Knowledge and Support Needs of School-Based Speech and Language Pathologists in Addressing Dyslexia.

Background/

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of their ability and needs to identify and remediate students with dyslexia.

Methods

A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with school-based SLPs. The findings were thematically analyzed by following six steps; (a) familiarization with the data; (b) initial code generation; (c) theme identification; (d) theme review; (e) defining and naming themes; and (f) report writing.

Results

The findings revealed that participants had a very limited knowledge of dyslexia, and most did not consider reading difficulties within their scope of practice. Professional development opportunities, collaboration with teachers, and administrative support were identified as crucial factors to enhance SLPs' practice supporting dyslexic cases in school settings.

Conclusions

The study showed that school-based SLPs lack the necessary knowledge to work with students with dyslexia, which aligns with results observed in other countries. This finding highlights the importance of empowering their abilities to effectively support students with dyslexia.