Language-Based Curriculum Analysis: A Collaborative Assessment and Intervention Process

Abstract

As speech-language pathologists are moving toward more collaborative, curriculum-based models of service delivery, they require an understanding of the curriculum and the language demands of that curriculum on students with communication impairments. This article presents a systematic process for completing a language-based curriculum analysis to address a critical review of the curriculum expectations which may challenge students with communication impairments. This process requires a collaborative effort between the teacher and speech-language pathologist (SLP). Analysis of the vocabulary and the demands for comprehension, oral and written expression within a specific content area provides a framework by which the classroom teacher and SLP can evaluate and predict the language needs of students with communication impairments. This analysis leads to the development of strategies for making modifications in the presentation of curriculum material. Although initially a labor intensive process, the outcomes teacher-SLP teams report suggest their time and commitment to the process resulted in more successful management of the curriculum demands for all students.

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