Chapter 8 Communication Disorders William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Definitions Communication involves encoding, transmitting, and decoding messages Communication involves A message A sender who expresses the message A receiver who responds to the message Functions of communication Narrating Explaining/informing Requesting Expressing William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Definitions (cont.) Language is a formalized code that a group of people use to communicate The five dimensions of language: Phonology-Rules determining how sounds can be sequenced Morphology-Rules for the meaning of sounds (e.g., un, pro, con) Syntax-Rules for a language’s grammar Semantics- Rules for the meaning of words Pragmatics-Rules for communication Speech is the oral production of language Speech sounds are the product of four related processes: Respiration-Breathing that provides power Phonation-Production of sound by muscle contraction Resonation-Sound quality shaped by throat Articulation-Formation of recognizable speech by the mouth William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Normal Development of Speech and Language Most children follow a relatively predictable sequence in their acquisition of speech and language Birth to 6 months: Communication by smiling, crying, and babbling 7 months to 1 year: Babbling becomes differentiated 1 to 1.6 years: Learns to say several words 1.6 to 2 years: Word “spurt” begins 2 to 3 years: Talks in sentences, vocabulary grows 3 years on: Vocabulary grows Knowledge of normal language development can help determine whether a child is developing language at a slower-than-normal rate or whether the child shows an abnormal pattern of language development William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Communication Disorders Defined ASHA definition An impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts of verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbols systems IDEA definition A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Speech Impairments and Language Disorders Types of speech impairments Articulation disorders Fluency disorders Voice disorders Language disorders Children who have difficulty understanding language have a receptive language disorder Children who have difficulty producing language have an expressive language disorder Communication differences are not disorders The way each of us speaks is the result of a complex mix of influences William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Prevalence A little more than 2% of school-age children receive special education for speech and language impairments Over 21% of all children receiving special education services are served in this category The second largest disability category under IDEA Nearly twice as many boys as girls have speech impairments Children with articulation and spoken language problems represent the largest category of speech-language impairments. William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Causes Causes of Speech Disorders Causes of Language Disorders Cleft palate Paralysis of the speech muscles Absence of teeth Craniofacial abnormalities Enlarged adenoids Traumatic brain injury Neuromuscular impairments Causes of Language Disorders Cognitive limitations or mental retardation Hearing impairments Behavioral disorders Environmental deprivation William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Characteristics Speech sound errors Fluency disorders Voice disorders Distortions Substitutions Omissions Additions Fluency disorders Stuttering and cluttering are examples of fluency disorders Voice disorders A phonation disorder causes the voice to sound breathy, hoarse, husky, or strained Resonance disorders are hypernasality or hyponasality Language impairments An expressive language impairment interferes with production of language A receptive language impairment interferes with understanding of language William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Identification and Assessment Communication disorders are usually first identified by teacher observations The speech-language pathologist is the professional with the primary responsibility for identifying, evaluating, and providing services Evaluation components include a physical examination and testing William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Educational Approaches Treating speech sound errors Articulation errors and phonological errors: Discrimination and production activities Fluency disorders: Behavioral principles and self-monitoring Voice disorders Direct vocal rehabilitation or surgery Language disorders: Exploration of expressive language, naturalistic interventions Augmentative and alternative communication William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Educational Placement Alternatives The vast majority of children with speech and language impairments are served in regular classrooms Some examples of service delivery models: Monitoring Pullout Collaborative consultation Classroom-based Self-contained classroom Community-based William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

Current Issues and Future Trends SLP or LREC Controversy as to whether services should take a therapeutic versus educational focus Changing populations mean growing caseloads and more children with severe and multiple disabilities The changing role of SLPs means that they will have to develop interventions applicable not only in the classroom but by teachers and parents William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.