Florida Administrative Code
6 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
6A - State Board of Education
Chapter 6A-6 - SPECIAL PROGRAMS I
Section 6A-6.030121 - Exceptional Student Education Eligibility for Students with Language Impairments and Qualifications and Responsibilities for the Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Language Services

Universal Citation: FL Admin Code R 6A-6.030121

Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024

(1) Language impairments are disorders of language that interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or functioning in the student's typical learning environment, and result in the need for exceptional student education.

(a) A language impairment is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language. These include:

1. Phonology. Phonology is defined as the sound systems of a language and the linguistic conventions of a language that guide the sound selection and sound combinations used to convey meaning;

2. Morphology. Morphology is defined as the system that governs the internal structure of words and the construction of word forms;

3. Syntax. Syntax is defined as the system governing the order and combination of words to form sentences, and the relationships among the elements within a sentence;

4. Semantics. Semantics is defined as the system that governs the meanings of words and sentences; and,

5. Pragmatics. Pragmatics is defined as the system that combines language components in functional and socially appropriate communication.

(b) A language impairment may manifest in significant difficulties affecting listening comprehension, oral expression, social interaction, reading, writing, or spelling. A language impairment is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency.

(2) Procedures prior to initial evaluation for prekindergarten children. Prior to initial evaluation, the requirements of subsection 6A-6.0331(2), F.A.C., must be met.

(3) Evaluation procedures for children in prekindergarten. In addition to the procedures identified in subsection 6A-6.0331(5), F.A.C., the minimum evaluation for a prekindergarten child shall include all of the following:

(a) Information gathered from the child's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and others as appropriate, such as teacher(s), service providers and caregivers regarding the concerns and description of language skills. This may be completed through a variety of methods including interviews, checklists or questionnaires;

(b) One or more documented and dated observation(s) of the child's language skills must be conducted by the speech-language pathologist in one or more setting(s), which must include the child's typical learning environment or an environment or situation appropriate for a child of that chronological age; and,

(c) Administration of one or more standardized norm-referenced instruments designed to measure language skills. The instrument must be administered and interpreted by a speech-language pathologist to determine the nature and severity of the language deficits. If the speech-language pathologist is unable to administer a norm-referenced instrument, a scientific, research-based alternative instrument may be used. The evaluation report must document the evaluation procedures used, including the rationale for use of an alternative instrument, the results obtained, and the basis for recommendations.

(4) Criteria for eligibility for prekindergarten children. A prekindergarten child is eligible as a student with a language impairment in need of exceptional student education if all of the following criteria are met:

(a) There is evidence, based on evaluation results, of significant deficits in language. The impairment may manifest in significant difficulties affecting one or more of the following areas:

1. Listening comprehension;

2. Oral expression;

3. Social interaction; or

4. Emergent literacy skills (e.g., vocabulary development, phonological awareness, narrative concepts).

(b) One or more documented and dated behavioral observation(s) reveals significant language deficits that interfere with performance and/or functioning in the typical learning environment;

(c) Results of standardized norm-referenced instrument(s) reveal a significant language deficit in one or more of the areas listed in paragraph (1)(a) of this rule, as evidenced by standard score(s) significantly below the mean. If the evaluator is unable to administer a norm-referenced instrument and an alternative scientific, research-based instrument is administered, the instrument must reveal a significant language deficit in one or more areas listed in paragraph (1)(a) of this rule. Significance of the deficit(s) must be determined and based on specifications in the manual of the instrument(s) utilized for evaluation purposes;

(d) Information gathered from the child's parent(s) or legal guardian(s), teacher(s), service providers or caregivers must support the results of the standardized instruments and observations conducted;

(e) The language impairment must have an adverse effect on the child's ability to perform and/or function in the typical learning environment, thereby demonstrating the need for exceptional student education; and,

(f) The language impairment is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity or limited English proficiency.

(5) General education intervention procedures and activities for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. Prior to obtaining consent for initial evaluation, the requirements of subsection 6A-6.0331(1), F.A.C., related to general education procedures for kindergarten through Grade 12 students, must be met.

