Speech-Language Pathology Services

Speech-language therapy services are provided to students who have been evaluated and diagnosed with a communication disorder, such as a fluency impairment (stuttering), an articulation impairment, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects their educational performance and requires specially designed instruction from a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) to help the student make progress in their general education classroom and curriculum.

• Voice Impairment: Abnormal production and/or absences of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or duration, which is inappropriate for an individual's age and health status
• Articulation or Phonological Impairment: Atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility and/or reading development. 
• Fluency Impairment (Stuttering): An interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior, and secondary concomitant behaviors.
• Language Impairment: Impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol systems. The disorder may involve (1) the form of language (phonology, morphology, syntax), (2) the content of language (semantics), and/or (3) the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination.

Speech-language therapy is an instructional arrangement for providing services to students with an identified speech impairment and/or deemed eligible by the ARD committee by meeting district and state initial eligibility guidelines. Speech-language therapy services serve to support the student’s general education and/or special education curriculum. A multi-level and interdisciplinary service delivery model is utilized in Dallas ISD to provide a range of options for meeting the educational needs of students with a Speech Impairment. When a student is eligible for speech-language therapy services, consideration is given to the type of programming that will best meet student needs in the least restrictive environment.

Dallas ISD offers robust field experiences and opportunities for internship and practicum hours for degree-seeking graduate students in the field of speech-language pathology. Dallas ISD also offers employment opportunities for clinical fellows (CFs) who will be paired with knowledgeable and passionate supervisors.