Speech language therapy service
Service
The National Outreach School SLT service provides support to Deaf/ hard of hearing (DHH) learners (0-21 years) who are enrolled in their school or preschool of choice. We aim to provide an equitable service to all DHH learners across the whole of New Zealand.
The SLTs’ work in the Outreach School focuses on the learner’s access to the curriculum (National School Curriculum or Te Whāriki) and follows communication needs identified in the learner’s Individual Education Plan (if the learner has one).
This Service Outline describes how the Speech Language Therapy Service functions in the context of the Outreach School.
Scope of practice
Ko Taku Reo is a trilingual, tricultural organisation and therefore the speech-language therapy service aims to align with this.
We work to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Specialist Service Standards of the Ministry of Education, and within the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO, 2001).
In Ko Taku Reo, speech-language therapists’ work in partnership with audiologists to support the development of communication and literacy skills. We work collaboratively with learners, their whānau and other professionals, including teachers, teacher aides, NZSL tutors, and CI habilitationists.
How we work
SLTs use assessment to identify how learners communicate, as well as how communication difficulties impact access, participation and learning. SLTs work to identify the next steps for communication development and/or access in relation to your child and other areas of support.
The SLT Service is a priority-based service. This means that the learners and their teams with the highest needs will receive a more intensive service. Learner assessment results will be used with our prioritisation guidelines, indicating the level of support each learner will receive.
The Learner need & intervention model will inform the SLT service Support Plan, which includes learning goals that have an agreed time frame. Where applicable, this Support Plan may be embedded in the learner’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), which is co-constructed with the learner’s whānau and team.
When the agreed learning goals have been achieved, the Support Plan is reviewed and decisions about further SLT support will be discussed with the learner’s whanau and team.
Accessing the service
Referrals
If anyone from a learner’s existing team has noticed that they need help to support the child’s Speech-Language and Communication (SLC), then they can refer the learner to the Early Years SLT service. The referrer could include family/whanau, teacher/RTD, AODC or other MOE/Early Intervention specialist(s), and/or Audiologist. This can be done by filling in a referral form and sending it to the Integrated Services referral email Integratedservices@kotakureo.school.nz. Referrals can only be accepted if whānau have given consent for the referral.