What is the role of the School Speech-Language Pathologist?

The Speech-Language Pathologist is responsible for identifying, evaluating and providing services for school-age children who exhibit communicative difficulties. The communicative areas affected may include articulation, fluency, receptive/expressive language and/or voice.

What is an articulation / phonological disorder?

An articulation / phonological disorder is characterized by sound errors that reduce how well the child is understood. The student is unable to use sounds correctly in conversational speech. The impairment is typically characterized by omissions, distortions, substitutions, additions and/or inaccurate sequencing of speech sounds. Below are Guidelines for the Acquisition of Speech Sounds Age 3 b, p, m, n, h, w and all vowel sounds Age 4 t, d, y, ng, f, v Age 4:5 c/k, g Age 6:5 l Age 7:5 r, th, s, z, sh, ch, j, zh

What is a fluency disorder?

A fluency disorder is defined as the abnormal flow of verbal expression. It is characterized by impaired rate and rhythm of connected speech and may be accompanied by struggle behavior. The student's oral language is characterized by repetitions, prolongations and/or blocks of speech sounds, words an/or phrases.

What is a Language Disorder?

Language is the code we use to communicate. It is different from speech. Language comes in many forms and includes spoken, written, or gestural (such as sign language) communication forms. Children learn language by listening to the language being used around them and by practicing it themselves. Language is a "code" made up of a group of rules. When a person cannot understand the language code, then there is a receptive problem. If a person does not know enough language rules to share thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely, then there is an expressive problem. One problem can exist without the other, but often they occur together in both children and adults.

What is a Voice Disorder?

A voice disorder is an impairment in vocal pitch, hoarseness, rate, volume, and nasality.