19 Tex. Admin. Code § 127.511 - [Effective 8/1/2025] Speech Communication Disorders (One Credit), Adopted 2025

(a) Implementation.

(1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

(2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in § 127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills, Adopted 2025) as an integral part of this course.

(b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 11 and 12. Prerequisite: at least one credit in a course from the Health Science Career Cluster. Recommended prerequisites: Principles of Health Science, Anatomy and Physiology, Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Speech and Language Development, and Human Growth and Development. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

(c) Introduction.

(1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.

(2) The Health Science Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing therapeutic services, diagnostics services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.

(3) The Speech Communication Disorders course is designed to provide for the development of advanced knowledge and skills related to an overview of communication disorders that occur in children and adults in the areas of speech sound production, stuttering, voice disorders, and the language areas of semantics, syntax, pragmatics, phonology, and metalinguistics. An overview of treatment for hearing loss and deafness will also be provided.

(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.

(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(d) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student demonstrates knowledge of the nature of speech, language, hearing, and communication disorders and differences. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the anatomy and describe the function of the peripheral and central auditory pathways;

(B) describe the physical and psychological attributes of sound;

(C) differentiate between the different types of hearing loss and their causes;

(D) describe the impact of hearing loss on speech and language development;

(E) compare the processes of speech, language, and hearing in people of various cultures;

(F) identify and relate disorder differences in relationship to communication skills;

(G) explain the concepts of speech, language, hearing, and communication disorders across the human lifespan; and

(H) explain potential barriers and solutions that an interpreter or translator must consider when communicating with a child with a communication disorder.

(2) The student demonstrates knowledge of the etiologies, characteristics, and anatomical/physical, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic, and cultural correlates of communication disorders across the human lifespan. The student is expected to:

(A) compare common causes of hearing impairment in children and adults;

(B) analyze the causes of speech, language, and hearing disorders across the lifespan;

(C) identify common communication and hearing disorders, their typical symptoms, etiologies, characteristics, and associated correlates;

(D) evaluate the impact of communication disorders on the individual; and

(E) compare cultural variations in how communication disorders are perceived.

(3) The student describes the types of communication disorders most commonly seen in children and the services provided by professionals in this field to provide habilitation or rehabilitation. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze speech sound disorders of the child's phonological system and describe the production of speech sounds such as place, manner, voicing, and distinctive feature analysis;

(B) describe and organize evidence-based treatment approaches for speech sound disorders;

(C) summarize fluency disorders, including secondary characteristics;

(D) analyze evidence-based treatment approaches for stuttering;

(E) identify voice disorders in terms of vocal quality, pitch, volume, resonance, and duration;

(F) develop a plan for an evidence-based treatment for voice disorders and the required interface with a physician;

(G) explain language disorders in terms of the child's use of syntax, morphology, semantics, pragmatics, phonology, and metalinguistics; and

(H) compare current evidence-based treatment approaches for language disorders in preschool and elementary-age children.

(4) The student demonstrates effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate communication skills appropriate to the situation when interacting with elementary age students, classroom teachers, speech-language pathologists, principals, and parents with communication disorders;

(B) demonstrate knowledge of verbal and nonverbal communication techniques that should be used when communicating with children that have sensory loss, language barriers, cognitive impairment, and other learning disabilities; and

(C) employ electronic communication and technology devices when interacting with children with communication disorders with appropriate supervision in a school setting.

(5) The student demonstrates sensitivity and understanding of cultural and linguistic influences on an individual's communication patterns and describes how cultural and linguistic influences must be considered when working with children with communication disorders and their families. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze how speech and language patterns vary as a function of language, age, socioeconomic status, and geography;

(B) prepare a simulated interview with the parent or family member of a child referred for a hearing or communication evaluation;

(C) identify patterns of communication that are common for individuals from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds such use of eye contact, personal space, and gestures;

(D) apply design strategies for culturally sensitive family-centered practices for children with communication disorders; and

(E) explain the terms language disorder, language delay, language difference, heritage language, and dialect for describing the communication patterns of a young child.

(6) The student identifies screening, evaluation, and diagnosis procedures that are used to identify hearing loss/deafness, speech sound production disorders, stuttering, voice impairment, and language disorders in children. The student is expected to:

(A) explain principles related to different audiometric test procedures;

(B) participate in a basic audiometric test (screening procedure) and interpret a variety of test results regarding whether the individual passed or failed the screening;

(C) interpret principles related to screening speech sound production, fluency, voice, and language skills in young children;

(D) evaluate developmental screening activities that include screening speech and language development; and

(E) synthesize the components of a comprehensive diagnostic report of findings inclusive of speech sound production, fluency (stuttering), voice production, and receptive, expressive, and social language skills to explain the test results.

(7) The student identifies research-based and evidence-based practices in speech-language pathology and audiological service delivery. The student is expected to:

(A) define evidence-based practice (EBP) and differentiate EBP from scientifically-based research in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology;

(B) define the set of Evidence Levels used by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as a protocol to evaluate research evidence;

(C) correlate research studies to the Evidence Levels used by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association;

(D) analyze the role of expert opinion and clinical experience in evidence-based practice; and

(E) design and present an action research project in the field of communication disorders.

(8) The student demonstrates knowledge and understanding of a variety of treatment approaches used with children with communication disorders. The student is expected to:

(A) compare two treatment approaches for speech sound disorders;

(B) compare two treatment approaches for fluency disorders;

(C) describe and practice treatment approaches for voice disorders in the areas of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and duration;

(D) compare two treatment approaches for language disorders in preschool children;

(E) compare two treatment approaches for language disorders in elementary school-age children; and

(F) identify treatment approaches for language disorders with children with disabilities such as autism, intellectual disability, cleft palate, or cerebral palsy.

Notes

19 Tex. Admin. Code § 127.511

Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 50, Number 26, June 27, 2025, TexReg 3762, eff. 8/1/2025