(6) Evaluation procedures for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. In addition to the provisions in subsection 6A-6.0331(5), F.A.C., the evaluation for determining eligibility shall include:

(a) To ensure that the decreased performance and/or functioning of a student suspected of having a language impairment is not due to lack of appropriate instruction, the minimum evaluation procedures must include all of the following:

1. Review of data that demonstrate the student was provided well-delivered scientific, research-based instruction and interventions addressing the identified area(s) of concern and delivered by qualified personnel in general or exceptional education settings;

2. Data-based documentation, which was provided to the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s), of repeated measures of performance and/or functioning at reasonable intervals, communicated in an understandable format, reflecting the student's response to intervention during instruction;

3. Information gathered from the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and teacher(s), and when appropriate, the student, regarding the concerns and a description of language skills. This may be completed through a variety of methods including interviews, checklists or questionnaires;

4. Documented and dated observation(s) of the student's language skills must be conducted by the speech-language pathologist in one or more setting(s); and,

5. Administration of one or more standardized norm-referenced instrument(s) designed to measure language skills. The instrument(s) must be administered and interpreted by a speech-language pathologist to determine the nature and severity of the language deficits. If the speech-language pathologist is unable to administer a norm-referenced instrument, a scientific, research-based alternative instrument may be used. The evaluation report must document the evaluation procedures used, including the rationale for use of an alternative instrument, the results obtained, and the basis for recommendations.

(b) With the exception of the observation required by subparagraph (7)(c)4. of this rule, general education activities and interventions conducted prior to initial evaluation in accordance with subsection 6A-6.0331(1), F.A.C., may be used to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (6)(a) of this rule.

(7) Criteria for eligibility for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. A student meets the eligibility criteria as a student with a language impairment in need of exceptional student education if all of the following criteria are met:

(a) Due to deficits in the student's language skills, the student does not perform and/or function adequately for the student's chronological age or to meet grade-level standards as adopted in Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., in one or more of the following areas, when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the student's chronological age or grade:

1. Oral expression;

2. Listening comprehension;

3. Social interaction;

4. Written expression;

5. Phonological processing; or

6. Reading comprehension.

(b) Due to deficits in the student's language skills, the student does not make sufficient progress to meet chronological age or state-approved grade-level standards pursuant to Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., in one or more of the areas identified in paragraph (7)(a) of this rule, when using a process based on the student's response to scientific, research-based intervention;

(c) Evidence of a language impairment is documented based on a comprehensive language evaluation, including all evaluation components as specified in paragraph (6)(b) of this rule. There must be documentation of all of the following:

1. Documented and dated observations show evidence of significant language deficits that interfere with the student's performance and/or functioning in the educational environment;

2. Results of standardized norm-referenced instrument(s) indicate a significant language deficit in one or more of the areas listed in paragraph (1)(a) of this rule, as evidenced by a standard score(s) significantly below the mean. If the evaluator is unable to administer a norm-referenced instrument and an alternative scientific, research-based instrument is administered, the instrument must reveal a significant language deficit in one or more areas listed in paragraph (1)(a) of this rule. Significance of the deficit(s) must be determined and based on specifications in the manual of the instrument(s) utilized for evaluation purposes;

3. Information gathered from the student's parent(s) or guardian(s), teacher(s), and when appropriate, the student, must support the results of the standardized instruments and observations conducted; and,

4. At least one additional observation conducted by the speech-language pathologist when the language impairment is due to a deficit in pragmatic language and cannot be verified by the use of standardized instrument(s). The language impairment may be established through the results of subparagraphs (6)(a)3. and 4. of this rule, and the additional observation(s) conducted subsequent to obtaining consent for evaluation as part of a comprehensive language evaluation. The evaluation report must document the evaluation procedures used, including the group's rationale for overriding results from standardized instruments, the results obtained, and the basis for recommendations. The information gathered from the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s), teacher(s), and when appropriate, the student, must support the results of the observation(s) conducted; and,

(d) The group determines that its findings under paragraph (7)(a) of this rule, are not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity or limited English proficiency.

