Common Core State Standards and the Speech-Language Pathologist: Standards-Based Intervention for Special Populations

About The Book

Common Core State Standards and the Speech-Language Pathologist: Standards-Based Intervention for Special Populations is a tool for the analysis of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the development of interventions to meet student-specific needs. The CCSS is an education initiative in the United States that details what K-12 students should understand in English language arts and mathematics by the end of each grade. The initiative seeks to establish consistent education standards across the United States and ensure that graduating students are prepared to enter college or the workforce. As of 2015, forty-three states had adopted the CCSS.

With the implementation of the CCSS, it is critical that speech-language pathologists collaborate with educators to enable the success of students with communication disorders as well as English language learners. This text offers a practical approach for application of the CCSS with a parallel analysis of children’s strengths and needs to create a template for intervention. It addresses strategies to facilitate the success of students in accessing and achieving the expectations of the general curriculum, with a focus on students with communication disorders, hearing loss, vision loss, deaf-blindness, specific learning disabilities, autism, multiple disabilities, and English language learners.

Key Features

• Background and implications of the CCSS
• Chapters written by experts in the field
• Tools for analysis of the language expectations of the CCSS and a framework for aligning intervention (both direct and classroom-based) with the CCSS for students at elementary and secondary levels
• Collaboration strategies to facilitate success in the classroom
• Multiple case studies

Common Core State Standards and the Speech-Language Pathologist is a must-have resource for any speech-language pathologist working with children, as well as their education and administration partners.

From the Foreword

“The recent focus in education on the Common Core State Standards has heightened our awareness of the communication skills needed to achieve success in school. However, speech-language pathologists, educators, and special educators struggle to understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to aligning treatment services with the standards. They continue to search for efficient and effective ways to ensure that their instruction and intervention help students gain the foundational and advanced communication skills they need to negotiate the difficult school pathway.

Throughout Lissa Power-deFur’s career, she has strived to foster better understanding of these critical aspects of school service delivery. Her willingness to share her vast knowledge and expertise is noteworthy through her many publications, presentations, and volunteer efforts. She has skillfully clarified complex processes such as determining eligibility for services, aligning intervention services with curricular standards, and forming collaborative teams. This book is a prime example of her commitment to elevating the quality of services for students with disabilities. She lays a solid foundation for understanding the historical and beneficial aspects of the common core state standards. She does an excellent job of helping the reader understand specific elements of the language and literacy standards and the communication skills required for mastery. Lissa’s practical five-step analysis process helps crystalize our thinking about the language and speech skills needed to successfully access the curriculum. The organizational framework of the book is a major strength. Lissa invited several leaders to join her in compiling this practical book. Their chapters follow a consistent format. First, the characteristics of a specific communication disorder are presented. Then the chapter facilitates understanding of the typical challenges each disability population is likely to experience in accessing the curriculum due to the skills required for success. Next, recommendations are made for applying the model to that population, providing a realistic context for implementation. Finally, case studies allow readers to relate the discussion to their therapy programs and classrooms. Lissa has provided a resource that will be very useful to practitioners, educators and aspiring professionals.”
—Jean Blosser, CCC-SLP, EdD, ASHA Fellow, President, Creative Strategies for Special Education