Clarification of Speech Ruling in Mississippi Concerning Autism
Following is a memorandum that was sent to Superintendents from Dr. Melody Bounds, former State Director on August 23, 2002, discussing the Clarification of Language/Speech Services. For more information, please contact the MS State Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education.
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 23, 2002
TO: Superintendents, Supervisors of Special Education, Interested Parties
FROM: Dr. Melody Bounds, State Director
Office of Special Education
SUBJECT: Clarification of Language/Speech Services
Questions have been raised regarding the provision of services to students in the area of
Language/Speech. The Office of Special Education provides the following guidance for
your consideration in programming for students with disabilities.
1. Who can provide services to a child with eligibility in Language/Speech (L/S) only?
Individuals with endorsements in the areas of 215 and/or 216 are qualified to provide
services to students with eligibility in only L/S.
2. Who is considered a qualified examiner for Language/Speech?
According to Mississippi’s Policies and Procedures, Attachment J2, a qualified
examiner must hold at least one of the following:
A. MDE Speech and Hearing Specialist Endorsement (215);
B. American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical
Competence; OR
C. Master’s degree in speech pathology.
Individuals who administer articulation tests and conduct orofacial examinations
must, at a minimum, hold MDE licensure as a speech correctionist (216) or have a
Bachelor’s degree in speech pathology.
3. Can a student whose only eligibility is in L/S be served by a special education teacher
in a special education classroom only in order to achieve language goals?
No. If a student exhibits a language deficit that is so severe that it impedes the child’s
ability to benefit from educational instruction, the Multidisciplinary
Evaluation/Eligibility Team (MEET) should evaluate the child to determine the
presence of some other primary disability. A student cannot be eligible for SLD in
Oral Expression and/or Listening Comprehension AND Language/Speech because
such is considered a duplication of services. An SLD (OE/LC) student may receive
Language/Speech related services for articulation, fluency, or voice impaired. The
MEET must choose whether the student’s primary disability is L/S and he/she
receives services by a Speech/Language Pathologist OR the student’s primary
disability is not L/S and services are provided in an academic setting by a licensed
special education teacher with L/S addressed as a related service.
If the student’s primary disability is not Language/Speech and L/S is provided as a
related service, the IEP team may determine that the stated objectives can be addressed in the academic setting. If this is the case, the child must be dismissed from L/S.
4. Can a child with an Autism ruling receive Language/Speech services without a
separate L/S eligibility?
Yes. According the definition of Autism in Mississippi’s Policies and Procedures:
“Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and
nonverbal communication…”
A student whose ruling is Autism may receive Language/Speech as a related service
based on the child’s need as determined by the IEP committee. However, this is NOT
equal to an “automatic” language ruling. Language services are not determined by
the L/S eligibility criteria, but by the needs of the child. The same may also be true for students with Hearing Impairment and Traumatic Brain Injury, since the definitions of those disabilities also include impairments in linguistic processing, cognition, language, and/or speech.
If you have questions or need additional information, contact Linda Greaux at
601/359-3498 or email at Cc: Dr. Susan Rucker 02-314 SE
