SPEECH AND LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
DefinitionThe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) officially defines speech and language impairments as “a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” Each point within this official definition represents a speech and language subcategory. “A communication disorder such as stuttering” provides an example of a fluency disorder; other fluency issues include unusual word repetition and hesitant speech. “Impaired articulation” indicates impairments in which a child experiences challenges in pronouncing specific sounds. “A language impairment” can entail difficulty comprehending words properly, expressing oneself and listening to others. Finally, “a voice impairment” involves difficulty voicing words; for instance, throat issues may cause an abnormally soft voice.
Primary CharacteristicsSpeech and language impairments tend to emerge at a young age, and the earlier a child is diagnosed and receives services accordingly, the more likely that child can outgrow the disability. Speech-language pathologists work with children with speech and language impairments, as well as with parents and teachers. For example, a speech-language pathologist might work with a child with impaired articulation to help him or her learn to pronounce “s” and “z” sounds correctly.
If a child fails to meet the speech and language milestones set by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), he or she might have a speech and language impairment.The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, commonly referred to as NICHCY, notes that parents are usually the first to suspect that a child might possess such an impairment. However, it’s important to note that hearing issues, autism and a number of other disabilities can masquerade as speech and language impairments, and a child with a suspected impairment should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist to avoid misdiagnosis. Educational ChallengesThe obstacles created by speech and language impairments vary by the specific case, but because communication is at the core of education, these impairments can impact a student’s entire educational experience. Some of these challenges might involve:
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