Future issues and trends: Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
Communication is a vital component of the learning process. A child who is afraid of speaking aloud in the classroom because of a stutter will not have as high-quality an academic experience as a child who feels he or she can speak freely, without shame. The communication and speech issues of children with autism overlap with academic issues: being unable to comprehend other people's emotions or communicate feelings can create barriers to understanding literature and history. Including some educational coursework in a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)'s training can be useful to help the SLP understand the unique curriculum challenges posed by different academic disciplines.
For example, including exercises that force the child is question to talk about emotions of people in stories can be a vital teaching tool and learning exercise for a child with autism. Such skills are essential to function at grade level in the humanities. Learning how to speak in a logical fashion during a debate or a lab experiment is critical for a student with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who may have trouble assembling his or her thoughts.
The 'pull out' model of teaching students with speech issues can be useful because it lets the SLP focus on every child's specific needs and challenges in an individualized fashion. But ultimately all learning takes place in context. Integrating the SLP into the curriculum allows the SLP to have new opportunities to reinforce different concepts for the child in a real-world situation. The SLP has greater opportunities to work with content where speech exercises are not the focus; with group settings; and with speaking aloud to a crowd in a formal setting. By using exercises where speech is not the primary focus of the child, but the SLP is still there to provide encouragement and support in the areas of the child's difficulty, great progress can be made in the child's general education and way of relating to others.
The SLP must never assume the role of a teacher, but in providing support to the child in the class during self-directed assignments, and even offering advice to the class as a whole about the communication process, the SLP can enhance the educational experience of the classroom overall.
