"The overall objective of speech-language pathology services is to optimize individuals' abilities to communicate and to swallow, thereby improving quality of life.”
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) https://www.asha.org/policy/sp2016-00343/#
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) https://www.asha.org/policy/sp2016-00343/#
Service Delivery Areas
Fluency - Speech Production - Language - Cognition - Voice - Resonance -
Feeding & Swallowing - Auditory Rehabilitation
Feeding & Swallowing - Auditory Rehabilitation
Fluency:
Stutter & Clutter
- Children should produce speech in a smooth and easy flowing manner.
- Children with fluency difficulties (i.e., stuttering or cluttering) sound like…
- their speech gets stuck.
- their speech rushes out too quickly.
- their words are mushed together.
- they are repeating or holding out a sound.
- they produce a very high number of filler words in a row (e.g., um).
- their speech gets stuck.
Speech Production:
Motor Planning, Articulation, & Phonological Difficulties
When we talk about speech, we are talking about a child’s production of the various sounds that make up a language.
- By age 2, a child should be understood by at least 50% or people.
- By age 3, a child should be understood by at least 75% of people.
- By age 3, 90% of children can accurately produce /p, b, m, d, n, h, t, k, g, w, “ng,” f, and “y”/.
- If a child makes inconsistent speech errors, drools frequently, or looks like they are working really hard to make mouth formations while speaking, they would likely benefit from speech therapy.
Language:
Receptive Language
- Receptive language looks at how well a child understands or processes spoken or written language.
- A young child with receptive language difficulties may have a hard time…
- identifying common objects from a series of pictures.
- following simple routine directions (e.g., clean up, get your _____, etc.).
- identifying body parts on themselves or a parent.
- identifying common objects from a series of pictures.
- Any difficulties with literacy (a child’s decoding, reading comprehension, and reading fluency skills) also fall under the receptive language umbrella and can be treated by an SLP.
Expressive Language
- Expressive language looks at how well a child shares thoughts, ideas, and feelings via spoken or written language.
- A young child with expressive language difficulties may....
- not produce words by 15 months.
- not string two words together by 2 years.
- have fewer than 250 to 500 words by 3 years.
- not string words together into short sentences by 4 years.
Social Language
- Social or pragmatic language looks at how well a child uses and identifies verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Children with social-communication difficulties may have difficulties with…
- engaging in joint play or pretend play.
- greeting, commenting, or asking questions.
- talking in ways that suit the setting.
- following the rules of conversation (i.e., the back and forth).
- engaging in joint play or pretend play.
Cognition:
Cognitive Communication Skills
- Cognition looks at a child’s ability to organize thoughts, pay attention, remember, plan, and/or problem-solve.
- Children with cognitive-communication difficulties may have a hard time organizing their thoughts well enough to logically present their ideas via spoken or written language.
Voice:
Quality, Pitch, & Loudness
- Quality: does the child’s voice sound chronically gravelly, scratchy, hoarse, or breathy?
- Pitch: does the child’s voice consistently remain at a single pitch, have a pitch that is too high or low for their age, gender, cultural background or geographic location?
- Loudness: does the child struggle to maintain a conversationally appropriate vocal volume?
Resonance:
Hyper, Hypo, Cul de Sac, & Mixed
- Resonance disorders result from too much or too little nasal and/or oral sound energy in the speech signal due to structural causes , functional causes, or occasionally mislearning
- Some causes of resonance difficulties are…
- cleft palate, irregular adenoids, deviated septum, hearing loss
- a variety of genetic syndromes (e.g., 22q11.2, CHARGE syndrome, Nager Syndrome etc.)
- a neurogenic cause (e.g., cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, neuromuscular disorders, etc.)
Feeding & Swallowing:
Food Preparation & Picky Eating
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties can occur while preparing food or liquid in the oral cavity, moving or propelling food or liquid through the oral cavity, and initiating a swallow.
- Children with feeding or swallowing difficulties may present with atypical eating and drinking behaviors, such as not accepting age-appropriate foods, or accepting only a restricted variety or quantity of food or liquids.
Auditory Rehabilitation:
Hearing and Processing
- Auditory rehabilitation targets speech, language, communication, and listening skills impacted by hearing loss or deafness.
- Auditory processing: the efficiency and effectiveness by which the central nervous system (CNS) utilizes auditory information. Children with auditory processing difficulties present with listening and/or spoken language comprehension difficulties.