Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 3, March 20, 2024
A. Definition. Speech or Language
Impairment means a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired
articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects
a student's educational performance. (Dialectal variations alone do not qualify
a student to be classified as having speech or language impairment.)
B. Criteria for Eligibility. Evidence of
criteria listed in Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 or 4, and 5 must be met for a student to
be classified as having a Speech or Language Impairment.
1. Articulation-non-maturational speech
disorder of one or more phonemes characterized by consistent addition, omission
or incorrect production of speech sounds, and:
a. for a student in grade K or above, data
from documented intervention(s) conducted by a speech-language pathologist or
speech-language pathology assistant that indicates that it is unlikely based on
the student's rate of learning, that the student will acquire correct use of
targeted phoneme(s) within a reasonable period of time; or
2. Fluency-inappropriate rate and time
patterning of speech at least 5 percent of the time, characterized by any of
the following: sound and syllable repetitions, sound prolongations, audible or
silent blocking, interjections, broken words, circumlocutions, or words
produced with an excess of tension and accompanied by ancillary movements that
are indicative of stress or struggle, and:
a.
for a student in grade K or above, data from documented intervention(s)
conducted by a speech-language pathologist or speech-language pathology
assistant that indicates it is unlikely, based on rate of learning, that the
student will attain normal fluency within a reasonable period of
time;
b. a student exhibiting
normal non-fluencies occurring during the developmental speech stage does not
meet this criterion, or
3. Voice-any inappropriate consistent
deviation in pitch, intensity, quality, or other basic phonatory or resonatory
attribute, and:
a. for a student in grade K
or above, data from documented intervention(s) conducted by a speech-language
pathologist or speech-language pathology assistant that indicates it is
unlikely, based on rate of learning, that the student will attain normal voice
quality within a reasonable period of time. There must be an assessment
conducted by the appropriate medical specialist prior to conducting
intervention(s); or
4.
Language-impaired receptive or expressive disorder of phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics, or pragmatics:
a. a
student shall exhibit a deficit of at least 1.5 standard deviations below the
mean based on chronological age;
b.
for a student in grade K or above, data from intervention(s) conducted by a
speech-language pathologist or other appropriate personnel that indicates that
it is unlikely, based on rate of learning, that the student will acquire
targeted language skills that significantly impact the student's educational
performance within a reasonable period of time; and
5. there is documented evidence that the
impairment significantly interferes with the student's educational performance
or significantly interferes with the student's developmental functioning to a
degree inappropriate for his or her cultural and social background or overall
developmental level:
a. some language
difficulties cannot be described as a difference from the norm either because
specific norms are not available or because the individual's language is
deviant in a way not described adequately by developmental norms. In such
cases, language samples should be analyzed and the language behavior should be
documented with deviations described in various settings. An overall picture of
language behavior should be described. Students who are non-verbal
communicators shall be described, using their augmentative and/or alternative
communication needs or modes.
C. Procedures for Evaluation. Conduct all
procedures described under §513, Evaluation Components.
D. Additional procedures for evaluation:
1. a speech-language assessment conducted by
a licensed speech-language pathologist, which shall include the following
procedures:
a. the use of standardized test
instruments and/or published normative data in speech-language pathology or
child development;
b. formal or
informal analysis of a communication sample;
c. additional information gathered from
sources such as criterion-referenced materials, communication-related data
collected by other professionals (including other pupil appraisal personnel and
teachers), and an observation of communication skills;
d. an assessment of the structure and
function of the oral peripheral mechanism;
e. an assessment of language processing, when
appropriate;
f. assessment of
augmentative/alternative communication needs when appropriate; and
g. the review and analysis of intervention
data for students in grade K or above and when appropriate for children aged
3-5;
2. an educational
assessment conducted to review academic skills and to determine whether the
speech or language impairment significantly interferes with the student's
educational performance. This assessment may be conducted by a qualified pupil
appraisal staff member or the student's classroom teacher, when appropriate.
The effect of the speech or language impairment on educational performance must
be documented in the evaluation report, including an analysis of how the
student's disability affects access to and progress in the general curriculum:
a. for a student suspected of having an
articulation, fluency or voice disability, an educational assessment may be
conducted by the classroom teacher;
b. for a student suspected of having a
language disability, an educational assessment shall be conducted by an
educational diagnostician or other qualified pupil appraisal member;
3. a review of the voice
assessment conducted by an appropriate medical specialist in all cases in which
there is a suspected voice impairment;
4. information from a parent conference or
other communication with the parent(s) to determine whether developmental,
health, or other factors may be causing, contributing to, or sustaining the
speech or language problem;
5.
medical, psychological, and additional educational assessments shall be
requested by the evaluation coordinator, when appropriate to the evaluation of
the suspected disability.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
17:1941 et
seq.