SPEECH AND LANGUAGE AFFECTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
ARTICULATION (speech): the production of speech
ORAL MOTOR (speech): oral/facial neuro-motor function for speech and non-speech tasks (smiling, eating)
VOICE (speech): pitch, quality, and volume
FLUENCY (speech): sound/syllable repetitions, blocking, use of conversational “fillers”
AUDITORY PROCESSING (language): attention, memory, auditory discrimination, sound blending, sequencing
MORPHOLOGY (language): work knowledge including prefixes, suffixes, regular and irregular change to a root word to express quantity, tense, comparative relationships, and function of a word (subject, object, possessive, modifier, etc.)
SYNTAX (language): rules related to part of speech, word order, and sentences construction (grammar)
PRAGMATICS (language): social appropriateness of interactions, nonverbal communication, making inferences, executive functioning skills, critical thinking
Taken from Speaking of Speech.com, Inc. 2002
- Good articulation skills are required for verbal expression in all curricular areas.
- Multiple articulation errors can indicate a disordered phonological system which could impact the students’ ability to spell and read.
- Noticeable difference in speech production can have a negative impact on self-confidence, pee relationships, and vocational/career opportunities.
ORAL MOTOR (speech): oral/facial neuro-motor function for speech and non-speech tasks (smiling, eating)
- Disorders in muscle tone, movement, and sensation of the articulators (tongue, lips, etc.) may affect speech production, chewing, drinking, swallowing, and the ability to manage saliva.
- Severe disorders may affect self-confidence, and limit social and vocational/career opportunities.
- Speech-Language Pathologists have the knowledge and resources to work with students that may have dysphagia (a disorder in the swallowing function).
VOICE (speech): pitch, quality, and volume
- Noticeable differences in vocal pitch (too high or too low), quality (harsh, rough), and volume can affect self-confidence and peer relationships.
- Poor vocal hygiene can lead to lasting physical changes of the vocal folds.
- Voice differences can be a symptom of medical concerns (i.e., nodules, paralysis, laryngeal cancer).
FLUENCY (speech): sound/syllable repetitions, blocking, use of conversational “fillers”
- Dysfluency can inhibit participation in classroom and extracurricular activities and affect relationships.
- Vocationa/career choices may be limited, despite the individual’s competency levels in non-speech areas.
AUDITORY PROCESSING (language): attention, memory, auditory discrimination, sound blending, sequencing
- Deficits in these skills can affect performance in all academic areas that involve auditory reception (i.e. note taking) and processing of curricular material and following oral directions.
- Spelling and reading may be affected by difficulty analyzing and applying the phonemic code.
- All areas of communication (listening, speaking, reading, writing) are affected by weakness in semantic skills, therefore impacting all areas of the curriculum.
MORPHOLOGY (language): work knowledge including prefixes, suffixes, regular and irregular change to a root word to express quantity, tense, comparative relationships, and function of a word (subject, object, possessive, modifier, etc.)
- All areas of communication (listening, speaking, reading, writing) are affected by weakness in morphology, therefore impacting all areas of the curriculum.
SYNTAX (language): rules related to part of speech, word order, and sentences construction (grammar)
- The knowledge of grammatical rules is essential for receptive and expressive language.
- Deficits in syntax impacted on the ability to comprehend, analyze, and produce language effectively in verbal and written form.
PRAGMATICS (language): social appropriateness of interactions, nonverbal communication, making inferences, executive functioning skills, critical thinking
- Deficits in these skills affect listening, problem solving, reading comprehension, study skills, decision making, oral and written language, and social relationships.
Taken from Speaking of Speech.com, Inc. 2002
Many students receive speech therapy services, in a variety of settings, for a variety of reasons. By definition, Speech/Language Pathologists (SLPs) are the people who conduct evaluations to determine speech and language delays and/or disorders. They determine specific speech and language needs, write goals to meet those needs and make plans for therapy to meet those needs. Once a student has experienced success in class, it takes a great deal of practice to use those skills independently.