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According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], a speech and language impairment is "a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance."

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Language is the comprehension and/or the use of a spoken, written, and/or other communication symbol system. Language can be receptive and expressive. Receptive language is the ability to understand information, such as words, sentences, and the meaning of what others say or what is read. Expressive language is the ability to put thoughts into words and sentences in a way that makes grammatical sense.

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Phonology is the study of the speech sound system (phonemes)
Morphology is the study of the rules that govern how morphemes (small units of language) are used in language
Syntax are the rules that pertain to the ways words can be combined in sentences
Pragmatics are the rules associated with the use of language in conversation and social situations

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An impairment in comprehension and/or use of a spoken, written, and/or other communication symbol system, such as sign language

May involve the form of language, the content of language, and/or the function of language in communication, or any combination

May persist across the lifespan and symptoms may change over time

Can be a diagnosis all on its own or may occur with other conditions

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Children learn language by listening to others speak and by practicing.  Young babies even understand when you repeat or respond to noises they make.  Children's language and brain skills become stronger when they hear a multitude of words.  Here are some ways you can help your child learn:

Respond to sounds, gurgles, and gestures a baby makes

Repeat what a child says and add to it

Talk about what a child sees

Ask questions and listen to the answers

Look at or read books

Tell stories

Sing songs or share rhymes

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/language-disorders.html

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Language development has different parts, and some children might have problems with...

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Language development has different parts, and some children might have problems with...

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Understanding what others say, which could be due to not hearing words (hearing loss) or not understanding the meaning of words.

Communicating thoughts using language, which could be due to not knowing which words to use, not knowing how to put words together, or knowing the words to use but not being able to express them.

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Examples of problems with language and speech development

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Examples of problems with language and speech development

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Speech disorders

Difficulty forming words/sounds correctly

Difficulty making words or sentences flow smoothly (stuttering or stammering)

Language delay - the ability to understand and speak develops more slowly than what is typical
Language disorders

Aphasia - difficulty understanding or speaking parts of language due to how the brain works or a brain injury

Auditory processing disorder - difficulty understanding the meaning of the sounds that the ear sends to the brain

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If you feel as though your child may have a problem with language or speech development, talk to a healthcare provider about an evaluation. It's important to first find out if your child has a hearing loss. A speech-language pathologist will conduct a careful assessment to determine what problems might be occurring.

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Children up to three years of age can qualify for early intervention (see resources tab), and special education services for children ages three and up (see IDEA/Section 504 in resources tab). Schools will do their own testing for speech and language disorders to see if the child needs an intervention.

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Esta información en español | This information in Spanish
Current as of July 2021

If you're concerned about the development of an infant or toddler, or you suspect that a little one has a disability, this page will summarize one terrific source of help-the early intervention system in your state. Early intervention services can help infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays to learn many key skills and catch up in their development. There's a lot to know about early intervention. We present the "basics" here to get you started.

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What is early intervention?

Early intervention is a system of services that helps babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:

physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking);

cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems);

communication (talking, listening, understanding);

social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and

self-help (eating, dressing).

Examples of early intervention services | If an infant or toddler has a disability or a developmental delay in one or more of these developmental areas, that child will likely be eligible for early intervention services. Those services will be tailored to meet the child's individual needs and may include:

Assistive technology (devices a child might need)

Audiology or hearing services

Speech and language services

Counseling and training for a family

Medical services

Nursing services

Nutrition services

Occupational therapy

Physical therapy

Psychological services

Services may also be provided to address the needs and priorities of the child's family. Family-directed services are meant to help family members understand the special needs of their child and how to enhance his or her development.

Authorized by law | Early intervention is available in every state and territory of the United States. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires it-Part C of IDEA, to be precise. That's why you'll sometimes hear early intervention referred to as Part C.

Who's eligible for early intervention?

Early intervention is intended for infants and toddlers who have a developmental delay or disability. Eligibility is determined by evaluating the child (with parents' consent) to see if the little one does, in fact, have a delay in development or a disability. Eligible children can receive early intervention services from birth through the third birthday (and sometimes beyond).

For some children, from birth | Sometimes it is known from the moment a child is born that early intervention services will be essential in helping the child grow and develop. Often this is so for children who are diagnosed at birth with a specific condition or who experience significant prematurity, very low birth weight, illness, or surgery soon after being born. Even before heading home from the hospital, this child's parents may be given a to their local early intervention office.

For others, because of delays in development | Some children have a relatively routine entry into the world, but may develop more slowly than others, experience set backs, or develop in ways that seem very different from other children. For these children, a visit with a developmental pediatrician and a thorough evaluation may lead to an early intervention referral.

Parents don't have to wait for a referral to early intervention, however. If you're concerned about your child's development, you may contact your local program directly and ask to have your child evaluated. That evaluation is provided free of charge. If you're not sure how to locate the early intervention program in your community-keep reading. We give that information a bit further down the page.

However a child comes to be referred, evaluated, and determined eligible, early intervention services provide vital support so that children with developmental needs can thrive and grow.

What's a developmental delay?

The term "developmental delay" is an important one in early intervention. Broadly speaking, it means that a child is delayed in some area of development. There are five areas in which development may be affected:

Cognitive development

Physical development, including vision and hearing

Communication development

Social or emotional development

Adaptive development

Developmental milestones | Think of all the baby skills that can fall under any one of those developmental areas! Babies and toddlers have a lot of new skills to learn, so it's always of concern when a child's development seems slow or more difficult than would normally be expected. Our developmental milestones page outlines some of the typical skills that babies and toddlers learn by certain ages. It's a good resource to consult if you're concerned that a child may have a developmental delay.

Definition of "developmental delay" | Part C of IDEA defines the term "developmental delay." But the meaning of the term varies from state to state, because each state defines the term for itself, including:

describing the evaluation and assessment procedures that will be used to measure a child's development in each of the five developmental areas; and

specifying the level of delay in functioning (or other comparable criteria) that constitutes a developmental delay in each of the five developmental areas.

