N.H. Admin. Code § Ed 507.23

Current through Register No. 50, December 12, 2024

Section Ed 507.23 - School Speech-Language Specialist

(a) To be certified as a speech-language specialist, a candidate shall meet the following entry level requirements relative to education and experience:

(1) The general education requirements specified in Ed 505.06, if applicable;

(2) The professional education requirements specified in 505.07, if applicable; and

(3) Hold a master's degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders and meet the speech-language specialist competencies.

(b) For candidates seeking certification through an alternative 3, 4 or 5 pathway, the department of education shall assess the skills, competencies and knowledge of candidates for certification as school speech-language specialists by reviewing evidence, such as, but not limited to, college course work, documented professional experience, letters of recommendation, professional development hours or CEUs, and artifacts of professional practice.

(c) A candidate for certification as a speech-language specialist shall have gained the following skills, competencies, and knowledge through a combination of academic and supervised practical experiences in the following areas:

(1) In the area of core competencies in communication:

a. A knowledge of professional conduct including how to understand and respect student and family confidentiality;

b. A knowledge of basic communication science, which for this field shall include:

1. Normal language acquisition and implications for multi-cultural application;

2. Phonetics and phonology;

3. Speech and hearing science;

4. Basic audiology;

5. Anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism;

6. Neurology of speech and language; and

7. Swallowing;

c. A knowledge of assessment and intervention techniques related to a broad range of disabilities students might exhibit, any one or combination of which might affect their academic performance and thus place them at risk in terms of their receiving a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Disabilities, including the following:

1. Fluency disorders such as stuttering;

2. Organic pathologies such as cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury;

3. Articulation and phonological disorders;

4. Language disorders, including expressive, receptive, and social pragmatic language disorders;

5. Phonological awareness in relation to literacy disorders;

6. Auditory perception, including central auditory processing disorders;

7. Voice and resonance disorders;

8. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities such as sign language and speech generating devices; and

9. Autism spectrum disorders;

d. The ability to evaluate existing research, conduct and interpret applied research, and utilize evidence-based practices in assessment and intervention;

e. The ability to administer and interpret the results of a variety of formal and informal screening tools and diagnostic instruments in the areas of:

1. Phonology and articulation; including motor speech disorders;

2. Early childhood and school age language;

3. Oral language as it relates to expressive and receptive language;

4. Dysphagia;

5. Fluency;

6. Hearing and auditory processing disorders;

7. Voice and resonance; and

8. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC);

f. A knowledge of diagnostics and evaluation to identify the presence of a communication disorder and identify an educational disability in the area of speech, language, or hearing impairment which shall include the ability to:

1. Collect quantitative and qualitative data to assist in identifying:

(i) Student learning strengths and needs;

(ii) Learning styles; and

(iii) Interpersonal skills; and

2. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize data and to develop individualized education programs and methods of assessing progress as described in Ed 1109 and 34 CFR 300.320; and

g. A knowledge of and skills necessary to implement various evidence-based models of service delivery such as individual and group; direct, collaborative and consultative relative to specific communication disorders listed in Ed 507.23(b)(1)(c) which shall include the ability to:

1. Coordinate the provision of services with other school personnel who provide non-speech and language services to students;

2. Apply evidence-based practices in developing and integrating therapeutic goals within the classroom, curriculum or both;

3. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the attainment of treatment goals in relation to the curriculum using:

(i) Qualitative methods, including but not limited to educator reports, student reports, and observations, and;

(ii) Quantitative methods, including but not limited to the use of standardized tests; and

4. Modify individual student programs based on on-going assessment; and

(2) Concerning school-based delivery systems:

a. A knowledge of educational systems including school operations and administrative organizations;

b. A knowledge of general and special education laws, including but not limited to federal statutes and regulations; state statutes and rules, and related case law;

c. The ability to participate in the development of individualized education programs and accommodation plans as outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;

d. The ability to analyze, evaluate, and employ curriculum and classroom-based teaching techniques and materials to support speech and language development;

e. The ability to understand the relationship between communication, language, and reading and writing in classroom-based instruction;

f. The ability to develop, evaluate, and modify curriculum and monitor student progress in academic areas as related to speech, language and communication;

g. A knowledge of school, community, state and federal resources to support students and their families in the school setting;

h. A knowledge of methods and activities for integrating life skills into specific subject areas and related services to promote independent living, social and interpersonal skills;

j. The ability to supervise paraeducators, tutors or speech-language assistants in targeting and generalizing speech and language goals; and

k. The ability to utilize augmentative and alternative communication systems and technology to foster the participation, interaction, and inclusion of children for whom speech is not their primary mode of communication.

(d) Any person who is licensed in the state of New Hampshire as a speech-language pathologist by the governing board of speech-language pathology shall be considered to have met the requirements of Ed 507.23.

N.H. Admin. Code § Ed 507.23

#7043, eff 7-1-99; ss by #8229, eff 12-17-04; ss by #9117, eff 3-27-08

Amended by Volume XXXVII Number 41, Filed October 12, 2017, Proposed by #12384, Effective 9/20/2017, Expires 9/20/2027.