An Evaluation of the Factors that Influence the Amount of Time and Place of Service Provision in the Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine factors impacting the amount of time and place school-based Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) provided speech and language intervention. A national survey completed by 1,897 school SLPs indicated that students with severe and moderate disabilities participated in intervention 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes in groups outside the classroom. Students with the least severe disability were provided therapy once a week for 20-30 minutes in groups outside the classroom. Analysis using multinomial logistic regression indicated the amount of time was impacted by the SLP's caseload size, their year of graduation and the number of years worked in the schools. For place, the SLP's caseload size and clinical training experiences influenced their selection. These findings suggest that workplace and SLP characteristics impact SLP decisions; whereas, child characteristics did not differentiate time and place of services. Implications for training programs and future research are discussed.