Communication Disorders

Definition
Communication Disorder: Speech or language impairment means
a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired
articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that
adversely affects a childs educational performance.
Language Disorder: Involves difficulties with any combination of
spoken, written, and/or symbol systems used to share ideas and
messages.
Receptive: Difficulty comprehending what others are saying

Dont follow instructions

Might seem inattentive
May be slow to respond
Might only be processing half of what is being said
Common in LD
Expressive: Language production, could also include written language
Limited vocabularies
May appear as immature speech
Might use hand signals or facial expressions to augment
Aphasia: Loss of ability to speach or comprehend because of an injury or
developmental abnormality of the brain
TBI
Stroke

Speech Disorder Characteristics

Fluency
o Stuttering
Articulation
o Omissions
o Substitutions
o Additions
o Distortions
Voice
o Hypo-nasality
o Hyper-nasality
o Over loud
o Whispery-breathy

Stuttering or Cluttering

Stuttering- A speech disorder that occurs when the flow of speech is

abnormally interrupted by repetitions, blocking, or prolongations of sounds,
syllables, words, or phrases.
Cluttering- A speech disorder characterized by excessively rapid,
disorganized speaking, often including words or phrases unrelated to the
topic.

Strategies

Have the students do small group reading or one-on-one reading.

Sometimes large groups will create more of a struggle. Read a
sentence then have the student read a sentence.
Have students read all together.
Have the student practice reading a certain part before reading for
class.
Find patterns where they are struggling and give them words to
practice saying.
Whiteboard answers. Either have each student have a whiteboard at
their desk where they can answer or call on them to come up to the
board to write the answer. (Math)
Make them feel like they can answer in some way without worrying
about it.
If they are having a bad day, have them tell you beforehand if they
dont want to talk.
Wait for them to finish with patience.
Talk properly and clearly yourself.
Clarify what they say by saying it back yourself.
If Speech therapist is having them do breathing exercises make sure
you know what they are so you can give proper cues if asked to do so.
If stuttering gets worse during reading take a break by asking a one to
two word answer question then go back to reading.
End reading on a positive note! Finish when the student is not
stuttering as much so they feel accomplished.

Dont

Dont give them any advice such as breath, relax, or finish their
sentences for them.
Dont draw attention to the stutter or clamor. This will make them feel
worse about themselves. Dont mention it or ask them to repeat
themselves.
Dont tell them to do what their therapist say in your class room. That
is between them and the therapist and you shouldnt get involved.
Dont count the time they stutter against them in timed tests. Maybe if
it is being timed stop the timer when they are stuttering and then start
it again after they stop. You can also record them during the test and
then count how long they stutter after and take away that time.

Delayed Speech
Delayed Speech- A deficit in speaking proficiency whereby the
individual performs like someone much younger.

Strategies

Ask them to point out what they are talking about.

Introduce them to new vocabulary words by showing them the word
and a picture that corresponds with it.
Give them vocabulary in advance to when they will be learning a new
concept.
Have them work in small groups where they feel comfortable speaking

Receptive Language Disorder

Definition
Receptive Language Disorder- Difficulties in comprehending what others say.

Teaching Strategies

When giving directions, repeat them again using different words.

Using gestures when giving directions can be beneficial.
If there are several directions, give one to two directions at a time
versus all at one time.
Be specific when giving directions.
If possible, give a visual cue. For example, if making an activity you
can demonstrate the steps as you go along. Showing the completed
project would also provide them assistance.
When working with projects that have multi-step directions, it may be
helpful to write the directions on the board.
Create a list of common directions that are used throughout the day.
When needed, they can be laminated and placed on the board for the
entire class, or can be smaller to be placed on the individuals desk.
The student may benefit from sitting next to an individual who would
be willing to provide assistance with multi-step tasks.

Processing Information

Ask basic questions that have the answer in a picture or hands-on

activity.
Provide small group opportunities where the children can discuss newly
learned concepts or ideas.
Provide adequate time for the child to process what you have asked
and form their answer. If the child does not respond after a given
period of time, ask the question in a different way.
Use several modalities when teaching materials (speaking, reading,
writing, listening, visual, hands-on).
Do frequent comprehension checks when teaching. Stop periodically
and discuss the information you have presented.

Encourage the child to ask for help.

Provide additional support for writing down information, such as
assignments in the students homework notebook. Actual pictures
could also be taken of what needs to go home (i.e. Math book, writing
notebook, etc.). Some students may need written directions on how to
complete assignments so that parents can assist them in the home.

Expressive Language Disorder

Definition
Expressive Language Disorder- Difficulties in producing language.

Expanding Expressive Language Skills

When interacting with a young child, repeat what the child says, and
add a word that is appropriate to the context. For example: While
playing with a toy car, the child says car, you could respond Car. GO
car. If the child uses two words- expand to three words, etc.
Speak in sentences that are one to two words longer than the childs
typical utterances. If a child usually combines two words, you should
be modeling 3-4 words in your interactions. You may feel that your
speech sounds silly, you are eliminating complex structures that the
child is not yet ready to use, which allows the child to concentrate on
the next level of development.
It is also important to expose the child to adult and peer models of
conversation. Although they are not yet ready to use these structures,
they are exposed to the appropriate models.
Introduce new words or concepts to a child by using the word in a
variety of situations as well as using the word repetitively. For example,
when teaching colors: show a blue ball, a blue car, the blue sky, etc.
Also, use pictures or objects when available to help reinforce the ideas.
Music, movement, nursery rhymes, finger plays, and story time are
very motivating times for children to promote spontaneous speech
production.

References
Hardman, M., & Drew, C. (2014). Human exceptionality: School, community,
and family (11th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
LaBlance, G., Steckol, K., & Smith, V. (n.d.). Stuttering: The Role of the
Classroom Teacher. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from
https://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/InfoPWDS/ lablance.html
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center/ Treating Voice Disorders. (n.d). Retrieved
November 1, 2015 from
http://www.lahey.org/Departments_and_Locations/Departments/Speech
_Pathology/Treating_Voice_Disorders.aspx
LaHue, J. (2015, November 4). [E-mail interview].

Ruddy, B., & Sapienza, C. (2004, October 1). Treating Voice Disorders in the
School-Based Setting: Working Within the Framework of IDEA.
Retrieved November 5, 2015, from
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~stasko/sppa640/readings/schoolbasedtr
eatment.pdf
Speech and Language Strategies for Classroom Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved
November 5, 2015, from
http://images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/BaldwinCounty/FoleyElem
entary/Uploads/Forms/classroomstrategies.pdf
[The Stuttering Foundation]. (2011, October 12). Stuttering: Straight Talk for
Teachers. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ix65403ruKI