Speech Language Pathologist

Position Type:
Student Support Services/Speech and Language Pathologist

Date Posted:
2/7/2024

Location:
District Office

Date Available:
8/1/24

Closing Date:
Until filled

District:
Plano Community Unit School District 88 TITLE: Speech Language Pathologist
QUALIFICATIONS: Professional Educator License: Endorsement as a Speech Language Pathologist. Meets the highly qualified requirements as a Speech Language Pathologist
REPORT TO: Director of Special Education, Assistant Director and Coordinators
FUNCTION: Provides services to students meeting the criteria and identified as having special education eligibility so educational and functional progress can be enhanced.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. Planning and Preparation
The Speech Language Pathologist understands the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education. The Speech Language Pathologist understands how students differ in their approaches to learning; creates communication opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners; understands planning and designs services based on knowledge of the discipline, student, community, and curriculum goals of all students ages three through twenty-one.
The Speech Language Pathologist:

• Develops short and long-range plans consistent with curriculum/personal goals, learners' diversity, and learning theory; developed through collaboration with administration and teachers.
• Demonstrates working knowledge of current legislation, regulations, policies and ethical issues related to the provision of educational services, including least restrictive environment, due process, assessment, discipline, transition, supplemental services and supports, specialized health care and assistive technology, to individuals with all types of disabilities across the age range.
• Demonstrates specialized skill and knowledge in the area of Speech and Language; holding necessary licensures.
• Understands issues in definition and identification procedures for individuals with disabilities including those individuals from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Understands characteristics of individuals with disabilities across the age range, including levels of severity and multiple disabilities and their influence on development, behavior and learning; with knowledge about the impact of language disorders, processing deficits, intellectual cognitive abilities, behavioral/emotional/social disorders, and physical (including sensory) disabilities on learning and behavior.
• Demonstrates understanding of Common Core Standards and prepares effective instructional strategies and resources for teaching the scope and sequence in the academic, communication, social, and vocational curricular domains in the general curriculum.
• Understands effective instructional strategies for adapting or modifying general curriculum to meet the needs of individual students, and strategies to implement and prioritize longitudinal, outcome-based curriculum, including social, language, academic, vocational skills, and life skill domains (i.e. domestic, recreation/leisure, vocational, and community).
• Utilizes specialized materials, equipment, and assistive technology for individuals with disabilities and understands the use of adaptive equipment for students with disabilities to plan and prepare for the integration of assistive and instructional technology to meet a student's individual needs.
• Prepares and utilizes assessment methodologies to adapt for individual students as appropriate, including physical adaptations to meet a student's individual needs; incorporating multiple sources of evidence and clear recommendations for improving services on an on-going basis.
• Maintains and inventories assessments, materials and assistive/adaptive technology.
• Plans and prepares for IEP and parent meetings.

B. The Learning Environment
The Speech Language Pathologist uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, respect and rapport. This environment creates a positive culture with active engagement in learning, self-motivation, self-reflection while managing classroom procedures and student behavior.
The Speech Language Pathologist:

• Demonstrates the ability to establish and maintain trusting relationships with students and families; supporting the establishment of high learning expectations and personal achievement.
• Establishes standards of conduct by effectively implementing classroom and individual behavioral management plans and is able to monitor students in a subtle and preventative manner; engaging students in self-monitoring.
• Establishes clear and consistent procedures for all aspects of referrals and assessments in collaboration with administration and teachers.
• Demonstrates understanding of characteristics of environments, including materials, equipment, and spatial arrangements, that facilitate development, learning and interaction among students.
• Utilizes physical space for services and assessment that is highly organized and inviting; respecting aspects of organization, schedules, routines and transitions that promote development and learning.
• Demonstrates understanding of how technology can assist with creating and managing the learning environment, incorporating the verbal and visual redirection and classroom expectations; consultation/collaboration with Assistive Technology Specialists.

C. Delivery of Service
The Speech Language Pathologist understands the central concepts and methods of inquiry; uses a variety of communication strategies to encourage students' development of expressive/receptive language abilities, social communication and overall speech abilities including tone, fluency, articulation and performance skills. The Speech Language Pathologist understands the educational assessment process and uses various assessment strategies to support the continuous development of all students ages three through twenty-one.
The Speech Language Pathologist:

• Utilizes effective researched supported strategies for basic sequences of skills in the field of Speech Pathology; implements techniques for modifying instructional methods, curricular materials and the environment to meet learners' individual needs that are appropriate to ages and communication abilities.
• Chooses and implements instructional techniques and strategies that promote successful transitions for individuals with disabilities and creates varied opportunities for all students to use effective written, verbal, nonverbal and visual communication.
• Demonstrates understanding of assessment as an educational process and how to interpret information obtained from standardized tests including age/grade scores, standard scores, percentile ranks, standard deviations, and standard error of measurement.
• Utilizes a variety of procedures for identifying students' communication characteristics and needs, monitoring student progress, and evaluating learning strategies and instructional approaches.
• Proactively secures the necessary permissions and communicates to parents in a highly responsive manner; including those associated with individuals from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Effectively utilizes Response to Intervention (RtI) ideals and supports students utilizing appropriate progress monitoring tools to gauge student achievement individually; understanding these assessment procedures are an on-going process and efficient data collection and analysis will identify student needs.
• Provides therapy services and response to referrals/evaluations, including accurate written reports in a highly effective, efficient, and timely manner.
• Displays knowledge of case management responsibilities and Federal/State/Local policies and procedures related to special education and conducting special education meetings.
• Demonstrates active participation in meetings including building problem solving teams, placement options, eligibility, IEP meetings and Response to Intervention collaboration teams.
• Identifies and supports the necessary individual accommodations and modification related to communication abilities on national, state, local and classroom assessments.
• Understands and effectively utilizes computerized web-based systems for documentation procedures/communication, goal development and modification, progress monitoring, performance assessment, accommodations/modifications, program supports, documentation of service minutes and overall IEP information.

D. Professional Responsibilities
The Speech Language Pathologist understands his or her role as a professional, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve students' learning and well-being. The Speech Language Pathologist understands self-reflection, the importance of efficient data collection/manipulation; constantly pursuing professional development opportunities and researched based supports in communication abilities.
The Speech Language Pathologist:

• Provides frequent and appropriate information to families about the methods utilized within speech therapy and conveys information about individual student progress in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Maintains highly effective data management system for monitoring student progress, consistently reflecting upon the best practice and refining services to meet needs of individual students.
• Demonstrates understanding of resources, strategies, networks, organizations, and unique services that work with individuals with disabilities and their families including career, vocational, and transition support, including possible funding agencies and financial sources for secondary aged students (local, state, and federal).
• Understands the scope of his or her practice and seeks additional resources and assistance as needed to meet the individualized needs of students; seeks out professional development strategies to stay current on researched based instructional strategies, services and professional growth.
• Is knowledgeable of rights to privacy, confidentiality, and respect for differences among all persons interacting with individuals with disabilities.
• Collaborates with community agencies and outside therapists for students when appropriate and understands the reciprocal relationship of sharing confidential information with these individuals.
• Observes and follows all PASEC policies and procedures; maintains high levels of professionalism and commitment through punctuality and attendance.
• Performs duties as assigned by the PASEC administration.

---