Services, Projects, Programs | arcommunicationboard

SERVICES-PROJECTS-PROGRAMS

Technical Assistance (TA) and Professional Development (PD) can be provided in many ways!

The Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Unit supports three types of TA.

GENERAL, UNIVERSAL

At this time, General (or Universal) TA services for speech-language pathologists and LEAs include the provision of information relevant to, and frequently asked about, speech and language practice in Arkansas’ schools, which is readily available through Shelly’s Communication Board and/or shared via the consultant’s SLP/LEA email distribution system or by phone (on request).

A free, live workshop is also provided statewide each year, designed specifically for SLPs, to address current professional topics and important school-related issues within the state. Topics are chosen based on needs assessment, current issues, input from colleagues, professional development attended, and/or training needed to prepare SLPs/LEAs for an initiative or state-level change.

TARGETED, SPECIALIZED

At this time, Targeted (or Specialized) TA services for speech-language pathologists and LEAs are obtained by request and may be provided onsite or online, as time, topic and need dictate.

TA may involve mini-presentations, conference calls, Q&A/group discussions, focused problem-solving, or planning/work sessions dedicated either to an individual student's IEP needs, or to a specific topic/issue, such as speech-language evaluation methods, state regulations & documentation, service delivery options, caseload/workload management, Medicaid eligibility, or a workshop topic "complement" (e.g. After attending a Language Processing workshop, you can schedule a topic overview, explicit training, and recommendations for local implementation).

The SLP Consultant is also available *to help identify, facilitate, or co-host expert speaker presentations, to organize work groups for specific tasks, and to facilitate focus groups that analyze, develop, or troubleshoot specific materials or procedures. *An SLP Consultant Advisory Group coordinates and assists with these activities.

INTENSIVE, SUSTAINED

Consideration of potential speech-language practices that would necessitate Intensive (or Sustained) TA for successful implementation, is ongoing and based on concerns reported by SLPs and LEAs, as well as current professional research and evidence-based practices.

Intensive TA service provision requires, at a minimum, time and participation assurances from various district level administrators and appropriate staff, prior to initiation of service, to establish shared concern for, value in, and long-term commitment to the work to come.

SLP SUPPORT PERSONNEL PROGRAM

As of June 2018, the state consultant also coordinates the SLP Support Personnel Program for the school districts and education cooperatives that have been approved to use this speech-language service delivery model, including...

Management of the program approval process,
Provision of training and technical assistance, and
Review of compliance status.

Go to the SLP Support Personnel page of this website for more information.

ARKANSAS COMMUNICATION BOARD

State Consultant for School-Based Speech-Language Pathology Services