Speech Disabilites Sousa Chapter 4

Language Processing of the BRAIN Broca’s area stores vocabulary, grammar, and possibly the syntax of one’s native language Wernicke’s area stores one’s native language sense and meaning Neural networks in left hemisphere and some in right Broca, 1861- damage to left frontal lobe---> aphasia (muttering of sounds or complete loss of speech). Patients could understand language but could not speak fluently. Wernicke, 1871- damage to left temporal lobe, above left ear---> another type of aphasia (no sense of words spoken or heard). Patients could could speak fluently but what is said is meaningless.

Learning Spoken Language Infants are born with the ability to learn any of the 6,500 languages Debate- Is language genetically prewired? Birth- response to prosody 10-12 months- distinguishes and remember phonemes of native language Age 1- pruning begins Prosody- rhythm, cadence, and pitch of mother’s voice- not words Pruning- neural networks focus on the sounds of language being spoken in environment

Learning Spoken Language Phonemes to words 8 months: Word boundaries 10 words a day Meaning to words Learning Grammar Toddlers detect word order- person, action, object 3 years- 90% correct Exposure to spoken language- not T.V. Phonemes to words- the brain detects words from the stream of sounds it is processing Learning grammar- Chomsky: common rules dictate how sentences are constructed and brain is preprogrammed with circuits to respond to rules VS. modern linguists: brain not responded to basic language rules but to regularities heard in the flow on native language.

Effect of T.V. on language Live human interaction Prolonged- impair growth of brain Visual system not properly stimulated - critical for reading Speed of changing images impact frontal lobe Reduces chances for creating internal images American Academy of Pediatrics and National Literacy Trust in UK recommendations- no or very limited exposure Live human interaction to attach meaning to words Visual system not properly stimulated- no pupil dilation, eyes stare and don’t move from one point to the next- critical skill for reading Frontal lobe- higher thought area Limited Exposure- toddlers under age of 2 need more face-to-face interaction. Eliminate or strictly limit exposure to TV

Putting Language Components Together Phonology- phonemes Morphology- word formation Syntax- sentence formation Semantics- word & sentence meaning Prosody- intonation and rhythm Pragmatics- use of language for different purposes Semantics- especially idioms Pragmatics- following rules of conversation and staying on topic Say this at the end of this slide- most brains get it right. But problems sometimes occur due to time, physiological difficulties, trauma, genetic influences, or other factors.

Language Delay (Sousa, page 73) Symptoms around age 1.5 and 2 Uses only a few word during speech Uses only a few phrases during speech Speech in not coherent Most toddlers speak around 10-12 months; lang. delay speech not coherent until 2 years of age Evidence suggests language delay to 2 years is inherited, not easily remedied by environmental interventions. STRESS can cause delay in some kids.

Specific Language Impairment (Sousa, page 73) Symptoms Complexity of speech not developing with age Little or no growth in vocabulary Consistently poor grammar with little or no improvement Difficulty remembering recently used words - 7 % of children - Normal language development during subsequent 2 years - Some: difficulty building vocabulary, written language, and dyslexia Broad range included in this catagory Cognitive functions in most are normal, but some develop verbal memory deficits---less functional verbal working memory capacity and management of working memory abilities Difficulty in word recall

Expressive Language Disorder (Sousa, page 74) Symptoms Below average vocabulary skills Difficulty producing complex sentences Improper use of correct tenses Problems in recalling words Treatment Language therapy focusing on increasing number of phrases to build upon Children understand language but have trouble expressing themselves in speech Cause UNKNOWN but cerebral damage, head trauma, and malnutrition in combination with genetic influences MAY be associated Encouraging recovery rate with early intervention

Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder (Sousa, page 74) Symptoms Impairment in language comprehension Impairment in language expression Speech containing many articulation errors Difficulty recalling early visual or auditory memories May appear inattentive Have trouble understanding certain aspects of speech. Hearing is fine, but they can’t make sense out of certain sounds, words, or sentences they hear.

Adolescent Language Disorder (Sousa, page 75) Symptoms Doesn’t understand or follow rules of conversation Difficulty using different language (situation) Difficulty asking for more information to aid understanding Incorrect use of grammar and poor vocabulary Difficulty with instructions Extreme forgetfulness Difficulty understanding puns, idioms, jokes, riddles Feelings of failure, low self-esteem, poor academic and social success, and high dropout rate Reasons: no intervention, still have language difficulty despite early intervention, some traumatic event, other learning disability Computer programs can create interest for intervention

Stuttering and Learning a Second Language Cause not known Genetic- muscles movements don’t string together Treatment- choral speech, speaker specific skills Second Language Language deficits that arise when learning a first language are very likely to arise when learning a second language (Sousa, page 77). Provide instructional setting that translate research into educational practice (Good teaching)!

What we should consider... Address speech and language problems to rewire brain Give more attention to adolescent language problems and training to teachers Know that it does not represent a permanent disorder Second language acquisition is possible with appropriate instruction Don’t assume that children with language learning problems have cognitive difficulty