Let’s talk! Speech-language
pathologists in Montana schools

By Janice Nugent-30-year speech language pathologist with Missoula County Public Schools, state education advocacy leader for the Montana Speech Hearing and Language Association, and active member of the Missoula Education Association.

Speech-language pathologists play an important role in Montana public schools. These professionals go by a variety of job titles: speech therapists, speech clinicians, speech-language clinicians, or speech teachers. Whatever the job title, their collective goal is good communication skills for all Montana students.

Because Montana is such a big, multifaceted state, the speech-language pathologists work in a variety of formats and places within schools. Speech-language pathologists work alone, in collaboration or consultation with a teacher, and sometimes through a supervised assistant.

Some are assigned to one school; some serve several counties. They can work with one child, an entire classroom, or somewhere in between.

Montana children with disabilities are eligible to receive appropriate educational services from birth through age 21.

In general, public school districts provide this education from age three on, with other local agencies providing the services from birth to age three. The speech language pathologist is often a key figure in the provision of educational services.

All in a day's work
Speech-language pathologists help students with a wide variety of communication needs, most commonly the following:

• Difficulties or delays in language comprehension and expression.

• Lack of intelligible speech or speech sound production difficulties.

• Hearing impairments.

• Stuttering.

• Voice disorders.

• Social communication difficulties.

• Phonemic awareness and early literacy skills.

The workday of a public school speech-language pathologist can include:

• Diagnostic evaluations of students with communication, reading or other difficulties.

• Goal-based individual or group therapy.

• Help with hearing screening or Child Find activities.

• Meetings with parents, teachers, administrators, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, and other support staff.

• Activities to enhance early literacy in a school.

• Help to design and implement an augmentative communication device.

• Parent training about a specific disorder.

• Extensive record keeping and report writing.

What it takes
All speech-language pathologists in Montana schools must be licensed by the Montana Board of Speech-language Pathologists and Audiologists. This license must be registered annually with the county superintendent of schools and requires a minimum of 40 hours of approved continuing education every two years.

Requirements for the license include:

1. 1. A master's degree or its equivalent in speech pathology and audiology.

2. 2. Adequate performance on a nationally standardized examination.

3. 3. Over 400 supervised clock hours of therapy in a specific variety of skill areas within the field.

4. 4. A full year of professional work under the supervision of an experienced, licensed sponsor.

Besides MEA-MFT, many speech-language pathologists and audiologists belong to one or more additional professional organizations including the Montana Speech Hearing and Language Association and the American Speech Hearing and Language Association.

If you are interested in learning more about Montana's public school speech-language pathologists, visit the Montana Speech-Language and Hearing Association, www.mshaonline.org.