Roles of Special Education Providers

Special Educators

Special Educators fulfill a multitude of roles during their day. First and foremost they are teachers and work with a child on areas that need focused attention as identified by their Individual Education Plan (e.g., math, reading, writing, personal management, etc.).

They act as a consultant for a child's regular education teachers, helping to determine the structure or teaching approach that may work best for a particular child. The Special Educator is also a case manger partnering with the parent to communicate regularly and make sure all required meetings and documents are addressed.

Speech Language Pathologists
School-based Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) within the state of Vermont provide support to students in acquiring the communication skills they need in order to be successful in school and in life. SLPs typically work with children who have IEPs and whose academic progress is negatively impacted by communication difficulties. These include:

• Speech fluency and articulation
• Vocabulary and comprehension
• Social communication and conversation skills

Occupational Therapists
School-based occupational therapists, within the state of Vermont, provide support for the development of fine motor, visual motor, visual perception, and self-regulation skills relating to educational performance. This is provided as a related service for students on an Individual Education Plan.

Physical Therapists
School-based physical therapists, within the state of Vermont, provide support for the development of strength, coordination, and balance as it pertains to educational accessibility. This is provided as a related service for students on an Individual Education Plan.

School Psychologists
School based psychologists conduct psychological and academic assessments, collect and interpret student and classroom data, and play a key role in the eligibility determination to help establish individualized instruction and interventions.

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