Communication Disorders: How they affect the life of the child? By Frances Puig

What are communication disorders ? Disorders that can affect speech & language They can affect the way children –speak –understand –analyze –process information (FAQ:Helping Children with…)

What do speech disorders affect? The ability to speak clearly and be intelligible Production or formation of speech sounds Voice quality Fluency of spoken words (Brice, 2001)

What do language disorders affect? The use of words and their meanings Vocabulary and grammatical patterns Reading and comprehension Expressing thoughts through written or spoken words The ability to participate in conversations The ability to follow directions Problem solving ( National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities)

Causes of speech and language disorders can include…. Neurological Disorders Oral-motor difficulties Physical impairments Traumatic brain injuries Hearing Loss Mental Retardation (Brice, 2001)

How many children have a communication disorder? Approximately 14 million people have a communication disorder (Glenn, E., & Smith, T., 1993) 6 million of those are under the age of 18 Boys account for 2/3’s of those affected under the age of over 1 million children received speech therapy in schools (FAQ: Helping children with…)

How communication disorders may affect the child? Emotional suffering Teasing by their peers May experience anger and guilt ALL of these emotional responses may cause a child with a communication disorder to have a poor self-concept (Glenn, E., & Smith, T., 1993)

Poor self-concept: A result of a communication disorder It comes from a set of attitudes and beliefs that a person holds towards themselves It can be influenced by what they think of themselves and what they wish to become (Lindsay,G., Dockrell, D., Letchford,B., Mackie,C., 2002) It is more common in boys than with girls As age increases their self-concept continues to become poorer It can impair the child’s social interactions and academic performance (Drummond, R., 1976)

Children with communication disorders may have problems with the following social interactions Communicating with their peers Developing and keeping relationships with peers Negotiating Compromising in certain situations Resolving conflicts (Olswang, L.,& Coggins T., &Timler, G., 2001)

Their academic performance may be affected by their : Struggles with reading Problems understanding and expressing language Misinterpretation of social cues Avoidance of school Tendency to show poor judgment Difficulty with test taking (FAQ:Helping Children with)

SLP’s and teachers can help student’s reach high academic success by … Helping the students learn the classroom’s social, language, and learning patterns Focusing their attention on –classroom interactions & the lanugage and communication that the child uses Provide opportunties for teaching and learning Ex. -Explicit language and communication planning - Non-deliberate language use (Brice, 2001)

What can Slp’s do for a child with a communication disorder? Help them become effective - communicators,problem solvers, &decision makers Improve their educational experience Help improve their peer relationships Help them overcome their disabilities Achieve pride and self-esteem Help them find meaningful roles in their lives (FAQ: Helping children with…) I

How to assess and treat a child with a communication disorder? SLP’s provide a comprehensive language and speech assessment for children Assessment and treatment of a communication disorder involve cooperative efforts with -parents, teachers, counselors, and psychologists Services to students with communication disorders can be given in individual or groups sessions (FAQ:Helping children with…)

References Brice, A. (2001, November). Children with Communication Disorders. Handicapped and Gifted Children, 4. Retrieved July 31, 2001 from Eric Database. Drummond, R. (1976, January). Self Concept with Children with speech disabilities. Elementary and Childhood Education,3-14. Retrieved July 15, 2002, from Eric database. FAQ:Helping children with communication disorders in the schools- speaking, listening, reading, and writing. ASHA. Retrieved by July 2002, from

References Glenn, E., Smith, T. (1998, October). Building Self-Esteem of Children And Adolescents with communication disorders. Professional School Counseling,2(1), Retrieved July 10, 2002, from the Academic Search Elite database. Lindsay, G., Dockrell, J., Letchford, B., Mackie, C. (2002, June). Self-Esteem of children with specific speech and language difficulties. Child Language Teaching & Therapy,18 (2), Retrieved by July 8, 2002, from Academic Search Elite Database. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.(2001,December).Speech and Language Impairments Fact Sheet. Medical Plus Health Information. Retrieved July 28, 2002, from

References Olswang, L., Coggins, T., Timler, G. ( 2001, November). Outcome Measures for School-Age children with Social Communication Problems. Topics in Language Disorders,22(1), Retrieved by July 8, 2002, from Eric Database.