What are Speech and Language Impairment?
Basic information
Speech and language impairments tend to affect a person’s ability when interacting and communicating with others through speech. People may face such problems at any age with varying severity. Such difficulties come in forms of fluency problems, articulation and projection. As a result this may affect a person’s understanding or even expression of thoughts. The difference between speech and language impairment is that, people with speech impairment have no problems understanding whereas people with language impairment struggle to understand written or spoken words. Some example of speech impairments are: impairments of the voice (loudness, quality), stuttering… Language impairment may exist with people with other disorders such as intellectual, autism spectrum disorder… |
Assessment
Professionals such as speech therapists assesses the student to determine the severity of the child’s impairment as well as provide practices to enhance their abilities.
Some teaching suggestions
Professionals such as speech therapists assesses the student to determine the severity of the child’s impairment as well as provide practices to enhance their abilities.
Some teaching suggestions
- Help the student practice speaking and reading aloud.
- Give him/her time to respond
- Create an environment that eliminates the risk of being teased
- Find an appropriate way to communicate with this person that matches his/her abilities; whether it be nonverbal or verbal by using language boards or signs/symbols.
- Be patient, do not finish the sentence for him/her
- Do not ask a person who stutters to start over because it may cause them to stutter more or get frustrated
- Speak clearly with a regular tone and pitch.