Accuracy of Teacher Referrals of Speech Handicapped Children

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Abstract
This study investigated the ability of 30 third grade teachers to identify speech handicapped children and the extent to which this ability was related to the type and/or the severity of the speech problem. Results indicated that classroom teachers identified approximately two out of five children with speech problems; however, teachers referred four out of five children whose speech problems were severe enough to warrant therapy. The percentage of accurate referrals tended to rise as the severity of the disorder increased. These results, when considered with those obtained in similar studies, may be interpreted two ways: (a) teachers consistently fail to identify a large percentage of speech handicapped children, and (b) therapists' judgments as to what constitutes a speech problem are unnecessarily severe.

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