Budget Cuts: Maintaining Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services in Schools

In today's economic climate, school districts are facing budget cuts and difficult financial decisions resulting in staff reductions. These cuts can significantly affect audiology and speech-language pathology services by increasing workloads, lowering staff morale, delaying student support and impacting how services are delivered. Reductions in funding may also result in program cuts, reduced access to professional development, outdated materials, and technology. Schools may also face legal challenges from parents and advocates if services to students are interrupted.

SLPs and audiologists are valuable professionals in the school, who assist students in becoming effective learners and productive citizens. According to the National Center on Education Statistics, speech-language impairment is the second highest disability category among students in public school, demonstrating the continued and critical need for adequate staffing of speech-language pathologists and educational audiologists in schools.

Promoting the Value of the Professions

ASHA's Demonstrating Your Value fact sheets combine data from ASHA's National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) and literature to affirm the value of audiology and speech-language pathology services.

Speech-Language Pathology

ASHA-certified SLPs are the only professionals specifically educated and prepared to evaluate and treat children with speech, language, and swallowing problems.
ASHA-certified SLPs are the only professionals who possess either a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited program, complete a postgraduate clinical fellowship, and pass a national examination to receive their professional credential: the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The benefits of treatment by ASHA-certified SLPs are measured and documented by a statistically validated national treatment outcomes database (National Outcomes Measurement System–NOMS).
ASHA-certified SLPs provide professional services that help students express what they want to say and understand what is being said to them.
ASHA-certified SLPs help students develop effective speaking and listening skills, which are fundamental skills necessary for success in personal, academic, and professional relationships.
Effective speaking and listening skills ("communication skills") are the fundamental skills necessary for success in personal, academic, and professional relationships. ASHA-certified SLPs are the only professionals specifically educated and prepared to help people develop or recover effective communication skills.
ASHA-certified SLPs have the in-depth academic preparation, clinical experience, and research-based knowledge to make them the preferred provider of swallowing treatment.
Safe and efficient swallowing is vital to preventing pneumonia-related deaths, maintaining nutritional well-being, and preserving the pleasures associated with eating, and is essential to help students fully access the curriculum and optimize their school experience.

Audiology

ASHA-certified Audiologists are the professionals uniquely educated and prepared to provide services related to the prevention of hearing loss and the audiologic diagnosis, identification, assessment, and nonmedical and nonsurgical treatment of persons with impairment of auditory and vestibular function.
ASHA-certified Audiologists are the only professionals who possess either a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited program, complete a post-master’s clinical fellowship or an externship within the post baccalaureate Doctor of Audiology program (AuD), and pass a national examination to receive their professional credential: the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Receiving treatment for hearing and/or balance problems by ASHA-certified Audiologists sooner rather than later will allow for a better and more successful outcome.
ASHA-certified Audiologists provide professional services in schools that help students who are deaf or hard of hearing make the best use of their hearing and hearing technologies used to support hearing, speech-language development and academic achievement.
ASHA-certified Audiologists help students develop effective listening skills, which are fundamental skills necessary for success in personal, academic, and professional relationships.
ASHA-certified Audiologists have the in-depth academic and clinical preparation, professional clinical experience, and research-based knowledge to make them the preferred provider of auditory and balance rehabilitation.

Funding Resources

These federal, state, and ASHA resources can be used to support your advocacy efforts.

Tools for Advocacy

Information to support your advocacy efforts.

School Funding Advocacy information, developed by the School Finance Committee
State Association Contacts
State-Based Advocacy Networks
Talking Points for Advocacy
Success Stories
Teacher Unions

Parent Advocacy

Parents of children with disabilities typically equate job loss with loss of services to their children. Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. The resources highlighted below can inform parents of their rights or can provide advocacy assistance

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) The network provides legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
The National Conference of State Legislatures includes a directory of state legislators. Your state legislator can be helpful in providing support to you and your child in the event that needed services are threatened.
The National School Boards Association includes names and contact information for your school district's Board of Education.
Reaching out to local press and media outlets will help raise awareness about decisions cut budgets that result in reduced services to students with disabilities.

ASHA Practice Policy

ASHA's practice policy documents can be used to explain and promote best practices and legal requirements for providing services for students with communication disabilities.