Communication Disorders

What impact do communication disorders have?

You're a child. So how could you be affected by a communication disorder? THINK ABOUT IT......

• You have to go to the bathroom on the first day at a new school.
• You are giving a 5-minute report in front of your class.
• You're upset about something and want to tell your mom.

What if you just couldn't get the words out?

Language is a crucial aspect of child development. We use language every day in countless ways and for countless reasons!

You probably think nothing of putting your thoughts into words. But there ARE problems known as communication disorders which make speech difficult if not impossible for many children.

About 5% of school-age children have some sort of speech impairment!

Read on about the two most common types of communication disorders...

ARTICULATION DISORDERS

These disorders are characterized by incorrect pronunciations such as:

• sound substitution
• sound distortion
• adding sounds
• omitting sounds

Remember that English consonant sounds are difficult for ALL children to master.

The sounds of l, r, y, s, sh, ch, zh, and th are the last sounds children learn to produce.

STUTTERING

This disorder is characterized by:

• repetitions
• prolongations
• hesitations

The normal, smooth flow of speech is blocked by stuttering.

According to the World Health Organization, "...stutterers know what they wish to say, they just can't say it"!

Stuttering can be embarrassing!

Sometimes people who stutter substitute words or even avoid talking altogether to hide their stuttering. For many people, the act of stuttering itself causes them to tense up, resulting in even more stuttering. Encourage children who are stutterers to slow down, relax, and BREATHE!

Associated symptoms:

• rapid eye blinking
• head jerking
• violent grasping motions, clenched fists

About 50% of stuttering cases will go away as the child develops. If the condition persists, speech therapy will help.

Remember, it is MUCH harder to become fluent the older you are!

Listen to your kids! If stuttering goes unnoticed, it can result in:

• fearful anticipation of sounds
• feared words, sounds, or situations
• poor self-image

Check out The Stuttering Homepage, especially Just For Kids for more information.

DELAYED SPEECH

Children usually speak their first words around 15 months. By age 2, they are putting together 2-3 word sentences.

Of course, no two children develop at the same rate, so slight differences in the emergence of the milestone of speech are quite normal.

Significantly delayed speech may be a sign of:

• autism
• deafness
• mental retardation
• other brain damage

Other types of delayed speech:

• prolonged "baby talk"
• expressive language problems (difficulties putting thoughts into words)
• receptive language problems (inability to understand the language of others)

Check out Communication Disorders for more information.

References:

http://www.casafuturatech.com/catalog/catalog.html

Bootzin, Richard R; Acocella, Joan Ross; Alloy, Lauren B. Abnormal Psychology. McGraw-Hill, Inc, New York, 1993.

Woolfolk, Anita. Educational Psychology. Allyn & Bacon, Boston, 1995.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?

1. What do receptive language problems involve? Answer

2. What is stuttering characterized by? Answer

3. True or False... All English consonants are learned at the same time. Answer

 

1. understanding the language of others Back to question 2

2. repetitions, prolongations, hesitations Back to question 3

3. False. l, r, y, s, z, sh, ch, zh, and th are the last sounds learned. HOME