Working with Severe Disabilities (January 2008)

January 2008 – Working with Severe Disabilities
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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Access Schools addresses the specific needs of school-based speech-language pathologists. This bimonthly update, designed to be informative, practical, and easy to use, will inform you of upcoming events and current trends to help you succeed in the schools.

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Headlines

Congress Completes Massive 2008 Federal Funding Bill
Most federal education programs received either no or nominal increases over 2007 spending with the exception of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which received $24.8 billion ($1.1 billion more than 2007). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B State Grants received $11 billion, or $550 million more than the President's 2008 request and $259 million more than 2007. The federal share of funding the education of students with disabilities will increase from 17.2% in 2007 to 17.3% in 2008. The legislation also contained funding for several other initiatives of interest to ASHA members:

$268,000 to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation for its 21st Century Scholars program;
$100,00 to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, for a teletherapy program to address the shortage of speech-language pathologists;
$300,00 to the Hackett-Bower Clinic at Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, MS, for acquisition of equipment and programs; and
$175,000 to the National Cued Speech Association for parent, teacher, and transliterator training and certification in cued speech for preschool and school-aged children.

For further information or questions about federal funding, please contact Neil Snyder, ASHA's Director of Federal Advocacy, at nsnyder@asha.org or 202-624-7750.

FY 2008 Early Reading First Grant Competition
The FY 2008 Early Reading First competition has begun! The application package is available for you to view and download. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.Gov and strongly recommend that you register early and submit early.

Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: February 1, 2008
Deadline for Transmittal of Full Applications: April 18, 2008
(for applicants invited to submit full applications only)
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2008

Growth Model Offers Expansion and Flexibility
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, observing that the pilot projects that give states credit for improving individual students' performance over time but still retain the No Child Left Behind principles have been highly successful, has now opened eligibility to all qualified states. Noting that the growth models allow states to expand their flexibility under NCLB and that it allows for another avenue of measuring Adequate Yearly Progress, the Department of Education is seeking additional proposals by February 1.

Closing the Gap-HR 4100 Introduced
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) has introduced H.R. 4100, aimed at gathering data on the groups of students who perform significantly below their grade level but do not fall within the 1% of those with the most severe cognitive disabilities. Data gathered will be used to create targeted instruction and facilitate closing the gap between the students' instructional level and grade level. The bill proposes to fund 10 state educational agencies for three years. The bill has been assigned to the Education and Labor Committee and a Senate sponsor is being sought.

Best Placements for Deaf Students with Severe Disabilities
Based upon a legal settlement between the California School for the Deaf (Fremont Campus) and the parents of a 15-year-old deaf student with autism, a new day program will be instituted at the School for the Deaf for adolescents who have severe disabilities in addition to their deafness. Such lawsuits point out the wide chasm that exists in determining the best learning environment for students with multiple disabilities.

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Featured Question

Q: Does ASHA have resources available to assist SLPs who are working with students who have severe disabilities?

A: Yes! ASHA has developed a resource on severe disabilities in conjunction with the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC). This resource includes information about communication services and supports for individuals with severe disabilities related to communication development, funding for service delivery, eligibility policies, AAC, IDEA services, interdisciplinary teams, literacy, and specific disabilities and approaches. For more information, contact slpinfo@asha.org.

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