American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Education: Ways School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists
Could Use Funds
School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may wish to
request funding for:
- Expanding personal knowledge of proven, innovative, and
evidenced-based professional development opportunities by:
- attending regional, state, or national conferences and
conventions
- purchasing continuing education products
- contracting with experts to present on specific topics of
interest
- seeking reimbursement for university coursework
- Purchasing new assessments that update the diagnostic
assessment inventory and to procure adequate number of test
forms
- Expanding library of interventions and other professional
materials
- Obtaining computer programs for developing IEP documents
and other data collection processes
- Seeking compensation for working during the summer or other
times to develop training programs to present to teachers,
administrators, parents, or others on topics, such as:
- Workload
- SLP's role in literacy
- SLP's role in response to intervention (RTI)
- Evidence-based practices supporting students with
communication disorders
- Service delivery options
- Team collaboration to facilitate progress on
communication goals
- Clinical issues (i.e., autism, dysphagia, cleft
palate)
- Use of assistive technology in the classroom
- Developing systems to collect outcomes data through NOMS or
other data collection systems
- Designing and engaging in a collaborative research project
with local university staff
- Implementing assistive technology to develop a library for
trial use of assistive technology
- Purchasing classroom amplification systems and/or items
that would improve classroom acoustics
- Developing retention strategies, such as:
mentoring/induction program, financial incentives (e.g., salary
supplement, signing bonus, loan forgiveness), and training
- Getting laptops, smart boards, software, or other equipment
to enhance delivery of services;
- Building collaborative teams (i.e., training, release
time)
- Developing response to intervention resources and
materials
- Developing/purchasing curriculum based materials and
assessments to support state and local curriculum
- Providing compensatory services due to vacancies or
absences
- Implementing a telepractice programs
- Expanding collaborative problem-solving
- Improving technologies
- Exploring implementation of school-based audiology services
if not available in your area