Student Services
Speech Language Pathology
School Speech-Language Pathologists are professionals educated in the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders. By evaluating the speech, language, communication, and swallowing skills of children and adults, the speech-language pathologist determines what communication or swallowing problems exist and the best way to treat them.
Information for Schools, Students, and Families
Consultation Support Provided
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) that work in Manitoba schools provide a consultative-collaborative service that is available to all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. These services will vary across a continuum of supports that best meet the needs of students to maximize their learning opportunities and success.
The School SLP is an active participant in the Student Services Team. Following an inclusion model of service, the School SLP provides consultation and support to educators for classroom-based instruction, assessment and learning. As part of a school division's early identification process, classroom-based information may indicate that a student has exceptional learning needs; student-specific assessment and programming is available by request through the school division referral process to initiate SLP services.
School SLP programs and services may vary across school divisions in Manitoba based on the regional needs of students, families, educators and communities, school division policy, and the skill level and experience of the SLP. It is vital that the School SLP be pro-active and supportive of prevention, early intervention and school readiness, as well as responsive to the language, learning and literacy needs of the students.
These services include but are not limited to:
- Student-specific assessment, evaluation, diagnosis and recommendations for programming
- Individual therapeutic intervention
- Individual or small group intervention programming and practice
- Parent and school staff education
- Classroom-based programming and supports
- Collaborate with teachers, School and divisional teams
- Collaboration with teachers, school and divisional teams
- Assistive technology and/or speech generating devices
- Referral to additional agencies
- Collaboration with community programs
- Program, resource and policy development
In Manitoba, early identification of exceptional needs is considered key to promoting the success of students in schools and the School SLP plays an important role in supporting families before school entry with emphasis on oral language development. Many school SLPs offer information sessions on oral language development prior to school entry.
The communication needs of students varies widely from articulation or sound development; language learning for conversation, learning, reading and writing, life-skills; fluency of talking; voice and vocal quality; and swallowing. The management of student needs in an educational setting often requires the integrated efforts of the student services team to support the student and educators in the use of technology and other assistive devices.
Links
- Professional Certification Unit
- Listening and Speaking: First Steps into Literacy
- The Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Rural and Northern Clinician Bursary
- College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Manitoba
Legislation, Standards, Policies
- Appropriate Educational Programming Regulations
- Education Administration Miscellaneous Provisions Regulation
- Standards for Appropriate Educational Programming in Manitoba (
481 KB) - Manitoba Pupil File Guidelines ( 221 KB) Revised January 2012
Contact
General Enquiries
Inclusion Support Branch
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
Telephone: 204-945-7912
Toll Free in Manitoba: 1-800-282-8069 ext. 7912
Email: isbinfo@gov.mb.ca
