Teachers’ perspectives on the role and scope of practice of speech-language pathologists working to support literacy in the early years of school

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the views of teachers in early year levels about the role and scope for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to work on literacy support in schools. Method: Sixty-one teachers from mainstream government schools across Victoria, Australia, completed an anonymous, online survey. Result: Although many respondents reported knowing that SLPs support the literacy learning of some students in their school, they had limited awareness of the scope of speech-language pathology practice in literacy instruction and intervention. Conclusion: Limited awareness of SLPs’ expertise and scope of practice may be leading to missed opportunities for collaborative practices. In order to capitalise on SLPs’ skill set for the benefit of students, the speech-language pathology profession should better promote and raise awareness of the various ways in which SLPs can collaborate within interprofessional literacy teams in schools.