OAFCCD Board of Directors
2022-2023
Liza Dowson, President
Gabriela Ortega
Kristen Robson
Mary Ann Schouten
B.J. Cunningham
OAFCCD has been advocating for adequate publicly funded speech and language services for over 25 years. Over this period there has been a significant increase in publicly funded speech and language services as:
- The Preschool speech and Language Services was announced in 1996 and established in 32 communities in 1998
- The majority of the 72 school boards employ or contract Speech-Language Pathologists to provide language services to students
- 21 Children’s Treatment Centers (CTC) manage contracts for the delivery of speech services to students in all school boards.
Unfortunately, services are still not adequate to meet the needs of children with communication disorders with long waiting lists in the Preschool Speech and Language Program and for CTC managed speech services. In addition, the provision of speech services continues to be separate from the delivery of language services for school age children creating duplication and gaps and making the system difficult for families to navigate.
The following documents provide a history of OAFCCD advocacy and highlight on-going efforts to improve speech and language services for children. (Documents have been posted in reverse order with the most recent position statements at the top.)
Ministry of Education Class Size Consultation Feb 2019
2018 OAFCCD Letter to Provincial Advisory Group Chairs
2018 OAFCCD Special Needs Strategy Position Statement for Speech and Language Services
2018 OAFCCD Statement of Integration of Rehabilitation Services
2010 OAFCCD Submission on Consultation on School Health Services
2015 GOOD BAD NEWS Presentation with References, Revised
2014 Special Needs Strategy OAFCCD Position
2011 OAFCCD Letter to Minister re – Deloitte Report
2011 OAFCCD Principles on Service Delivery
2011 OAFCCD Speech and Language Position
2006 Communication at the Heart of Education
2005 GOOD BAD NEWS Presentation with References
2005 OAFCCD Benefits to SLPs in School
2005 OAFCCD Position on School Services
2005 OAFCCD Submission to CCAC Review 05
2005 OAFCCD Submission to MCYS Preschool S&L Announcement
2005 OAFCCD Vision Mission Statement Revised
2005 OAFCCD Position Statement on Speech and Language Services for School Age Children
2004 OAFCCD Issues and Concern About Preschool Speech and Language Services
2004 OAFCCD Recommendatopms To Ministry of Education Funding Consultation
2003 OAFCCD Written Submission on Standards Approach
2002 OAFCCD Funding Task Force Response
2002 OAFCCD Response to Education Equality Task Force
2002 Education Equality Task Force Presentation by OAFCCD,
2001 OAFCCD Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Ratio Analysis
2001 OAFCCD SLP Ratio Analysis
1999 History of Speech and Language Services in Ontario Schools,
1999 Provincial Model of Speech and Language Service Delivery for Children,
1999 Gaps, Duplications and Issues Regarding Speech and Language Services, OAFCCD submission to PPM 81 Review
1999 Best Practices/ What’s Working Well and Challenges/ Issues related to provision of Speech and Language Services in Ontario Schools, Submission by OAFCCD to the Minister’s Advisory Council n Special Education, Communication: Collaborating with the Community Consultation
1998 A Continuum of Speech and Language Services Will Enhance Educational Outcomes,
1998 OAFCCD Service Delivery Model Analysis on School Speech-Language Pathology Ratios and Costs,
1996 Provincial Model of Speech and Language Service Delivery for Children,
1994 Support for Speech and Language Services in Educational Settings
The Case for Management of Language Disorders in the Schools