What's your state's definition? | To find out how your state defines the term "developmental delay," you can ask your child's pediatrician or the local health department. Most likely, the definition is also online, so you can also "search" for it, making sure to include the name of your state in the search.

Read more about developmental delay | We also offer a fact sheet on developmental delay that you may find helpful in understanding the developing child, what to do if you're concerned about your own child's development, and where to turn for more information.

If you're concerned about a baby or toddler's development

It's not uncommon for parents and family members to become concerned when their beautiful baby or growing toddler doesn't seem to be developing according to the normal schedule of "baby" milestones.

"He hasn't rolled over yet."

"The little girl next door is already sitting up on her own!"

"She should be saying a few words by now."

Sound familiar? While it's true that children develop differently, at their own pace, and that the range of what's "normal" development is quite broad, it's hard not to worry and wonder.

What to do | If you think that your child is not developing at the same pace or in the same way as most children his or her age, it is often a good idea to talk first to your child's pediatrician. Explain your concerns. Tell the doctor what you have observed with your child. Your child may have a disability or a developmental delay, or he or she may be at risk of having a disability or delay.

You can also get in touch with your community's early intervention program, and ask to have your little one evaluated to see if he or she has a developmental delay or disability. This evaluation is free of charge, won't hurt your child, and looks at his or her basic skills. Based on that evaluation, your child may be eligible for early intervention services, which will be designed to address your child's special needs or delays.

How to get in touch with your community's early intervention program | There are several ways to connect with the EI program in your community. Try any of these suggestions:

Contact the Pediatrics branch in a local hospital and ask where you should call to find out about early intervention services in your area.

Ask your pediatrician for a referral to the local early intervention system.

Visit the ECTA Center's early intervention "contacts" page, at:
http://ectacenter.org/contact/ptccoord.asp

What to say to the early intervention contact person | Explain that you are concerned about your child's development. Say that you think your child may need early intervention services. Explain that you would like to have your child evaluated under Part C of IDEA.

Referral | Write down any information the contact person gives you. You will probably be referred to either your community's early intervention program or to what is known as Child Find. Child Find operates in every state to identify babies and toddlers who need early intervention services because of developmental delays or disability. You can use the Parent's Record-Keeping Worksheet to keep track of this important information. In fact, in general, it's a good idea to write down the names and phone numbers of everyone you talk to as you move through the early intervention process.

The evaluation and assessment process

Service coordinator | Once connected with either Child Find or your community's early intervention program, you'll be assigned a service coordinator who will explain the early intervention process and help you through the next steps in that process. The service coordinator will serve as your single point of contact with the early intervention system.

Screening and/or evaluation| One of the first things that will happen is that your child will be evaluated to see if, indeed, he or she has a developmental delay or disability. (In some states, there may be a preliminary step called to see if there's cause to suspect that a baby or toddler has a disability or developmental delay.) The family's service coordinator will explain what's involved in the screening and/or evaluation and ask for your permission to proceed. You must provide your written consent before screening and/or evaluation may take place.

The evaluation group will be made up of qualified people who have different areas of training and experience. Together, they know about children's speech and language skills, physical abilities, hearing and vision, and other important areas of development. They know how to work with children, even very young ones, to discover if a child has a problem or is developing within normal ranges. Group members may evaluate your child together or individually. As part of the evaluation, the team will observe your child, ask your child to do things, talk to you and your child, and use other methods to gather information. These procedures will help the team find out how your child functions in the five areas of development.

Exceptions for diagnosed physical or mental conditions | It's important to note that an evaluation of your child won't be necessary if he or she is automatically eligible due to a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. Such conditions include but aren't limited to chromosomal abnormalities; genetic or congenital disorders; sensory impairments; inborn errors of metabolism; disorders reflecting disturbance of the development of the nervous system; congenital infections; severe attachment disorders; and disorders secondary to exposure to toxic substances, including fetal alcohol syndrome. Many states have policies that further specify what conditions automatically qualify an infant or toddler for early intervention (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome).

Determining eligibility | The results of the evaluation will be used to determine your child's eligibility for early intervention services. You and a team of professionals will meet and review all of the data, results, and reports. The people on the team will talk with you about whether your child meets the criteria under IDEA and state policy for having a developmental delay, a diagnosed physical or mental condition, or being at risk for having a substantial delay. If so, your child is generally found to be eligible for services.

Initial assessment of the child | With parental consent, indepth assessment must now be conducted to determine your child's unique needs and the early intervention services appropriate to address those needs. Initial assessment will include reviewing the results of the evaluation, personal observation of your child, and identifying his or her needs in each developmental area.

Initial assessment of the family | With approval of the family members involved, assessments of family members are also conducted to identify the resources, concerns, and priorities of the family related to enhancing the development of your child. The family-directed assessment is voluntary on the part of each family member participating in the assessment and is based on information gathered through an assessment tool and also through an interview with those family members who elect to participate.

Who pays for all this? | Under IDEA, evaluations and assessments are provided at no cost to parents. They are funded by state and federal monies.

Writing the IFSP

Having collected a great deal of information about your child and family, it's now possible for the team (including you as parents) to sit down and write anindividualized plan of action for your child and family. This plan is called the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP. It is a very important document, and you, as parents, are important members of the team that develops it. Each state has specific guidelines for the IFSP. Your service coordinator can explain what the IFSP guidelines are in your state.

Guiding principles | The IFSP is a written document that, among other things, outlines the early intervention services that your child and family will receive. One guiding principal of the IFSP is that the family is a child's greatest resource, that a young child's needs are closely tied to the needs of his or her family. The best way to support children and meet their needs is to support and build upon the individual strengths of their family. So, the IFSP is a whole family plan with the parents as major contributors in its development. Involvement of other team members will depend on what the child needs. These other team members could come from several agencies and may include medical people, therapists, child development specialists, social workers, and others.

