Date Approved

10-31-2013

Date Posted

4-7-2014

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department or School

Special Education

Committee Member

Ana Claudia Harten, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Chair

Committee Member

Lizbeth Stevens, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Committee Member

Jennifer Desiderio, Ed.S.

Abstract

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an important role in language intervention among school-age children and have the potential to target academic achievement through language therapy. This study explored whether and how SLPs capitalize on language therapy to promote students’ math achievement and discussed SLPs’ practice addressing academic problems that co-occur with language disorders. Ten elementary school SLPs were interviewed to gather their perspectives on the relationship between language disorders and academic achievement. Results indicated that the SLPs acknowledged their responsibility to address academic difficulties and reported addressing academic difficulties presented by students in their caseload. Reading and writing were identified by most SLPs as the most common academic difficulties addressed by them, and only half of the SLPs promptly listed math as an academic subject they help their students with. The SLPs identified different factors as limiting their direct intervention in math difficulties and discussed potential implications to their intervention.

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