Providing written language services in the schools: the time is now

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Educational Psychology
• Written Language Disorders

Background:

• School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a vital role in student development.
• Written language skills are fundamental for academic success and communication.
• Previous research indicates a gap in SLP services for written language needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent of written language services provided by school-based SLPs.
• To examine SLPs' knowledge, attitudes, and collaborative practices related to written language.
• To identify factors influencing the provision of written language services.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey was distributed to public school-based SLPs.
• Data from 645 full-time SLPs across 49 states were analyzed.
• Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were employed for data evaluation.

Main Results:

• A significant number of SLPs reported not offering written language services to students with weaknesses.
• SLPs' knowledge, attitudes, and collaborative practices regarding written language were varied.
• Logistic regression identified three key variables predicting higher service provision levels.

Conclusions:

• Many students with reading and writing challenges are not receiving SLP services.
• Findings highlight the need to enhance SLPs' preservice and continuing education in written language.
• Doctoral preparation programs should also address these critical service gaps.