Peel students with speech and language disorders are struggling to achieve average benchmarks in NAPLAN tests, according to Down South Therapy Services.
Occupational therapist and the service's director Jodie Heath provides speech pathology to more than 100 children and families in the Peel region.
Ms Heath said when comparing speech and language test results she knew children who were experiencing difficulty would not be at the same level of their peers who were not.
Speech Pathology Australia presented research at a public hearing to the Senate Education and Employment Committee on September 25.
The research outlined that students with speech and language problems achieved lower scores on every NAPLAN test in school years 3, 5 and 7, than students without these problems.
Charles Sturt University researchers, Sharynne McLeod, Linda Harrison and Cen Wang said these findings demonstrated for the first time, a correlation between poor educational outcomes and students with speech and language difficulties.
“Our research shows students who begin school with speech and language problems are more likely to do poorly on their NAPLAN tests,” professor McLeod said.
"This trend continues throughout their primary and secondary schooling."
National president of Speech Pathology Australia Gaenor Dixon said to improve NAPLAN outcomes, support needed to be provided in the schools for students with these disabilities.
“That means providing school-based speech pathology services,” Ms Dixon said.
Ms Heath said Down South Therapy Services found that more children needed assistance due to the speed of learning, which was not due to the teachers but the curriculum's fast pace.
She said it would be fantastic for Peel schools to have their own speech therapist, occupational therapist and physiotherapist to reduce the pressure on teachers.
“At times expectations of the curriculum exceeds where children are at from a developmental perspective,” Ms Heath said.
The Australian Curriculum Assessment policy manager Vanessa Peters said speech and language problems were not generally approved reasons for exemption from NAPLAN.
“Under the NAPLAN protocols for exemptions related to disability, students should have a significant intellectual disability or have co-existing conditions which severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests,” she said.
Ms Peters said students with speech and language disorders may be allowed extra time, generally up to five minutes per half hour of test time.
Education Department's executive director of statewide services Lindsay Hale said estimates showed up to six per cent of students in WA public schools had speech and language difficulties.
“We know these students need extra support and this is why we run five Language Development Centres specifically supporting those students who have particular language or speech impairments,” Mr Hale said.
He said the new way of funding schools in WA gave principals much more flexibility to bring in specific staff, including speech pathologists, if they felt this would benefit students.
“This is not purely about NAPLAN, but about ensuring children with language difficulties have every opportunity to overcome them and reach the standards of literacy and numeracy they need for future success,” Mr Hale said.
Ms Dixon said three senators attended the public hearing and the committee is due to report the findings on December 3.