What info is included in an IFSP? | Your child's IFSP must include the following:

Your child's present physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and adaptive development levels and needs

Family information (with your agreement), including the resources, priorities, and concerns of you, as parents, and other family members closely involved with the child

The major results or outcomes expected to be achieved for your child and family

The specific services your child will be receiving

Where in the natural environment (e.g., home, community) the services will be provided (if the services will not be provided in the natural environment, the IFSP must include a statement justifying why not)

When and where your son or daughter will receive services

The number of days or sessions he or she will receive each service and how long each session will last

Who will pay for the services

The name of the service coordinator overseeing the implementation of the IFSP

The steps to be taken to support your child's transition out of early intervention and into another program when the time comes.

The IFSP may also identify services your family may be interested in, such as financial information or information about raising a child with a disability.

Informed parental consent | The IFSP must be fully explained to you, the parents, and your suggestions must be considered. You must give written consent for each service to be provided. If you do not give your consent in writing, your child will not receive that service.

Reviewing and updating the IFSP | The IFSP is reviewed every six months and is updated at least once a year. This takes into account that children can learn, grow, and change quickly in just a short period of time.

Timeframes for all this

When the early intervention system receives a referral about a child with a suspected disability or developmental delay, a time clock starts running. Within 45 days, the early intervention system must complete the critical steps discussed thus far:

screening (if used in the state),

initial evaluation of the child,

initial assessments of the child and family, and

writing the IFSP (if the child has been found eligible).

That's a tall order, but important, given how quickly children grow and change. When a baby or toddler has developmental issues, they need to be addressed as soon as possible. So-45 days, that's the timeframe from referral to completion of the IFSP for an eligible child.

Who pays for the services?

Whether or not you, as parents, will have to pay for any services for your child depends on the policies of your state. Check with your service coordinator. Your state's system of payments must be available in writing and given to you, so there are no surprises or unexpected bills later.

What's free to families | Under Part C of IDEA, the following services must be provided at no cost to families:

Child Find services;

evaluations and assessments;

the development and review of the IFSP; and

service coordination.

When services are not free | Depending on your state's policies, you may have to pay for certain other services. You may be charged a "sliding-scale" fee, meaning the fees are based on what you earn. Some services may be covered by your health insurance, by Medicaid, or by Indian Health Services. The Part C system may ask for your permission to access your public or private insurance in order to pay for the early intervention services your child receives. In most cases, the early intervention system may not use your health care insurance (private or public) without your express, written consent. If you do not give such consent, the system may not limit or deny you or your child services.

Every effort is made to provide services to all infants and toddlers who need help, regardless of family income. Services cannot be denied to a child just because his or her family is not able to pay for them.

**Highly Rated Resource! This resource was reviewed by 3-member panels of Parent Center staff working independently from one another to rate the quality, relevance, and usefulness of CPIR resources. This resource was found to be of "High Quality, High Relevance, High Usefulness" to Parent Centers.
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Would you like to visit another page in the Early Intervention Suite of pages?

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Esta información en español | This information in Spanish Current as of July 2021 If you're concerned about the development of an infant or toddler, or you suspect that a little one has a disability, this page will summarize one terrific source of help-the early intervention system in your state.

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National Center for Learning Disabilities

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Written by NCLD Team | 5 years ago

NCLD has created the IDEA Parent Guide to help you become an informed and effective partner with school personnel in supporting your child's special learning and behavioral needs. Use this guide to understand:

How the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), generally works in most states;

What the law requires to determine whether your child has a learning disability;

What is new to IDEA since Congress last updated the law in 2004;

What questions you should ask and what information you should prepare in order to be a full and active advocate for your child, and

What resources are available to you.

In developing the IDEA Parent Guide, we worked with parents of students with learning disabilities from around the country. NCLD is thankful to these parents for their invaluable input. Together, we have tried to address the questions, challenges and barriers parents face as they navigate their way through the special education process. Parents have also contributed their own personal stories so that you can hear firsthand that you are not alone in this journey.

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Written by NCLD Team | 5 years ago NCLD has created the IDEA Parent Guide to help you become an informed and effective partner with school personnel in supporting your child's special learning and behavioral needs.

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A 504 plan is a blueprint for how the school will support a student with a disability and remove barriers to learning. The goal is to give the student equal access at school.

504 plans are formal plans that schools develop to give kids with disabilities the support they need. That covers any condition that limits daily activities in a major way.

504 plans often include accommodations. These can include:

Changes to the environment (like taking tests in a quiet space)

Changes to instruction (like checking in frequently on key concepts)

Changes to how curriculum is presented (like getting outlines of lessons)

Accommodations don't change what kids learn, just how they learn it. The goal is to remove barriers and give kids access to learning.

While it's rare, 504 plans can provide modifications. Unlike accommodations, modifications do change what a student is taught or is expected to learn. Students might get fewer homework assignments, for instance. Or they may be graded in a different way than their classmates.

The process for getting a 504 plan is different, and simpler, than the process for getting an IEP. But it varies from school district to school district

With 504 plans, schools look at information about a student from a few different sources. One source might be a medical diagnosis. Schools might also look at the student's grades, test scores, and teacher recommendations.

Families or schools can request a 504 plan through the school district's 504 coordinator. This person may also be the IEP coordinator. (Ask the principal if you're not sure who to contact.) The request must be in writing. The school will then hold a meeting to decide if the child qualifies and what supports are appropriate.

Legal rights under 504 plans

The 504 process has fewer protections than the special education process. But families can still play an important role by staying involved and making sure kids with disabilities get the same education as kids who don't.

Key takeaways

504 plans are designed to help kids with disabilities learn alongside their peers.

A 504 plan isn't the same as an IEP.

There are fewer safeguards in the 504 plan process than in the IEP process, so it's important to be proactive.

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Melody Musgrove, EdD served as director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education.

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A 504 plan is a blueprint for how the school will support a student with a disability and remove barriers to learning. The goal is to give the student equal access at school. 504 plans are formal plans that schools develop to give kids with disabilities the support they need.

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A child's communication is considered delayed when they are noticeably behind their peers in their speech/language skills.