(8) Documentation of determination of eligibility. For a student suspected of having a language impairment, the documentation of the determination of eligibility must include a written summary of the group's analysis of the data that incorporates all of the following information:

(a) The basis for making the determination, including an assurance that the determination has been made in accordance with subsection 6A-6.0331(6), F.A.C.;

(b) Noted behavior during the observation of the student and the relationship of that behavior to the student's academic functioning;

(d) Whether the student has a language impairment as evidenced by response to intervention data confirming the following:

1. Performance and/or functioning discrepancies. The student displays significant discrepancies, for the chronological age or grade level in which the student is enrolled, based on multiple sources of data when compared to multiple groups, including to the extent practicable the peer subgroup, classroom, school, district and state level comparison groups; and,

2. Rate of progress. When provided with effective implementation of appropriate research-based instruction and interventions of reasonable intensity and duration with evidence of implementation fidelity, the student's rate of progress is insufficient or requires sustained and substantial effort to close the gap with typical peers or expectations for the chronological age or grade level in which the student is currently enrolled; and,

3. Educational need. The student continues to demonstrate the need for interventions that significantly differ in intensity and duration from what can be provided solely through educational resources and services currently in place, thereby demonstrating a need for exceptional student education due to the adverse effect of the language impairment on the student's ability to perform and/or function in the educational environment.

(e) The determination of the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and group of qualified professionals concerning the effects of chronological age, culture, gender, ethnicity, patterns of irregular attendance or limited English proficiency on the student's performance and/or functioning; and,

(f) Documentation based on data derived from a process that assesses the student's response to well-delivered scientific, research-based instruction and interventions including:

1. Documentation of the specific instructional interventions used, the intervention support provided to the individuals implementing interventions, adherence to the critical elements of the intervention design and delivery methods, the duration of intervention implementation (e.g., number of weeks, minutes per week, sessions per week), and the student-centered data collected; and,

2. Documentation that the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) were notified about the state's policies regarding the amount and nature of student performance and/or functioning data that would be collected and the educational resources and services that would be provided; interventions for increasing the student's rate of progress; and the parental or legal guardian right to request an evaluation.

(9) Language services.

(a) A group of qualified professionals determining eligibility under the requirements of this rule and subsection 6A-6.0331(6), F.A.C., must include a speech-language pathologist.

(b) A speech-language pathologist shall be involved in the development of the individual educational plan for students eligible for language services, whether as special education or as a related service for an otherwise eligible student with a disability.

(c) Language therapy services shall be provided by a certified speech-language pathologist pursuant to Rule 6A-4.0176, F.A.C., or a licensed speech-language pathologist pursuant to chapter 468, Part I, F.S., or a speech-language associate pursuant to Rule 6A-4.01761, F.A.C.

(d) Speech-language associate.

1. Language therapy services provided by a speech-language associate as specified in Rule 6A-4.01761, F.A.C., must be under the direction of a certified or licensed speech-language pathologist with a master's degree or higher in speech-language pathology. Services under this subsection can be provided for a period of three (3) years as described in Section 1012.44, F.S., in districts that qualify for the sparsity supplement as described in Section 1011.62(7), F.S.

2. Districts shall submit a plan to the Department of Education for approval before implementation of Rule 6A-4.01761, F.A.C. The components of the plan must include a description of:

a. The model, specifying the type and amount of direction including direct observation, support, training, and instruction;

b. The rationale for using this model;

c. The manner in which the associate will be required to demonstrate competency;

d. The process for monitoring the quality of services;

e. The process for measuring student progress; and,

f. The manner in which the speech-language associate will meet the requirements of the annual district professional development plan for instructional personnel.

Rulemaking Authority 1003.01(3), 1003.57, 1003.571, 1012.44 FS. Law Implemented 1003.01(3), 1003.57, 1003.571, 1012.44 FS.

New 7-1-10, Amended 1-7-16.

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