Special Education Law
& Children Who Stutter

A child who stutters may be eligible to receive speech therapy for free from the local school district—even a child as young as three years old or one attending a private school.

Federal law mandates that state education agencies and local school districts provide special education services to children ages 3-21, including speech therapy.

To help parents understand special education law, the SFA has published a new brochure, Special Education Law and Children Who Stutter.

Written by Lisa Scott Trautman, Ph.D., the brochure explains in simple, direct, parent-centered language how children are identified, screened, evaluated, and determined to be eligible for services. There is a lengthy discussion of how speech therapy plans are developed for each child and the parents’ roles in the process. Differences in these processes for children who are enrolled in private schools are discussed, and speech therapy options are presented for children who are ineligible for services from the schools.

The full, four-color brochure is available for 10 cents through the Foundation’s catalog and online store, or may be downloaded for free from the Web site. While space does not permit the full text to be printed here, following is an edited version with some major points about getting help.

Getting Started and the Screening

If a child attends elementary school, the teacher may recommend a screening. The parent of a preschooler may contact the local school district directly and ask that their child be screened for stuttering or ask their pediatrician to make a referral.

The child may be screened by one person or by a team of professionals. Parents will be asked about the child’s general development, their current concerns about his speech, and general information about the family. Then, the person or team will play with the child, listen to his talking, and observe how he plays with toys and interacts with others.

After the screening, a team of professionals will meet to discuss the results. If further evaluation is necessary, the parents will be contacted for permission to schedule a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether a child’s stuttering makes her eligible for speech therapy. The law also requires that parents be on the team that makes the final decision regarding eligibility.

During an evaluation, a parent should tell the speech-language pathologist (SLP) when the child first started to talk, when he first noticed the stuttering, whether it has changed over time, how her talking changes in different speaking situations, and whether there is a history of stuttering in the family.

Is My Child Eligible?

After the evaluation, a team comprised of the parent, the SLP and someone from the local school will determine whether the child is eligible for speech therapy. The eligibility decision is based on 1) the testing results from the evaluation, 2) how these results compare to the eligibility guidelines used by the school district, 3) parent input, 4) how the child’s stuttering affects him in school, and 5) the team’s opinions regarding whether the child would benefit from therapy.

The Individualized Education Plan

If the child is eligible, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be written within 30 days. If a child is not eligible, parents must be notified why in writing and given information about what to do if they disagree.

The IEP lays out the therapy plan for the child and states what services the child will receive. It is developed with input from parents, the child’s teacher, and from the special education team member(s) who will work with the child. For stuttering, this is typically an SLP.

The IEP includes: a statement about the child’s present level of performance, annual speech therapy goals, services to be provided and who will provide them, the amount of time services will be provided each week, and how progress will be measured.

The IEP is a one-year plan developed with the parents’ input. Parents must also consent for the child to be placed in speech therapy. At least once a year, a meeting will be scheduled to review the child’s progress. The IEP is a flexible document that can be modified if the child’s needs change before a year has passed.

Parents have the right to have the team’s recommendations reviewed by an outside person or have the child independently evaluated. They may also take an advocate with them to any meeting. For example, if parents are paying for private speech therapy, they may take the therapist to school meetings to help plan the child’s public school therapy.

Children in Private Schools

Local public school districts are required to identify, evaluate, and provide services to children in private schools just as they must for children attending public schools. The main difference for students in private schools is in how services are delivered and the replacement of the IEP with a “Service Plan.” Instead of an SLP coming to the child’s own school, the child may have to go to the closest elementary school for therapy. The Service Plan establishes annual goals for the child and specifies the services to be provided. Personnel from the child’s school are invited to help determine eligibility and develop the Service Plan.

If My Child Is Ineligible

Sometimes a child who is stuttering may not be eligible for free speech therapy through the public schools. Instead, parents may have to find a speech-language pathologist in a clinic or private practice to see the child, and pay for therapy themselves or have it billed through their health insurance. The Stuttering Foundation can provide a list of SLPs who specialize in stuttering therapy.