Speech disorders in the classroom

What is a speech disorder?

• People who have difficulty in producing speech sounds correctly or fluently, or have complications with their ability to verbally express themselves might have a speech disorder. Neurological and muscular complications are the two most common causes of speech disorders.

How many speech disorders are there?

• Researchers and professionals differ in their classification of speech disorders. Speech disorders are mostly classified under the larger category of communication disorders. But disorders commonly classified as speech disorders include the following: Apraxia, Dysarthria, Stuttering, and voice disorders.

This presentation will focus on three speech disorders: Stuttering,

Lisping and Apraxia.

What is stuttering and what causes stuttering?

• What causes stuttering? There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: genetics ( Stuttering is a speech disorder that is characterized by disjointed

repetitions (m-m movie), prolongations (I-I-I thinks so), or complete stoppages (struggled silence) of words and basic sounds.

There are four main causes of stuttering 1.) genetics (sixty percent of people who stutter have a family member who also stutters 2.) Children with speech and language developmental delays 3.) people who stutter are sometimes shown to process language in a completely unorthodox way4.) stressful and fast-paced home situations are also believed to cause stuttering in children

What are some examples of stuttering?

" LLLend me a pencil, please." (Sound prolongation: The student is having difficulty moving from the “P" in “pencil" to ending of the word. She continues to say the “L" sound until she is able to complete saying the word.

How do we successfully include students who stutter?

• Stuttering is not usually considered a majorly debilitating disability, as it is typically mild. However, there can be many emotional and social impacts on children who stutter. Like lisping, stuttering is often addressed by speech therapists outside the classroom. But again, as teachers, it is important we ensure the following things in our classrooms:

• Creating a pro-social environment where an appreciation of differences is established• Allowing a student with a lisp to express her/himself in other ways until he/she is

comfortable to present their ideas orally• Checking in with a student to make they are ok emotionally • Contacting parents and obtaining reports from speech therapists • Spending time with the student after school to talk about ideas and rehearse would-

be presentations • Seeking inclusion strategies from our school’s Child Study Team or with other

teachers of the student

Lisping

"Lisping" is a lay term to describe people who have pronouncing certain sounds, typically the “th” sound. It is caused by dental, orthodontic or nasal factors. It is considered a mild speech disorder because people who lisp are able to verbally express themselves.

Examples of Lisping

“Typically it refers to the s sound being produced like a th sound. For example, when at the end of a Loony Toons episode when Sylvester the cat says, “Thatth all folkths”

How do schools include people with lisps

Although many school districts consider lisping to be only cosmetic problem, children who are teased about their lisping can have serious damage done to their self-esteem. Luckily, lisping often goes away on its own before the age of seven.

How do we ensure that children with lisps are comfortable in our classrooms?

While children with lisps often visit speech therapists outside our classroom, we need to accommodate them in our classrooms, by:

• Creating a pro-social environment where an appreciation of differences is established• Allowing a student with a lisp to express her/himself in other ways until they are

comfortable to present their ideas orally• Checking in with a student to make they are ok emotionally • Contacting parents and obtaining reports from speech therapists • Seeking inclusion strategies with our school’s Child Study Team or with other teachers

of the student

What is Verbal Apraxia and what causes Verbal Apraxia?

• Apraxia is a poorly understood neurological condition. People who have it find it difficult or impossible to make certain motor movements, even though their muscles are normal. In other words, the brain has difficulties sending planned signals to the body parts responsible for speech (jaw, tongue, lips).

How do we recognize verbal apraxia?

• You should consider recommending your student to see a professional if she/he has a number of the following symptoms:

Has difficulties chewing and eating Shows a great deal of difficulty pronouncing long words but shows understanding

in other ways. Shows significantly more aptitude in pronouncing shorter words Demonstrates difficulty in combining sounds Comprehends language much better than he/she can verbally express it Tends to use expressive hand and body expressions when struggling to pronounce

a word Speaks in a very monotonous and choppy manner that, often times, is

incomprehensible to unfamiliar people

Misdiagnoses of Verbal Apraxia

Sadly, in the not so distant past, and even today children who couldn't express themselves because of their verbal apraxia, were often misdiagnosed as being autistic or mentally "slow."

How do we successfully include children who are challenged with Apraxia?

• Placing students who struggle with severe Apraxia in the least restrictive environment possible.

• Create a pro-social environment where an appreciation of differences is established• Allow a student with a lisp to express her/himself in other ways until they are

comfortable to present their ideas orally• Check in with a student to make they are ok emotionally • Contact parents and obtaining reports from speech therapists • Seek inclusion strategies from your school’s Child Study Team or with other teachers

of the student

With custom support from speech therapists, and sometimes even on their own, some children with verbal apraxia regain most or even all their language abilities. However, some children become reliant on sign language and technologies to express themselves. As educators, it is important that we work closely with speech therapists and parents and IEP teams to create a supportive environment for these students.

www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders

www.webmd.com/brain/apraxia-symptoms-causes-tests-treatmentsmembers.tripod.com

www.babycenter.com/404_can-i-help-correct-my-childs-lisp

www.medicinenet.com/stuttering

www.stutteringhelp.org