My name is Kristy Martin. I’m the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) speech-language pathologist at Saint Patrick School (SPS). I graduated with my Master of Arts Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. In 2003, I received my national certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). I have worked with children ages 3 through 21 years for the last 22 years. I love working with school-age students because they are diverse and capable of doing great things.
At SPS, I provide support in the areas of articulation (speech sounds), expressive language, receptive language, fluency (e.g., stuttering), voice, and pragmatics (social language). I perform a variety of responsibilities that are summarized as:
Conducting speech-language screenings
Administering speech-language assessments
Delivering direct intervention to identified students using best practices
Providing support to school team members
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. My children are involved in soccer, so we spend a lot of time on the field. In the summer, the beach is our favorite place to visit with extended family members.
Speech-Language Services at Saint Patrick School
When a parent and/or teacher has concerns about a student’s speech-language skills, the teacher completes an MTSS Referral Form. The SPS MTSS team reviews the form. Then, the speech-language pathologist makes recommendations for next steps. Typically, the next step is a speech-language screening. Following the speech-language screening, the parent and teacher are informed of the speech-language results. Based on the screening results, a student may or may not be referred for a speech-language evaluation.
The goal of speech-language service is to support a student’s success in their regular education program. Therefore, a student’s needs must interfere with their educational performance to be considered for direct speech-language service. Students transitioning from public schools or from the CAIU’s preschool services will be screened and/or evaluated before determining if speech-language services are required at Saint Patrick School.