Family Road Map Guide

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Learn SYSTEM BASICS
DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALISTS who may evaluate or treat
your child/youth:
Speech Language Pathologist (SLP): Evaluates and treats the way a child understands
and uses communication. This includes spoken language plus “non-verbal”
signals, such as eye contact and body language. The SLP deals with how
sounds are pronounced (“articulation”) and voice quality (“hoarseness, pitch”).
The SLP also studies “social language” (ability to understand social cues, talk back
and forth with someone or solve problems through communication). The SLP may
do therapy for oral skills, such as feeding (in some places this is done by an occupational
therapist), or academic skills, such as reading. The SLP may also develop
picture/symbol systems that help a non-verbal person to communicate.
Who's Who in Mental
Health Counseling
Few sources are better
than the website Mental
Health America, run by the
Mental Health Association.
It offers a huge amount of
practical information about
mental health disorders and
treatment. It's a good place
to look for information about
local services and support.
You can also find good
definitions of mental health
counseling specialties.
www.mentalhealthamerica.
net/types-mental-healthprofessionals.
Occupational Therapist: Evaluates and treats problems with fine motor skills
(use of the small muscles of the body, such as those in arms and hands), daily
living skills (such as eating or dressing), visual-perceptual skills, motor skills (such
as writing), or pre-vocational skills (such as following a set of instructions). An
OT may evaluate and treat “sensory integration” problems (how a person’s brain
understands and responds to signals from the five senses).
Physical Therapist: Evaluates and treats problems with gross motor skills (use
of large muscles of the body such as those in arms and legs), strength, movement,
and mobility. The PT may use massage, movement, and special equipment, such as
a walker or wheelchair, to help a person move around more independently.
Audiologist: Evaluates the way sounds are heard or understood by the brain.
This person may evaluate how loud a sound needs to be for a person to hear it, or
whether the brain “reads” that sound correctly.
Behavior Analyst: Provides evaluation of behavioral problems to determine why
they occur. Develops a plan to change the behavior or environment. This specialist
sometimes uses a method called Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA).
Special Education Teacher: A teacher who is specially licensed to work with
a wide range of students who may have physical, behavioral, intellectual, developmental,
emotional, physical, or learning disabilities.
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