Speech Language Pathologist

School Speech-Language Pathologist

The Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) identifies, evaluates, and provides educationally relevant speech-language services to students whose communication needs affect access, participation, or progress in the educational program. The SLP collaborates with families, teachers, administrators, and related service providers and performs all duties in accordance with applicable federal and state requirements, School Division policies and procedures, and professional standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive speech-language evaluations using appropriate formal and informal measures, observations, interviews, work samples, developmental information, and input from families and school staff.
• Assess areas that may include articulation/phonology, receptive and expressive language, social/pragmatic communication, fluency, voice, and other communication-related skills.
• Prepare clear written evaluation reports, explain findings and educational implications, and complete evaluation and reevaluation activities within required timelines.
• Participate in referral, eligibility, reevaluation, and IEP meetings and assist multidisciplinary teams in determining whether a student meets eligibility criteria for special education and related services.
• Develop educationally relevant present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, accommodations, supplementary aids and services, and recommendations for frequency, duration, location, and method of service delivery.
• Implement IEP services as written and participate in team decisions regarding least restrictive environment, extended school year, assistive technology, transition, and other relevant IEP considerations.
• Provide evidence-based speech-language intervention individually, in small groups, in classrooms, or through consultative and other service-delivery models determined by the IEP team.
• Provide services addressing identified communication needs, including articulation, phonology, language, fluency, voice, social communication, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), as appropriate.
• Integrate therapy with classroom expectations, curriculum access, functional communication, and student independence and support generalization of skills across school environments.
• Consult with and model strategies for teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and other staff to support student communication throughout the school day.
• Collaborate with special and general education teachers, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, counselors, behavior specialists, administrators, and other professionals.
• Establish baseline data, collect ongoing progress-monitoring information, analyze student response to intervention, and adjust therapeutic strategies based on data.
• Complete progress reports, service logs, attendance records, consultation notes, evaluation documentation, and other required records accurately and within established timelines.
• Document missed services and follow School Division procedures regarding service recovery or compensatory-service consideration when applicable.
• Maintain confidentiality of student information and comply with applicable special education, Section 504, FERPA, Medicaid, and School Division documentation requirements.
• Serve as case manager when assigned
• Support early intervention, inclusive practices, transition between programs or schools, and the use of communication supports across educational settings.
• Maintain current knowledge of research, evidence-based practices, applicable laws and regulations, professional ethics, and School Division procedures.
• Maintain required licenses, certifications, and credentials and participate in required professional development, staff meetings, and division activities.
• Demonstrate cultural and linguistic responsiveness and distinguish communication differences from communication disorders.
• Manage caseloads, schedules, meetings, timelines, and documentation efficiently while maximizing student access to required services and minimizing unnecessary disruption to instruction.
• Immediately communicate barriers to IEP implementation, missed services, or potential compliance concerns to the appropriate administrator.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position as assigned by the Superintendent, Director of Special Education, building administrator, or designee.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in Speech-Language Pathology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Current state license and/or educational credential required to practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a public-school setting, or eligibility to obtain the required credential.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of child and adolescent speech-language development, assessment, intervention, special education procedures, and educational impact of communication disorders.
• Ability to interpret assessment and progress-monitoring data, develop measurable goals, and communicate findings clearly to families and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to provide evidence-based intervention and use student data to make timely therapeutic and instructional decisions.
• Strong organization, written and oral communication, collaboration, professional judgment, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Ability to use electronic IEP, student information, and data-management systems to maintain accurate, confidential records.

Physical and Work Environment

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Duties may require sitting, standing, walking, bending, moving throughout school facilities, using a computer, handling assessment and therapy materials, and traveling between schools or division sites. Services may be provided in classrooms, therapy rooms, special education settings, or other locations identified by the student's educational program.