By Laura Sambrookes, M.A CCC-SLP
What role do we have as a Speech Language Pathology field to help bridge the gap to meet the needs of kids whose safest place is at school or in our therapy rooms? Paul Reville’s thoughts expressed in his Boston Globe article “Coronavirus gives us an opportunity to rethink K-12 education. Could the pandemic be another Sputnik moment?” is a clear call to action as speech language pathologists and advocates for the family system and children:
"This moment of crisis could be a Sputnik-like opportunity to renew America’s commitment to children and equity by capitalizing on the current sense of urgency to take bold action to eradicate childhood poverty and construct a 21st century system of child development that adapts to each child and gives them what they need to be successful inside and outside of school."
How do we apply our scope of practice to provide that bridge for families and their children who are physically and emotionally safest in our schools and therapy rooms? The Speech Language Pathology Scope of practice clearly states that we have a role as Speech Language Pathologists in prevention of communication disorders. ASHA States:
“SLPs are involved in prevention and wellness activities that are geared toward reducing the incidence of a new disorder or disease, identifying disorders at an early stage, and decreasing the severity or impact of a disability associated with an existing disorder or disease. Involvement is directed toward individuals who are vulnerable or at risk for limited participation in communication, hearing, feeding and swallowing, and related abilities. Activities are directed toward enhancing or improving general well-being and quality of life. Education efforts focus on identifying and increasing awareness of risk behaviors that lead to communication disorders and feeding and swallowing problems. SLPs promote programs to increase public awareness, which are aimed at positively changing behaviors or attitudes.”
We have an obligation as speech language pathologists to develop prevention programs for families and children who face issues of “uneven internet and technology access, food insufficiency, limited access to medical and mental health services.” The pandemic has revealed a need for us to change the way we do business as speech language pathologist for the benefit of the children and families we serve. This shift must move away from direct service provision to the development of prevention and wellness programs for children and families who are at risk. We are experts in the social aspects of communication “including challenging behavior, ineffective social skills, and lack of communication opportunities.” It is our obligation to support families and children in the educational system to prevent future communication disorders by coming alongside families where they are in that moment, helping them to navigate their child’s challenging behavior and helping them identify naturally occurring communication opportunities in their home. We must rethink the way services are provided. Let us resolve to stop putting our emphasis on a reaction to a disorder and put our emphasis on prevention of future disorder which optimizes educational and communication success.
Coronavirus gives us an opportunity to rethink K-12 education—The Boston Globe. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/09/opinion/coronavirus-gives-us-an-opportunity-rethink-k-12-education/Association (ASHA), A. S.-L.-H. (2016). Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://doi.org/10.1044/policy.SP2016-00343