Speech Disorders
You may see problems with an interruptions in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as a stutter.  There could also be problems with the way that sounds are formed, or the pitch, volume, or quality of the voice.  Speech sounds can also be difficult.  For example, the word "see" may be spoken when the word "ski" was meant to be said.  The "l" and "r" sounds might also be tricky to say.

Language Disorders
This is an impairment in the ability to understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and non-verbally. You might see the improper use of words and their meanings, the inability to express ideas clearly, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary, or the inability to follow directions. Children may also hear or see a word but not be able to understand what it means. They might also have difficulty getting others to understand what they are trying to communicate.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move.

Click on the age of your child to see the milestones:

"Learn the Signs. Act Early." materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools.

Special acknowledgments to the subject matter experts and others who contributed to the review of data and selection of developmental milestones, especially Paul H. Lipkin, MD, Michelle M. Macias, MD, Julie F. Pajek, PhD, Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, Karnesha Slaughter, MPH, Jane K. Squires, PhD, Toni M. Whitaker, MD, Lisa D. Wiggins, PhD, and Jennifer M. Zubler, MD.
Sincere gratitude to Natalia Benza, MD and José O. Rodríguez, MD, MBA for their thoughtful review of the Spanish-language translation of these milestones.

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“learn the signs. act early.” milestones

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Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Track your child's milestones and talk with your child's doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached

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Your child starts communicating with you long before they say their first word. Learn more about what your child should do in their first 5 years and how you can help.

Speech, language, or hearing problems can lead to trouble making friends and doing well in school. Give your child success-get help early.

Find your child's age below and learn about their speech, language, and hearing development.

Children develop at their own rate. These charts tell you when most children who speak only one language will reach each milestone. Your child should master the skills listed by the time they reach the top of the age range. Missing one skill in the age range does not mean they have a problem. You may want to seek help if you answer "no" to most of the skills.

What should I do if I think that my child may have a speech, language, or hearing problem?

To find a professional near you, visit ProFind.

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How Does Your Child Hear and Talk? Speech, Language, and Hearing Developmental Milestones From Birth to 5 Years

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Your child starts communicating with you long before he says his first word. Learn more about what your child should do in his first 5 years and how you can help.

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Learn More About Language Disorders Here

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Learn More About Language Disorders Here

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On this page:

What is specific language impairment (SLI)?

Specific language impairment (SLI) is a communication disorder that interferes with the development of language skills in children who have no hearing loss or intellectual disabilities. SLI can affect a child's speaking, listening, reading, and writing. SLI is also called developmental language disorder, language delay, or developmental dysphasia. It is one of the most common developmental disorders, affecting approximately 7 to 8 percent of children in kindergarten. The impact of SLI usually persists into adulthood.

What causes SLI?

The cause of SLI is unknown, but recent discoveries suggest that it has a strong genetic link. Children with SLI are more likely than those without SLI to have parents and siblings who have also had difficulties and delays in speaking. In fact, 50 to 70 percent of children with SLI have at least one family member with the disorder.

Learning more than one language at a time does not cause SLI. The disorder can, however, affect both multilingual children and children who speak only one language.

What are the symptoms of SLI?

A child with SLI often has a history of being a late talker (reaching spoken language milestones later than peers).

Preschool-aged children with SLI may:

Be late to put words together into sentences.

Struggle to learn new words and make conversation.

Have difficulty following directions, not because they are stubborn, but because they do not fully understand the words spoken to them.

Make frequent grammatical errors when speaking.

Although some late talkers eventually catch up with peers, children with SLI have persistent language difficulties. Symptoms common in older children and adults with SLI include:

Limited use of complex sentences.

Difficulty finding the right words.

Difficulty understanding figurative language.

Reading problems.

Disorganized storytelling and writing.

Frequent grammatical and spelling errors.

How is SLI diagnosed?

If a doctor, teacher, or parent suspects that a child has SLI, a speech-language pathologist (a professional trained to assess and treat people with speech or language problems) can evaluate the child's language skills. The type of evaluation depends on the child's age and the concerns that led to the evaluation. In general, an evaluation includes:

Direct observation of the child.

Interviews and questionnaires completed by parents and/or teachers.

Assessments of the child's learning ability.

Standardized tests of current language performance.

These tools allow the speech-language pathologist to compare the child's language skills to those of same-age peers, identify specific difficulties, and plan for potential treatment targets.

Is SLI the same thing as a learning disability?

SLI is not the same thing as a learning disability. Instead, SLI is a risk factor for learning disabilities, since problems with basic language skills affect classroom performance. This means that children with SLI are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability than children who do not have SLI. They may struggle with translating letters into sounds for reading. Their writing skills may be weakened by grammatical errors, limited vocabulary, and problems with comprehension and organizing thoughts into coherent sentences. Difficulties with language comprehension can make mathematical word problems challenging. Some children with SLI may show signs of dyslexia. By the time they reach adulthood, people with SLI are six times more likely to be diagnosed with reading and spelling disabilities and four times more likely to be diagnosed with math disabilities than those who do not have SLI.

Is SLI a lifelong condition?

SLI is a developmental disorder, which means that its symptoms first appear in childhood. This does not mean that, as children develop, they grow out of the problem. Instead, the problem is apparent in early childhood and will likely continue, but change, with development.

For instance, a young child with SLI might use ungrammatical sentences in conversation, while a young adult with SLI might avoid complex sentences in conversations and struggle to produce clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically accurate writing.

Early treatment during the preschool years can improve the skills of many children with language delays, including those with SLI. Children who enter kindergarten with significant language delays are likely to continue having problems, but they and even older children can still benefit from treatment. Many adults develop strategies for managing SLI symptoms. This can improve their daily social, family, and work lives.

What treatments are available for SLI?

Treatment services for SLI are typically provided or overseen by a licensed speech-language pathologist. Treatment may be provided in homes, schools, university programs for speech-language pathology, private clinics, or outpatient hospital settings.

Identifying and treating children with SLI early in life is ideal, but people can respond well to treatment regardless of when it begins. Treatment depends on the age and needs of the person. Starting treatment early can help young children to:

Acquire missing elements of grammar.

Expand their understanding and use of words.

