What's the Difference:Speech, Language and Communication

Ever school year I have parents ask me why their child does not receive Speech services with the school district. I explain that the district makes this determination when the child is assessed and may determine that the child's language ability is commensurate with their cognitive ability.

An example of this is a four year old child who functions (has a cognitive ability) at a 24 month level; this means that there is a two year delay in development. If the child has language abilities of a 24 month old, then their language abilities are commensurate with their cognitive abilities. When this is the case my school district places the child in a language rich classroom environment to stimulate their language development and increase their vocabulary. 

Once the child demonstrates a higher level of language ability, then they can be reassessed for Language, Speech and Hearing services (LSH). This may occur once the teacher and/ or parent decides that the child has a large enough vocabulary for the Speech Therapist to reassess.


I have listed some common speech terms to help parents better understand what the school district is saying when they discuss speech therapy and speech and language disabilities.

Terms related to Speech Therapy

Communication- the most general of the terms, implies a transfer of knowledge, ideas, opinions or feelings.

Speech- the vocal or spoken production of language and as such is the fastest and most efficient means of communicating.

Language-a formalized method of communication consisting of 1.) the signs and symbols by which ideas can be represented, and 2.) the rules governing these signs and symbols.

Echolalia- a condition in which an individual repeats words or phrases previously heard. Delayed echolalia can occur days or weeks after initially hearing the word or phrase.

Vocabulary

Voice- the pitch, pitch patterns, range of pitch, vocal quality, loudness or loudness patterns of speech.

Fluency- refers to speech that moves along easily and without undue interruptions. An example of a fluency disorder is stuttering.

Articulation-the actual movements of the speech organs that occur during the production of various speech sounds.

Pragmatics- the method of using language to communicate effectively in a natural context, focusing on considerations like eye contact between speaker and listener, how close to stand, taking turns and selecting topics of conversation.

These were from Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders, a guide for the teacher, by Barbara J. Hall, Herbert J. Oyer and William H. Haas, Allyn and Bacon: Boston, 2001

That time of the year

I was talking with my husband today, telling him that things at work are going to get very busy. This is the time of the school year when most students have their triennial/ transition IEP's. These IEP's occur in the spring to determine a child's placement when they are transitioning from the Early Childhood Special Education Program to the Kindergarten through 12th Grade program. These IEP's are different from annual IEP's because the child is re-evaluated by a psychologist to determine if the child still qualifies for special education services and if their placement is appropriate for the next school year. 

I brought this topic up with my husband, because of a comment a psychologist made. She said, "I don't know why these re-evaluations are needed. It is obvious that the child still has Autism and still qualifies". Not much of a deal on the surface, however, it is the federal law and the child has the civil rights to this re-evaluation. This is not something that should be taken lightly.

I speak from my own experience. My son did not receive a triennial evaluation from the time he was diagnosed in 1994 till I demanded it in 2005. His IEP team would still meet and discuss his eligibility, but there was no attempt to actually assess his level of ability. I think, as a parent, that the team and I did my son a big disservice. We brushed aside what was his right by law, because, "It was plain to see that he was still autistic and needed services". I hope that other parents learn from my mistake and do not allow school districts to skip over these assessments to save time or money. It is truly for your child's best interest and it will show you where the child really is compared to their same age peers. This is crucial information the IEP team needs to plan for your child's academic future.

Seeing art through new eyes

As I mentioned in my bio, I am a preschool teacher and right now my students are learning about things that go. As part of the unit on transportation I have them make a book of various vehicles. Well my students are young (3-5 years old) and their idea of how the pages should be done an mine are not always the same, nonetheless I let them have their way.

The result I now realize is that our bulletin board looks like the morning traffic report, "Dump Truck spills it's load on the 57. Single car crash blocking two lanes of traffic on the northbound 15." Sometimes finding humor in the small things helps you keep a positive perspective on life.