Speech-Language

The Speech-Language Pathology Department at Arkansas School for the Deaf provides a variety of services for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. These services are included but not limited to, identification of communication disorders through formal evaluations and treatment of these disorders. Treatment services provided include the areas of articulation, auditory skills, expressive and receptive language, social/pragmatic skills and phonological disorders. The SLP’s provide assistance in the maintenance of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bone-anchored hearing aids.  Our SLP’s are an integral part of our instructional team at ASD, providing services for individual student’s needs in 1:1 setting, through an integrated classroom model, and specialized group services. Our SLPs also play an integral role in specialized programming and parent counseling for our students at ASD.

Beth Helms, M.S., CCC-SLP

Beth began her career at ASD working as a Speech-Language Pathologist in 2015. She is a Little Rock local and Little Rock Central High School Alum. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a B.S. and later M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. After working at ASD for two years and realizing children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) require instruction from professionals who understand their unique academic, linguistic, and technological needs, Beth decided to continue her higher education by completing a Listening and Spoken Language DHH Endorsement Program from Utah State University. Beth has been trained in IMSE in a modified Orton-Gillingham approach of Multisensory Reading Methodology, targeting direct teaching fundamental structure of language presented to students using their visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathway. Beth spends the majority of her day working with preschool and elementary school students on auditory skill development, expressive and receptive language skills, social thinking and social skills, and phonological awareness skills.

Beth is an incredible asset to the ASD Speech-Language Pathology department.  Her love for reading in her spare time contributes to her work ethic and knowledge within the field as well as ethics and efficiency.  She always lends a helping hand to those around her for paperwork and technology questions.  Beth is great at collaborating with teachers and parents and provides intelligent insight and suggestions.  She is a leader not only among the student services department but within the lower school.

Carri Arman, M.S., CCC-SLP

Carri Arman has been Certified and Licensed as a Speech/Language Pathologist for over 15 years in the state of Arkansas. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech Language Pathology degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and her Master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas.  She is a member of ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.)  Carri has experience working with children in grades K-12 in the public school system, as well as working with children birth to 5 years and adults 18 years and up with varying types of disabilities in a habilitation setting.  She works closely with teachers, staff and transition counselors to meet the needs of the students that she serves.

Lenae Haley, MCD, CCC-SLP

Lenae Haley was born and raised in Rector, Arkansas in the Northeast portion of the state. She attended Harding University and obtained her Bachelor of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Lenae continued her education at Arkansas State University and earned a Master of Communication Disorders (MCD) in speech-language pathology. Lenae completed her graduate school clinical rotation at Arkansas School for the Deaf in the fall of 2019. She immediately knew that she had a heart for the deaf and hard of hearing population. After graduating with her master’s degree, Lenae began working as a speech-language pathologist for a pediatric contract therapy company in Little Rock, where she served children with a variety of needs. After finishing her clinical fellowship, Lenae ceased the opportunity to return to ASD. She began working at Arkansas School for the Deaf in the fall of 2020 as a speech-language pathologist. Her caseload consists of elementary students grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Lenae works with her students on language skills such as vocabulary building, social thinking/inferencing, expressive/receptive language skills, and auditory development and comprehension. Lenae enjoys incorporating thematic activities and games to motivate her students in speech therapy. She is so excited to learn more about deaf education and integrate her role as a speech-language pathologist to improve quality of life and education of her students!

Lenae is trained in Visual Phonics and plans to continue her learning to better serve her students. She is currently enrolled in the Listening and Spoken Language Deaf and Hard of Hearing Endorsement Program through Utah State University. She is looking forward to gaining knowledge to help the students at ASD have all the tools and resources they need to succeed.

For additional information regarding Audiology at ASD, please contact:

Dr. Mary Martha Henry, Au.D. - Director of Audiology & Speech Language

maryh@asd.k12.ar.us