Develop social communication skills.

For school-age children, treatment may focus on understanding instruction in the classroom, including helping with issues such as:

Following directions.

Understanding the meaning of the words that teachers use.

Organizing information.

Improving speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Adults entering new jobs, vocational programs, or higher education may need help learning technical vocabulary or improving workplace writing skills.

What research does the NIDCD support on SLI?

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) supports a wide variety of research on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of SLI. Examples of recently funded research include:

Genetic research: Studies in twins and in molecular genetics consistently show a strong genetic link for SLI. Researchers are studying the risk of delayed language skills in twins compared to single-born children. Twins show a risk for delayed language skills but there appears to be no increased risk for speech problems or nonverbal IQ deficits. Other scientists are studying the genetic link between SLI and variants in the genes on certain chromosomes.

Bilingual research: The standardized tests that speech-language pathologists use in schools to screen for language disorders are based on typical language development milestones in English. Non-native speakers are more likely to score in the at-risk range on these tests, but it can be hard to distinguish between children who are struggling to learn a new language and children with true language disorders. After studying a large group of Hispanic children who speak English as a second language, NIDCD-funded researchers developed a dual language diagnostic test to identify language disorders. Clinical trials will aim to ensure that the test is effective across different age groups. The same research team is also testing an intervention program with a small group of bilingual first graders with SLI to find techniques and strategies to help them succeed academically.

Treatment research: NIDCD-funded researchers are re-imagining treatment designs and offering more rigorous tests of language treatment options. Researchers are applying basic learning principles to SLI treatment to improve preschool-aged children's word-learning and grammar. Other researchers are looking for the best ways to improve academic language skills, such as decoding words for reading or producing well-structured stories. Additional studies are looking into treatments that work with the ways that adults with SLI learn and remember information over time. Researchers are striving to develop personalized treatment planning by exploring how and for whom specific interventions work.

Where can I find more information on SLI?

For more information, see:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website to find clinical trials on specific language impairment.

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

NIH Publication No. 11-7751
July 2019

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Specific language impairment (SLI) is a language disorder that delays the mastery of language skills in children who have no hearing loss or other developmental delays. SLI is also called developmental language disorder, language delay, or developmental dysphasia. It is one of the most common childhood learning disabilities, affecting approximately 7 to 8 percent of children in kindergarten.

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Language disorders may be related to other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, or cerebral palsy.

It is estimated that communication disorders (including speech, language, and hearing disorders) affect one of every 10 people in the United States.

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SLPs assist children who have communication disorders in many ways.  They can:

provide individual therapy

consult with a child's teacher about the best ways to help the child's communication in the class setting

work closely with families to develop goals and techniques

assist specials teachers (art/music/physical education/library) and counselors in creating communication goals

assist with strategies that are effective for the transition from school to employment to adult life

https://www.asha.org/public/Who-Are-Speech-Language-Pathologists/

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Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Speech and Language Impairments - Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Your Central Hub for Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With Disabilities

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Helping Children with Communication Disorders in School

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Helping Children with Communication Disorders in School

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U.S. Department of Education. (2005). To assure the free appropriate public education of all Americans: Twenty-seventh annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Accessed January 16, 2008, http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2005/index.html

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Helping Children with Communication Disorders in the Schools

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Answers to frequently asked questions on how to help children with communication disorders, particularly in regards to speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 228,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

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This disorder results from damage to the part of the brain responsible for language, which for many, is the left side of the brain.  It often occurs suddenly, but may develop slowly.  Aphasia impairs the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing.  Usually middle-aged or older can have aphasia, but anyone can acquire it.

https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=2237

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Auditory Processing describes what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you.  The "disorder" part of APD is when something adversely affects the process or interpretation of information.

Children with APD might not recognize subtle sounds in words. The cause is unknown, but in children, it may be associated with conditions such as dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, or developmental delay.

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Apraxia of speech is a disorder where someone has trouble saying what they want to say correctly and consistently.  It's not due to weakness of the speech muscles, and the severity can range from mild to severe.

There are two main types: Acquired and Childhood.

Acquired Apraxia of Speech can affect any age, but often occurs in adults.  It's caused by damage to the parts of the brain that are involved in speaking.  It can result from a stroke, head injury, tumor, or other illness that affects the brain.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech is present at birth.  The causes are not well understood, but children with this disorder often have a familial history of communication disorders or learning disabilities.

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/apraxia-speech

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Studies show that children with ADD are at risk for articulation disorders, which affect their ability to produce letter sounds appropriate for their age. Beyond that, they also commonly have differences in fluency and vocal quality when speaking. One study even detected ADD through these speech differences. Compared to peers with learning disabilities alone, children with ADD showed increased volume and variability in pitch when talking, along with particular patterns such as increased number of vocal pauses.

There are various treatment approaches used for apraxia. How effective they are can vary from person to person. For the best results, apraxia treatment must be developed to meet a given individual's needs.

Therapy for childhood apraxia of speech aims to improve speech coordination. Most children with apraxia of speech benefit from meeting one on one with a speech-language pathologist three to five times a week. They may also need to work with their parents or guardians to practice the skills they are developing.

An articulation disorder involves problems making sounds. Sounds can be substituted, left off, added or changed. These errors may make it hard for people to understand you.

Young children often make speech errors. For instance, many young children sound like they are making a "w" sound for an "r" sound (e.g., "wabbit" for "rabbit") or may leave sounds out of words, such as "nana" for "banana." The child may have an articulation disorder if these errors continue past the expected age.

A phonological process disorder involves patterns of sound errors. For example, substituting all sounds made in the back of the mouth like "k" and "g" for those in the front of the mouth like "t" and "d" (e.g., saying "tup" for "cup" or "das" for "gas").

