerns.  This is part of the RtI process that we are now using at our school.  Students will speech concerns will go through interventions in Tiers 1 through 3 of RtI before being considered for speech services.  This involves interventions that are tried at home, at school with the teacher and with the speech therapist.  For more information, just ask me or your child's teacher!

If your child does not receive speech/language services, but you have concerns about your child's communication development, please contact your child's teacher or myself so that we can help!

Thanks for your interest in your child's education!

Jennifer B. Ritchie, MA, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

ritchiej@rss.k12.nc.us

Millbridge Elementary School
155 Ed Deal Road
China Grove, NC 28023

704-855-5591