Speech and Language

Beth Lepper, SLP Coordinator
blepper@sedol.us
847-986-2421

Secretary:
Crissy Bloom
847-986-2379

SEDOL
18160 Gages Lake Rd
Gages Lake, IL 60030

The Special Education District of Lake County, (SEDOL) provides speech therapy and other related services to students with moderate to profound disabilities within 35 member school districts. The Speech Language Department is comprised of approximately 40 Speech Language Pathologists. They are responsible for meeting the communication needs on the Individual Education Plans of SEDOL students and some district students as contracted.

Eligibility for SLP Services

The Speech Pathologists provide evaluations and reevaluations for students age 3-22 years. They collaborate with community agencies and other professionals as needed.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides speech-language services for school age children with communication disorders that adversely affect children’s educational performance. SLP’s work with children who have a variety of delay/disorders in the areas of:

• Language
  • Verbalizing
• Inability to speak
  • Vocabulary acquisition
• Delayed development of vocabulary, concepts
• Sentence development or grammar
• Social interactions
  • Inability to use different communication styles for different situations
• Articulation
  • Sound substitution
  • Omission of sounds or syllables in words
  • Difficulty with word decoding in reading
• Voice
  • Chronic or acute voice quality, pitch or volume issues
• Auditory Processing Skills
  • Difficulty with recall of information
  • Unable to follow directions
  • Poor understanding/expressing of ideas
• Fluency or stuttering
• Swallowing, also called dysphagia

Roles and Responsibilities

The SLP serves as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary team. The SLP collaborates with the Ed Team to facilitate communication needs for supporting the SEDOL Curriculum Frameworks in the classroom. Consultation concerning language activities with small groups or direct service to students is also provided.

The Speech Language Pathologists corresponds with families as to the child’s language progress. SLPs utilize a variety of techniques and materials needed to develop and execute therapy in an appropriate and beneficial manner. These services may include programming and implementation of augmentative communication systems for nonverbal student to use of computer technology for developing visual supports for the classroom.

SLP Service Delivery Models

At the initial Case Study Evaluation, eligibility is determined by the severity of the speech language delay and impact on adverse effect in accessing the child’s educational program. Decisions about the service delivery model and the amount of therapy are determined at the child’s IEP meeting.

At each Annual Review/IEP conference, the student’s communication progress pertaining to the relevant IEP goals will be reviewed. The type of service delivery model and amount of services will be determined based on:

• Level of the communication skill development
• Presence of adverse effect
• Least Restrictive Environment.

Therefore, a continuum of service delivery models is provided to meet the student’s communication stages as he/she advances through his/her educational programs each year.

• Direct/indirect SLP therapy services
• Co-teaching and modeling of language facilitation techniques
• Push in therapy services
• Consultation for communication development in school, home and the community

SLP Resources

Feeding Team

The SEDOL Feeding Team is comprised of two feeding consultants (a speech language pathologist and an occupational therapist) who have
extensive training and experience in evaluating feeding issues within the school setting. The consultants have access to a nurse, teacher, and social
worker who can lend their expertise as needed.

The feeding team is designed to support the educational teams in determining techniques that may be used with the student while he/she eats
at school or that may be incorporated into the student’s curriculum as appropriate. The purpose of these techniques is to provide safe, effective,
and enjoyable eating experiences for the child in the school setting.

The feeding team can also provide a link between the student’s private therapy, home and school for continuity of safe swallow precautions, and
can provide support for parents and guardians who are struggling with their child’s feeding issues.