| With the passing of the Individuals with | | | | students, who would not have qualified for |
| Disabilities Education Act, schools across | | | | such services in the past, are now eligible |
| the nation are now required to offer services | | | | and taking advantage of the free |
| that were before considered a luxury for | | | | school-provided services. |
| students with disabilities. One such service | | | | |
| is for speech and language therapy. | | | | The Florida schools require speech and |
| | | | language therapists to hold a minimum of a |
| In a memorandum to all Florida schools | | | | masters degree, as well as be certified and |
| special education directors, Chief of | | | | licensed to practice within the state of |
| Exceptional Education Bambi Lockman wrote | | | | Florida. Unfortunately, the Florida schools |
| that federal officials found that the Florida | | | | therapists are paid little more than a |
| schools had failed to provide speech and | | | | beginning teacher, who is required only to |
| language-related services to children with | | | | have a bachelors degree and who may or may |
| disabilities. She further noted that the | | | | not be certified in their area of expertise. |
| officials stated that these services were | | | | For example, the Florida schools St. Lucie |
| necessary as outlined by the Individuals with | | | | School District pays therapists only $8,000 |
| Disabilities Education Act, without which the | | | | more than a beginning teacher. |
| children could not fully benefit from their | | | | |
| special education. | | | | The majority of speech and language |
| | | | professionals are moving to work in medical |
| Speech and language therapists help children | | | | and hospital settings, for private companies, |
| who have trouble pronouncing words due to | | | | or to go into business for themselves as |
| physical disabilities, such as a cleft | | | | private contractors. In the St. Lucie area, a |
| palate, autism, or hearing impairments. Other | | | | speech therapist can earn upwards of $100 an |
| children have problems expressing themselves, | | | | hour as a private contractor. As with many |
| and some children cannot speak at all. | | | | teachers over the years, therapists are |
| Therapists help these children overcome a | | | | opting for higher wages and better working |
| wide range of obstacles that interfere with | | | | conditions. |
| their ability to learn. | | | | |
| | | | This makes competition for the Florida |
| Throughout the Florida schools there are | | | | schools very difficult. The St. Lucie School |
| nearly 93,000 children who are considered | | | | District had a difficult time hiring 16 |
| speech or language impaired. That is 18 | | | | additional speech therapists last year. This |
| percent of all Florida schools students. | | | | year, they prepared to meet the demand by |
| Under the disabilities act, other students | | | | hiring aides and college graduates, who are |
| also will qualify for speech and language | | | | still working toward their masters degrees |
| services, such as those children who are | | | | and certifications. |
| learning English as a second language. The | | | | |
| demand for therapists by the Florida schools | | | | The Florida schools Palm Beach County School |
| already is greater than the availability of | | | | District has gone beyond the federal |
| such professionals, and officials expect that | | | | requirements and will have an even higher |
| demand to grow even more once services are | | | | demand for therapist services. They developed |
| more readily offered. | | | | a plan that offers extra speech and language |
| | | | services to all of their elementary-level |
| Speech and language therapists have been in | | | | students with disabilities. |
| short supply in the Florida schools, as well | | | | |
| as across the United States, for many years. | | | | With language and speech playing a crucial |
| Experts blame the shortage on the increasing | | | | role in a students development and the |
| demands for therapists by school districts | | | | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
| across the nation and the considerably low | | | | requiring the Florida schools to provide such |
| pay offered, compared to the amount of | | | | services, therapists are much in demand and |
| education, certification and licensing | | | | the shortage is even greater. This means that |
| required by the schools. | | | | until the Florida schools can hire all of the |
| | | | needed therapists, the services offered will |
| With the disabilities act, school caseloads | | | | be limited to how many therapists each school |
| have ballooned and are overwhelming. Many | | | | district can manage to hire. |