Another rule of speech is that some words start with two consonants, such as broken or spoon. When children don't follow this rule and say only one of the sounds ("boken" for broken or "poon" for spoon), it is more difficult for the listener to understand the child. While it is common for young children learning speech to leave one of the sounds out of the word, it is not expected as a child gets older. If a child continues to demonstrate such cluster reduction, he or she may have a phonological process disorder.
Information taken from ASHA.org.
Children with APD may exhibit a variety of listening and related complaints. For example, they may have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, following directions, and discriminating (or telling the difference between) similar-sounding speech sounds. Sometimes they may behave as if a hearing loss is present, often asking for repetition or clarification. In school, children with APD may have difficulty with spelling, reading, and understanding information presented verbally in the classroom. Often their performance in classes that don't rely heavily on listening is much better, and they typically are able to complete a task independently once they know what is expected of them. However, it is critical to understand that these same types of symptoms may be apparent in children who do not exhibit APD. Therefore, we should always keep in mind that not all language and learning problems are due to APD, and all cases of APD do not lead to language and learning problems. APD cannot be diagnosed from a symptoms checklist. No matter how many symptoms of APD a child may have, only careful and accurate diagnostics can determine the underlying cause.

A multidisciplinary team approach is critical to fully assess and understand the cluster of problems exhibited by children with APD. Thus, a teacher or educational diagnostician may shed light on academic difficulties; a psychologist may evaluate cognitive functioning in a variety of different areas; a speech-language pathologist may investigate written and oral language, speech, and related capabilities; and so forth. Some of these professionals may actually use test tools that incorporate the terms "auditory processing" or "auditory perception" in their evaluation, and may even suggest that a child exhibits an "auditory processing disorder." Yet it is important to know that, however valuable the information from the multidisciplinary team is in understanding the child's overall areas of strength and weakness, none of the test tools used by these professionals are diagnostic tools for APD, and the actual diagnosis of APD must be made by an audiologist.

To diagnose APD, the audiologist will administer a series of tests in a sound-treated room. These tests require listeners to attend to a variety of signals and to respond to them via repetition, pushing a button, or in some other way. Other tests that measure the auditory system's physiologic responses to sound may also be administered. Most of the tests of APD require that a child be at least 7 or 8 years of age because the variability in brain function is so marked in younger children that test interpretation may not be possible.

Once a diagnosis of APD is made, the nature of the disorder is determined. There are many types of auditory processing deficits and, because each child is an individual, APD may manifest itself in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of auditory deficit a given child exhibits so that individualized management and treatment activities may be recommended that address his or her specific areas of difficulty.

Treating APD
It is important to understand that there is not one, sure-fire, cure-all method of treating APD. Notwithstanding anecdotal reports of "miracle cures" available in popular literature or on the internet, treatment of APD must be highly individualized and deficit-specific. No matter how successful a particular therapy approach may have been for another child, it does not mean that it will be effective for your child. Therefore, the key to appropriate treatment is accurate and careful diagnosis by an audiologist.

Treatment of APD generally focuses on three primary areas: changing the learning or communication environment, recruiting higher-order skills to help compensate for the disorder, and remediation of the auditory deficit itself. The primary purpose of environmental modifications is to improve access to auditorily presented information. Suggestions may include use of electronic devices that assist listening, teacher-oriented suggestions to improve delivery of information, and other methods of altering the learning environment so that the child with APD can focus his or her attention on the message.

Compensatory strategies usually consist of suggestions for assisting listeners in strengthening central resources (language, problem-solving, memory, attention, other cognitive skills) so that they can be used to help overcome the auditory disorder. In addition, many compensatory strategy approaches teach children with APD to take responsibility for their own listening success or failure and to be an active participant in daily listening activities through a variety of active listening and problem-solving techniques.

Finally, direct treatment of APD seeks to remediate the disorder, itself. There exist a wide variety of treatment activities to address specific auditory deficits. Some may be computer- assisted, others may include one-on-one training with a therapist. Sometimes home-based programs are appropriate whereas others may require children to attend therapy sessions in school or at a local clinic. Once again, it should be emphasized that there is no one treatment approach that is appropriate for all children with APD. The type, frequency, and intensity of therapy, like all aspects of APD intervention, should be highly individualized and programmed for the specific type of auditory disorder that is present.

The degree to which an individual child's auditory deficits will improve with therapy cannot be determined in advance. Whereas some children with APD experience complete amelioration of their difficulties or seem to "grow out of" their disorders, others may exhibit some residual degree of deficit forever. However, with appropriate intervention, all children with APD can learn to become active participants in their own listening, learning, and communication success rather than hapless (and helpless) victims of an insidious impairment. Thus, when the journey is navigated carefully, accurately, and appropriately, there can be light at the end of the tunnel for the millions of children afflicted with APD.
Key Points:

APD is an auditory disorder that is not the result of higher-order, more global deficit such as autism, mental retardation, attention deficits, or similar impairments.

Not all learning, language, and communication deficits are due to APD.

No matter how many symptoms of APD a child has, only careful and accurate diagnosis can determine if APD is, indeed, present.

Although a multidisciplinary team approach is important in fully understanding the cluster of problems associated with APD, the diagnosis of APD can only be made by an audiologist.

Treatment of APD is highly individualized. There is no one treatment approach that is appropriate for all children with APD.

Information from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Psychologists and psychiatrists sometimes use the term "pervasive developmental disorders" and "autism spectrum disorders" (ASD) interchangeably. As such, PDD-NOS became the diagnosis applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully meet the criteria for another ASD such as autistic disorder (sometimes called "classic" autism) or Asperger Syndrome.

Like all forms of autism, PDD-NOS can occur in conjunction with a wide spectrum of intellectual ability. Its defining features are significant challenges in social and language development.

Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as "subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms. For instance, a person may have significant autism symptoms in one core area such as social deficits, but mild or no symptoms in another core area such as restricted, repetitive behaviors.

As a diagnosis, PDD-NOS remains relatively new, dating back only 15 years or so. As a result, some physicians and educators may not be familiar with the term or may use it incorrectly.

The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) spells out the criteria for a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Unfortunately, this description consists of a single paragraph, which mainly asserts what it is not:

"This category should be used when there is severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction associated with impairment in either verbal or nonverbal communication skills or with the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities, but the criteria are not met for a specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, or Avoidant Personality Disorder. For example, this category includes "atypical autism" - presentations that do not meet the criteria for Autistic Disorder because of late age at onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these."

