Speech and Language Pathologist Interview Questions Transcript

Interview: 9/22/17 SLP Kyler Sutton

1.) What is the typical population of the group of students you see? Gender,
race, disability, deficits?
Overwhelmingly male/ Primarily Caucasian but see all races
Specific Learning Disability/ Autism
Typically speech delays/ articulation/speech sounds/ pragmatics

2.) What type of assessment do you use? Are there specific ones designed
for ASD students?
For language -use Comprehensive Assessment Language Skills
Goldman Fristo
Arizona
Expression/ Receptive 1 word answers
Informal Double Interview

3.) How do you assess for diagnosis of ASD?

I do not give a diagnosis of ASD.
When looking at delayed speech, will use double interview to look for
clues
SLDT for social skills

4.) Students with ASD have social/communication deficits, why does not
every student with ASD receive speech services.
Concerns come from IEP team
Assessing takes place
How do deficits impact social and or academics
 5.) How do you work on the goals and collaborate with the team
Informing of incidents occurring in the classroom by teachers
through email
Daily progress sheet
Meeting to discuss progress prior to IEP

6.) What type of strategies do you use? Are there any that you can provide
to one of our common students?
Behavior Chart when younger
Speech slowing down/ going back fluency piece

7.) What is the setting for sessions?

Primarily Small Group setting

8.) How do you know when a student no longer needs services?

Assessed
Look for academic grades
Social
Additional Question
What type of activities are done in sessions?
Games- Pictionary, Taboo, board games, cards,
Topic Conversations/ hypotheticals/ Describing things animals, people, rooms
 I interviewed Kyler Sutton, the Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) at the middle school

where I work. He has been an SLP for five years and has worked with all ages including

toddlers. The students that Kyler mainly sees are boys. Kyler expressed that boys are typically

delayed and slower in speech. The disabilities that are sometimes linked with speech services are

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The areas that he

works on are speech delays, articulation, speech sounds, and pragmatics. Students are pulled

once a week and sessions are group based. Kyler tries to group according to age group and

similar areas of need.

Types of Assessments

Kyler expressed that he does not diagnose for ASD. However, he will assess in the areas

where many ASD students have deficits. The first assessment is informal and is called Double

Interview assessment. This informal interview assesses in the area of social communication.

Kyler will ask questions sometimes personal such as family life, hobbies and things they like to

do. Then the student will ask questions. The areas the he is looking for are, making eye contact,

tone of voice, facial expressions, proximity, body language, and much more. Another assessment

that Kyler uses is called the Goldman Fristo assessment. It looks for different speech sounds and

breaks down consonant sounds. This area affects some of the ASD students. Kyler did not go

into specifics but mentioned other assessments called Arizona -3. This assessment also focuses

on the area of articulation. The last assessment that was talked about when working with ASD

students is called the Social Language Development Test (SLDT), which focuses on social

interpretation as well as social interaction. This assessment is presented in various forms such as

proposing scenarios, taking a position on an issue, are giving them a picture and interpreting

what is happening.
Collaborating

Kyler was able to show me a daily progress sheet with the names of students and their current

IEP goals. There was also a column for teachers and other services that work with the student.

Kyler expressed that Collaboration is constant conversation, typically done through email about

any student. Progress on goals are typically sent out to teachers and feedback is given about the

goals. Kyler admits that sometimes he will be left out of conversations where he feels he could

be of use. For example, an ASD student gets frustrated when he is speaking and is interrupted.

He will get highly agitated and will leave the classroom. He says that frontloading the student

that he will be interrupted while conversing will help bring down his frustration levels. I advised

that it was valuable information and should be shared with the students teachers.

I recently read that all students with ASD are entitled to speech services. I also asked

Kyler why not all students with ASD have speech services if they have deficits in

communication. He replied that when students are assessed, it is because it is affecting an area of

their life such as academics or social interactions with peers. If these areas are not heavily

impacted, then the IEP will discuss if services are needed. Typically, the team will weigh options

as to what would happen if the student were pulled out of classes for speech services. Would

they gain or lose.

Observation

I observed a session of three students with ASD playing Pictionary. It appeared that the

new the rules because they jumped into playing and sometimes would correct the other person.

There was a list of words that each one would take turns picking out of a jar. Kyler says that this
game helps in many areas primarily pragmatics. Students learn to take turns, work together, and

helps with the articulation piece as well.