Speech & Language Pathologist Assistant

Seeking a Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant for the North Adams Public Schools. The salary for this position is $35,000. This is a school year only position.

Job Goal:To provide a well-organized, smoothly functioning environment in which students can take full advantage of the speech and language program and available resource materials.

Supervision:Reports to the Speech and Language Pathologist and the Administrator of Special Education.

Performance Responsibilities:

1.Administers, scores, and records such achievement and diagnostic tests as the speech and language therapist recommends for individual students.
2.Works with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the speech and language therapist.
3.Assists the speech and language therapist in devising special strategies for reinforcing material or skills based upon a sympathetic understanding of individual students, their needs, interests, and abilities.
4.Operates and cares for equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes.
5.Helps students master equipment or instructional materials assigned by the speech and language therapist.
6.Distributes and collects workbooks, papers, and other materials for instruction.
7.Assists speech and language therapist with non-instructional classroom duties such as supervising classroom routines and preparing materials.
8.Assists with non-instructional activities such as supervision of lunchroom, assemblies, and field trips.
9.Guides independent study, enrichment work, and remedial work set up and assigned by the speech and language therapist.
10.Assists with the supervision of students during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips.
11.Keeps bulletin board and other classroom learning displays up-to-date.
12.Assists with such large group activities as drill work, reading aloud, and storytelling.
13.Read to students, listens to students read, and participates in other forms of oral communication with students.
14.Assists students in the library or media center.
15.Checks notebooks, corrects papers, and supervises testing and make-up work, as assigned by the speech and language therapist.
16.Checks and records student attendance.
17.Collects and records collection of money.
18.Helps students with their clothing.
19.Assists with lunch, snack, and cleanup routines.
20.Assists with wash-up and toilet routines.
21.Alerts the speech and language therapist to any problems or special information about an individual student.
22.Serves as the chief source of information and help to any substitute speech and language therapist assigned in the absence of the regular speech and language therapist.
23.Maintains the same high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about students as is expected of fully licensed speech and language therapists.
24.Participates in in-service training programs, as assigned.
25.Provides direct physical care and instruction to designated children.
26.Implements behavior management program for designated children.
27.Provides, as necessary, physical restraint to designated children.
28.Provides inclusionary support in classroom.
29.Participates in training as needed.
30.Provides specialized services as requested by speech and language therapist and consultants.
31.Provides home-based services as requested by specialists (during school hours).
32.Performs other related duties as requested.

The Committee’s policy of nondiscrimination will extend to students, staff, the general public, and individuals with whom it does business; no person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town or in obtaining the advantages, privileges, and courses of study of such public school on account of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

Required: Bachelors Degree in Speech and Language Therapy or related field, licensure as an SLPA from the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Speech Language Pathology and Audiology.

Preferred: At least two years of work experience as a Speech and Language Assistant or in a related field. Current Massachusetts Department of Education certification as a teacher.


Physical Requirements: The position requires a moderate amount of walking, standing, sitting and climbing stairs and step stool whenever necessary. Activities also include moderate physical exertion in body movement such as reaching, bending, twisting, grasping, pushing, and pulling of objects. The position requires lifting objects of 20 pounds on a frequent basis, and over 40 pounds occasionally. There is a frequent requirement of physical restraint of children with disabilities and frequent lifting of such children. There is a frequent requirement of fine manipulation associated with the required use of a computer, typewriter, keyboard, calculator, and other business machines.

Environmental Conditions: The occupant is required to work indoors. The regular chemical solvents are toners and cleaning fluids. The occupant may come into contact with bodily fluids. High noise levels may be encountered.