More helpful, perhaps, are studies suggesting that persons with PDD-NOS can be placed in one of three very different subgroups:

A high-functioning group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms largely overlap with that of Asperger syndrome, but who differ in terms of having a lag in language development and mild cognitive impairment. (Asperger syndrome does not generally involve speech delay or cognitive impairment).

A second group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms more closely resemble those of autistic disorder, but do not fully meet all its diagnostic signs and symptoms.

A third group (around 50 percent) who meet all the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder, but whose stereotypical and repetitive behaviors are noticeably mild.

As these findings suggest, individuals with PDD-NOS vary widely in their strengths and challenges.

Information taken from AutismSpeaks.org
Broadly stated, (Central) Auditory Processing [(C)AP] refers to the efficiency and effectiveness by which the central nervous system (CNS) utilizes auditory information. Narrowly defined, (C)AP refers to the perceptual processing of auditory information in the CNS and the neurobiologic activity that underlies that processing and gives rise to electrophysiologic auditory potentials. (C)AP includes the auditory mechanisms that underlie the following abilities or skills: sound localization and lateralization; auditory discrimination; auditory pattern recognition; temporal aspects of audition, including temporal integration, temporal discrimination (e.g., temporal gap detection), temporal ordering, and temporal masking; auditory performance in competing acoustic signals (including dichotic listening); and auditory performance with degraded acoustic signals (ASHA, 1996; Bellis, 2003; Chermak & Musiek, 1997). (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder [(C)APD] refers to difficulties in the perceptual processing of auditory information in the CNS as demonstrated by poor performance in one or more of the above skills. Although abilities such as phonological awareness, attention to and memory for auditory information, auditory synthesis, comprehension and interpretation of auditorily presented information, and similar skills may be reliant on or associated with intact central auditory function, they are considered higher order cognitive-communicative and/or language-related functions and, thus, are not included in the definition of (C)AP. Definitions of other key terms used in this report can be found in the Appendix. -
Information taken from asha.org
The development of communication skills begins in infancy, before the emergence of the first word. Any speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child's social and academic skills and behavior. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships.

This information represents, on average, the age by which most monolingual speaking children will accomplish the listed milestones. Children typically do not master all items in a category until they reach the upper age in each age range. Just because your child has not accomplished one skill within an age range does not mean the child has a disorder. However, if you have answered no to the majority of items in an age range, seek the advice of an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
Information taken from asha.org
Autism is a developmental disability. Children with autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD, have social, communication and language problems. They also have restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, such as flipping objects, echolalia, or excessive smelling or touching of objects. Autism may be mild or severe. All children with autism don't have the exact same problems. Children with autism may have the following social and communication skills and common behaviors:
Social Skills
Your child may have problems using social skills to connect with other people. He may seem to be in his own world. It may be hard for him to share a common focus with another person about the same object or event-known as joint attention; play with others and share toys; understand feelings;
make and keep friends.
Communication Skills
Your child may have trouble with communication skills like understanding, talking with others, reading or writing. Sometimes, she might lose words or other skills that she's used before. Your child may have problems understanding and using gestures, like pointing, waving, or showing objects to others; following directions; understanding and using words; having conversations; learning to read or write. Or she may read early but without understanding the meaning-called hyperlexia.

Your child also may repeat words just heard or words heard days or weeks earlier-called echolalia (pronounced ek-o-lay-le-a); talk with little expression or use a sing-song voice; use tantrums to tell you what he does or does not want.
Common Behaviors
A child with autism may have trouble changing from one activity to the next; flap hands, rock, spin or stare; get upset by certain sounds; like only a few foods; have limited and unusual interests-for example, talk about only one topic or keep staring at one toy.
How is autism diagnosed?
It is important to have your child evaluated by professionals who know about autism. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), typically as part of a team, may diagnose autism. The team might include pediatricians, neurologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and developmental specialists, among others. SLPs play a key role because problems with social skills and communication are often the first symptoms of autism. SLPs should be consulted early in the evaluation process. There are a number of tests and observational checklists available to evaluate children with developmental problems. The most important information, however, comes from parents and caregivers who know the child best and can tell the SLP and others all about the child's behavior.
Information taken from asha.org
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder. The muscles of the mouth, face, and respiratory system may become weak, move slowly, or not move at all after a stroke or other brain injury. The type and severity of dysarthria depend on which area of the nervous system is affected.

Some causes of dysarthria include stroke, head injury, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Both children and adults can have dysarthria.

A person with dysarthria may experience any of the following symptoms, depending on the extent and location of damage to the nervous system:

"Slurred" speech

Speaking softly or barely able to whisper

Slow rate of speech

Rapid rate of speech with a "mumbling" quality

Limited tongue, lip, and jaw movement

Abnormal intonation (rhythm) when speaking

Changes in vocal quality ("nasal" speech or sounding "stuffy")

Hoarseness

Breathiness

Drooling or poor control of saliva

Chewing and swallowing difficulty

Information taken from ASHA website.
A communication disorder in which there are difficulties with verbal and written expression. It is a specific language impairment characterized by an ability to use expressive spoken language that is markedly below the appropriate level for the mental age, but with a language comprehension that is within normal limits. There can be problems with vocabulary, producing complex sentences, and remembering words and there may or may not be abnormalities in articulation (speech).

Set of all mental abilities and processes related to knowledge: attention, memory & working memory, judgment & evaluation, reasoning & "computation", problem solving & decision making, comprehension & production of language, etc. Cognition is by humans conscious and unconscious, concrete or abstract, as well as intuitive (like knowledge of a language) and conceptual (like a model of a language). Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge.

Oral-motor skills involve the movements of the lips, jaw, tongue, and cheeks. These muscles are important for eating, drinking and speech. Examples of oral-motor activities including drinking from a straw, chewing, and blowing a toy horn. Children who struggle in this area may have problems tolerating different food textures, drinking from a cup, having their teeth brushed, and may overstuff their mouth with food.

