SPEECH & LANGUAGE

The BCIU provides speech and language support services to students ages 5 through 21 from various Berks County school districts.

Based on Part 300 of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Pennsylvania’s Chapter 14, Special Education Services and Programs State Regulations, the definition of a speech and language impairment is:

A communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

The BCIU’s speech and language services include:

Identification of children with speech or language impairments.
Diagnosis and appraisal of specific speech or language impairments.
Referral for medical or other professional attention necessary for the habilitation of speech or language impairments.
Provision of speech and language services for the habilitation or prevention of communicative impairments.
Counseling and guidance of parents, children, and teachers regarding speech and language impairments.

School districts must make referrals by submitting a Request for School-Age Services and Program Form to the BCIU.