Children with Speech/ Language Differences

Communication Disorders:

Prevalence:

Speech Disorders

10-15% of preschool children

5-6% of school aged children

More common in boys

Articulation disorders are the most common

Account for 75% of all speech disorders

Language Disorders

2-3% of preschool children

1% of school aged children

More common in boys (67%)

Speech Disorders:

Phonological/Articulation Disorders – problems producing the sounds of language

Resonance/Voice Disorders – problems in the tone, volume, or quality of the voice

Fluency Disorders – problems with the flow of sounds, syllables, words

Stuttering – involves an interruption in the rhythm of speech characterized by hesitations, repetition or prolongation of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases

Cluttering – involves excessive breaks in the normal flow of speech

Associated Conditions:

Disturbed Muscle Control

Dysarthria – a speech disorder that is due to a weakness or incoordination of the speech muscles

Apraxia – a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently

Developmental Consequences:

Cognitive difficulties – rigidity in thinking

Academics – poor performance in language-based learning areas; problems learning to read

Higher rates of behavioural problems in children with articulation or language problems, cleft palates

Deficits in esteem, frustration for children who stutter

Language Disorders:

Language problems – problems that can interfere with communication and the cognition of language.

Receptive Problem – When a person cannot understand the language code.

Expressive Problem – If a person does not know enough language rules to share thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

Associated Conditions:

Aphasia – language problems resulting from damage to speech or language areas of the brain

Broca’s Aphasia – understands speech; has difficulty producing speech

Wernicke’s Aphasia – receptive aphasia; “word salad” phenomena

Characteristics of Children With Language Disorders:

  • Failure to understand or pay attention to rules or conversation
  • Difficulty using needs of the listener or situation.
  • Incorrect use of grammar.
  • Poor or limited vocabulary.
  • Difficulty requesting further information to aid understanding.
  • Tendency to ask questions that are too general
  • Class clown behaviour
  • Tendency to agree rather than to voice opposition.
  • Indirect and ambiguous statements.
  • Extreme forgetfulness.
  • Withdrawal or exclusion from group activities.
  • Difficulty with non-verbal behaviors, finding words, jokes and slang, instructions, multiple meanings, sequencing, expressing thoughts, organizing information.

Diagnosing Communication Disorders:

  • DSM-IV diagnoses exist for four Communication Disorders:
  • Expressive Language Disorder
  • Phonological Disorder
  • Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
  • Stuttering
  • Sound, syllable, or word repetitions; prolongations; interjections; pauses within words or speech; word substitutions
  • Mutism

Intervention/ speech and language aids:

  • Medical
  • To correct structural deficits
  • Speech-language Therapy
  • Technical Aids
  • Speech-synthesized voice
  • Educational Intervention
  • Recognized “Exceptionalities of Language and Speech in Ontario”

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