Though there is a distinction between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness the two terms are often used interchangeably. For the most part both are used to refer to what is technically phonological awareness. The more common term used to encompass both skill sets is phonemic awareness. In most literature on reading you will see "phonemic awareness" used. Know when you see this term usually the writer is actually referring to "phonological awareness". Phonological awareness provides the basis for phonics. Phonics, the understanding that sounds and print letters are connected, is the first step towards the act we call reading. When measuring a child's phonological awareness look at his ability to apply several different skills. A child with strong phonological awareness should be able to recognize and use rhyme, break words into syllables, blend phonemes into syllables and words, identify the beginning and ending sounds in a syllable and see smaller words within larger words (ie. "cat" in "catalog").

Phonological Development is the process of learning to speak and is most closely associated with children. The physiological systems, which take part in this process, are the auditory and the vocal systems. The auditory system includes the ears, ear canal and brain. The vocal system includes the vocal chords, the throat, the mouth, teeth and tongue. The jaw is included in the vocal system due to the necessary jaw movements needed to create sounds, which make words.

Language Disorders, or language impairments, are disorders that involve the processing of linguistic information. Problems that may be experienced can involve grammar (syntax and/or morphology), semantics (meaning), or other aspects of language. These problems may be receptive (involving impaired language comprehension), expressive (involving language production), or a combination of both. Examples include specific language impairment and aphasia, among others. Language disorders can affect both spoken and written language, and can also affect sign language; typically, all forms of language will be impaired. Note that these are distinct from speech disorders, which involve difficulty with the act of speech production, but not with language.

Some children have difficulties with reading and writing, and often these children also have a problem with speech and language. Speech/language therapy/strategies and activities can assist children with literacy difficulties as well as taking an holistic approach by looking at activities that can benefit speech, language and literacy together.

Language Processing Disorder and Treatment refers to the way we use words to communicate their ideas and feelings, as well as how these types of communications are processed and understood. Simply put, it is how the brain creates and understands language. A Language processing disorder ("LPD") is categorized when a person has difficulty understanding and making sense of what is heard. Those who have LPD usually have normal hearing abilities, however, their brains just do not process or interpret what they "hear" (the information) properly. LPD sometimes occurs in those who have speech and language difficulties, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, as well as developmental disabilities. Some students with LPD may have a difficult time hearing the differences between sounds in words, even if those sounds are very clear and loud. These problems are more obvious when the child is in a noisy environment such as a classroom.

Stuttering affects the fluency of speech. It begins during childhood and, in some cases, lasts throughout life. The disorder is characterized by disruptions in the production of speech sounds, also called "disfluencies." Most people produce brief disfluencies from time to time. For instance, some words are repeated and others are preceded by "um" or "uh." Disfluencies are not necessarily a problem; however, they can impede communication when a person produces too many of them. For some people, communication difficulties only happen during specific activities, for example, talking on the telephone or talking before large groups. For most others, however, communication difficulties occur across a number of activities at home, school, or work. Some people may limit their participation in certain activities. Such "participation restrictions" often occur because the person is concerned about how others might react to disfluent speech. Other people may try to hide their disfluent speech from others by rearranging the words in their sentence (circumlocution), pretending to forget what they wanted to say, or declining to speak. Other people may find that they are excluded from participating in certain activities because of stuttering. Clearly, the impact of stuttering on daily life can be affected by how the person and others react to the disorder.
Information taken from ASHA website.
When a child has receptive language disorder, he or she exhibits significant deficits in the level of development of comprehension of language. These deficits affect how the child functions socially or academically. Children with receptive language problems can have great difficulty understanding what is said to them. Most children with a receptive language disorder will also have an expressive language disorder (difficulty using language to express ideas).Children with a receptive language disorder can have difficulty with any of the following:

Understanding what gestures mean

Following directions

Understanding questions

Identifying objects and pictures

Taking turns when talking with others

Understanding the order of words in a sentence

Understanding plurals and verb tenses

Understanding age-appropriate vocabulary and knowledge about objects and sequence of events

Knowledge of the goals or functions of language (e.g. to obtain a desired object, tell a story, ask questions, comment)

Knowledge of how to use language to achieve goals (e.g. appropriately using language to get a desired object, )

Carrying out cooperative conversations (e.g. perspective-taking and turn-taking)

An individual with pragmatic problems may: say inappropriate or unrelated things during conversations, tell stories in a disorganized way or have very little variety in language use. It is not unusual for children to have pragmatic problems in only a few situations. However, if problems in social language use occur often and seem inappropriate considering the child's age, a pragmatic disorder may exist. Pragmatic disorders often coexist with other language problems such as vocabulary development or grammar. Pragmatic problems can lower social acceptance. Peers may avoid having conversations with an individual with a pragmatic disorder.

Tongue thrust (also called "reverse" or "immature" swallow) is the common name given to orofacial muscular imbalance, a human behavioral pattern in which the tongue protrudes through the anterior incisors during swallowing, speech and while the tongue is at rest. Nearly all young children exhibit a swallowing pattern involving tongue protrusion, but by the age of 6 most have automatically switched to a normal swallowing pattern. To correct tongue thrust, speech pathologists prescribe exercises designed to promote a normal swallowing pattern, as well as correct speech production. In the evaluation session the patient will be given swallowing and articulation inventory tests.

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Studies show that children with ADD are at risk for articulation disorders, which affect their ability to produce letter sounds appropriate for their age. Beyond that, they also commonly have differences in fluency and vocal quality when speaking. One study even detected ADD through these speech differences.

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Learning all that you need to know about Speech and Language disorders can be an incredibly daunting task, especially if you've never done anything like it before! This Padlet was created to give you, the parents/guardians/families, basic information on language, communication, and disorders associated with both. It will give you web resources, articles, and definitions of some of the most important pieces of Speech and Language disorders. Towards the end of the Padlet are support systems and extra resources. This Padlet can be updated or added to at any time, so be sure to save/bookmark it so that you can stay updated as well!