Chapter 8 Communication Disorders William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education,

Chapter 8

Communication Disorders

William L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

Definitions

• Communication involves encoding, transmitting, and decoding messages – Communication involves

• A message• A sender who expresses the message• A receiver who responds to the message

– Functions of communication• Narrating• Explaining/informing• Requesting• Expressing


Definitions (cont.)• Language is a formalized code that a group of people use

to communicate – The five dimensions of language:

•Phonology-Rules determining how sounds can be sequenced•Morphology-Rules for the meaning of sounds (e.g., un, pro, con)•Syntax-Rules for a language’s grammar•Semantics- Rules for the meaning of words •Pragmatics-Rules for communication

• Speech is the oral production of language– Speech sounds are the product of four related processes:

•Respiration-Breathing that provides power•Phonation-Production of sound by muscle contraction•Resonation-Sound quality shaped by throat•Articulation-Formation of recognizable speech by the mouthWilliam L. Heward

Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

Normal Development of Speech and Language

• Most children follow a relatively predictable sequence in their acquisition of speech and language

– Birth to 6 months: Communication by smiling, crying, and babbling– 7 months to 1 year: Babbling becomes differentiated– 1 to 1.6 years: Learns to say several words– 1.6 to 2 years: Word “spurt” begins– 2 to 3 years: Talks in sentences, vocabulary grows– 3 years on: Vocabulary grows

• Knowledge of normal language development can help determine whether a child is developing language at a slower-than-normal rate or whether the child shows an abnormal pattern of language development


Communication Disorders Defined

• ASHA definition– An impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and

comprehend concepts of verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbols systems

• IDEA definition – A communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired

articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance


Speech Impairments and Language Disorders

• Types of speech impairments– Articulation disorders– Fluency disorders– Voice disorders

• Language disorders– Children who have difficulty understanding language have a

receptive language disorder– Children who have difficulty producing language have an

expressive language disorder

• Communication differences are not disorders– The way each of us speaks is the result of a complex mix of

influencesWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

Prevalence

• A little more than 2% of school-age children receive special education for speech and language impairments

• Over 21% of all children receiving special education services are served in this category– The second largest disability category under IDEA

• Nearly twice as many boys as girls have speech impairments

• Children with articulation and spoken language problems represent the largest category of speech-language impairments.


Causes

• Causes of Speech Disorders – Cleft palate– Paralysis of the speech muscles– Absence of teeth– Craniofacial abnormalities– Enlarged adenoids– Traumatic brain injury– Neuromuscular impairments

• Causes of Language Disorders– Cognitive limitations or mental retardation– Hearing impairments– Behavioral disorders– Environmental deprivation


Characteristics

• Speech sound errors – Distortions– Substitutions– Omissions– Additions

• Fluency disorders– Stuttering and cluttering are examples of fluency disorders

• Voice disorders– A phonation disorder causes the voice to sound breathy, hoarse,

husky, or strained – Resonance disorders are hypernasality or hyponasality

• Language impairments– An expressive language impairment interferes with production of

language– A receptive language impairment interferes with understanding of

languageWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

Identification and Assessment

• Communication disorders are usually first identified by teacher observations

• The speech-language pathologist is the professional with the primary responsibility for identifying, evaluating, and providing services

• Evaluation components include a physical examination and testing


Educational Approaches

• Treating speech sound errors– Articulation errors and phonological errors:

• Discrimination and production activities

– Fluency disorders:

• Behavioral principles and self-monitoring

– Voice disorders

• Direct vocal rehabilitation or surgery

– Language disorders:

• Exploration of expressive language, naturalistic interventions

– Augmentative and alternative communicationWilliam L. HewardExceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8eCopyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458All rights reserved.

Educational Placement Alternatives

• The vast majority of children with speech and language impairments are served in regular classrooms

• Some examples of service delivery models:– Monitoring– Pullout– Collaborative consultation– Classroom-based– Self-contained classroom– Community-based


Current Issues and Future Trends

• SLP or LREC– Controversy as to whether services should take a therapeutic

versus educational focus

• Changing populations mean growing caseloads and more children with severe and multiple disabilities

• The changing role of SLPs means that they will have to develop interventions applicable not only in the classroom but by teachers and parents


Documents

Chapter 8 Communication Disorders William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education,