Speech and Language Services

In the early years, children's cognitive and speech and language skills are not independent of each other. Parents need to take the time to talk to and read to their children frequently. Parents must also expose their children to a variety of experiences. Why is this so important? Children with advanced vocabulary and language skills soar above their peers in school!

Read About Speech and Language Services Below:

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICES
The most common speech disorder in students is articulation/phonological deficits. More common in boys, articulation deficits are sure to be a deficit on each speech-language pathologist's caseload.
Articulation errors are characterized bysubstitutions, distortions, deletions, or approximations of speech sounds. Deficits can range from a few errors that do not significantly impede a child's intelligibility to numerous errors that can render a child's speech totally unintelligible.
Many young children become frustrated as they attempt to communicate with others and find that they are not understood. Teasing from peers can also affect a child's willingness to speak in and out of the classroom.
Besides not being understood by adults and peers, children who have articulation deficits may have delays in phonemic awareness and reading skills as they struggle to grasp letter sounds.
For example, if a child substitutes the /t/ sound for the /k/ sound, he/she will say the word /tea/ for the word /key/. When he/she tries to use inventive spelling/ writing skills or has to identify which letter a picture begins with, the child will say the words to his/herself, and write the sound that he/she produces to say the picture name. Hence, a child may write /t/ for /k/. Some children, who become totally bewildered, don't know which sound to chose. They know that the sound they produce is wrong but do not know how to correct it. For these children, speech and language services are very important because these children need training very early in speech sound discrimination and correct sound production to avoid the severe
reading problems that can arise from this type of speech disorder.

Speech-language pathologists do more than speech sound correction. They are the experts to consult if a child/student appears to have memory deficits, can't follow basic commands, has comprehension deficits, does not speak, speaks like a younger child, has weak listening skills, stutters, needs several explanations to complete work, is inattentive, appears to have hearing
deficits, hoarse or raspy voice, breathing does not support sound production, has feeding or swallowing problems, and has very limited vocabulary skills.
Consult your building speech-language pathologist, and let her/him suggest when you should refer a child to be screened. We do not want children to slip between the cracks. Want more info? Please submit a question.
Concerned about your child's articulation errors? First have your child's hearing tested by an audiologist. Many children have articulation deficits because they have a hearing impairment that has gone undiagnosed and impedes their ability to hear the correct pronunciation of sounds. Hearing is fine? Consult a speech-language pathologist!
Hearing Disorders
Young children can have a hearing loss due to hereditary factors, illnesses like viruses, and damage from an outside force. In the school system, hearing loss can impact a child's ability to learn and the child may be diagnosed with a learning disability that does not exist. Ear infections (otitis media) can negatively impact a child's progress. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA.org) provides the following information:
What is otitis media? Otitis media is an inflammation in the middle ear (the area behind the eardrum) that is usually associated with the buildup of fluid. The fluid may or may not be infected. Symptoms, severity, frequency, and length of the condition vary. At one extreme is a single short period of thin, clear, noninfected fluid without any pain or fever but with a slight decrease in hearing ability. At the other extreme are repeated bouts with infection, thick "glue-like" fluid and possible complications such as permanent hearing loss. Fluctuating conductive hearing loss nearly always occurs with all types of otitis media. In fact it is the most common cause of hearing loss in young children.
Why is otitis media so common in children? The eustachian tube, a passage between the middle ear and the back of the throat, is smaller and more nearly horizontal in children than in adults. Therefore, it can be more easily blocked by conditions such as large adenoids and infections. Until the eustachian tube changes in size and angle as the child grows, children are more susceptible to otitis media.
Can hearing loss due to otitis media cause speech and language problems?
Children learn speech and language from listening to other people talk. The first few years of life are especially critical for this development. If a hearing loss exists, a child does not get the full benefit of language learning experiences. Otitis media without infection presents a special problem because symptoms of pain and fever are usually not present. Therefore, weeks and even months can go by before parents suspect a problem. During this time, the child may miss out on some of the information that can influence speech and language development.
How can I tell if my child might have otitis media?
Even if there is no pain or fever, there are other signs you can look for that may indicate chronic or recurring fluid in the ear:
Inattentiveness
Wanting the television or radio louder than usual
Misunderstanding directions
Listlessness
Unexplained irritability
Pulling or scratching at the ears
If you suspect a hearing loss in your child, have him/her evaluated immediately. Visit ASHA.org for more info.