Speech and Language Disorder

Speech and Language Disorder impacts upon:

• Reading
• Learning
• Making friends
• Understanding and controlling emotions or feelings.
• This can impact on all areas of a person’s life

Every child or young person with speech and language disorder is different and may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech and language disorder at different times of their lives. With the right support at the right time, children, and young people with speech and language disorder can thrive.

Across most counties in England speech and language disorder is the most common need in primary school, and the second most common need in secondary schools.

Attention and listening

Common characteristics:

• Asking off topic questions
• Disrupting others
• Easily distracted
• Fidgeting
• Not asking for help
• Quiet and withdrawn.

Some of the strategies our tutors may use when working with and supporting a child attention and listening difficulties:

• Reduce distractions
• Giving additional time to process and respond to questions (10 second rule)
• Reducing outdoor distractions, such as closing blinds or curtains
• Providing visual support, for example:
  • photos
  • signs and gestures
  • symbols
  • timetables
• Supplying Lego based interventions and games
• Using simplified language, emphasising on keywords.

Dysfluency (putting together sentences)

Common characteristics:

• Avoid eye contact during a moment of stammering
• Does not speak in whole sentences
• Finds it hard to start a word, a sentence or no sound comes out for several seconds
• Move their body to push out a word, for example foot stamping or finger tapping
• Muddle their words when retelling a story
• Put extra effort into saying words
• Repeat whole words or parts of words several times
• Stretch out sounds in a word
• Uses few words
• Incorrect use of tenses

Some of the strategies our tutors may use when working with and supporting a child with dysfluency:

• Acknowledging any signs of anxiety of frustration
• Encouraging thinking time
• Slowing down their speech or pause to provide a helpful response
• Support them to take their time to start and finish sentences
• Support them through language groups, for example:
  • colourful semantics
  • sequencing cards and prepositions
• Teaching language sequencing and question words, for example who, what, where, why and when
• Using drama or role play experiences to support in retelling stories
• Using narrative programmes.

Reluctant and selective talking

Common characteristics:

• Hardly speaks or not at all
• Does not smile and looks blank
• Finds it difficult to speak to you when they're anxious
• Finds it difficult to say hello, goodbye or thank you
• Has good concentration skills
• Is more sensitive to noise
• Is very sensitive to the feeling of others
• Speaks only in certain environments, for example at home or a family home
• Speaks to other children and not adults
• Worries more than others in their class.

Some of the strategies our tutors may use when working with and supporting a child who is reluctant or selective with speech:

• Ensuring all associations with speaking is positive
• Providing opportunities to allow them to talk, but not to expect a response
• Removing all pressures to speak
• Responding positively to non-verbal communication.

Understanding Communication

Common characteristics:

• Appears distracted or disengaged
• Does not follow instructions
• Has difficulties with new information or concepts
• Has increased anxiety due to feelings of confusion
• Is unable to use vocabulary in different situations
• Limits their responses to questions
• Misunderstands tasks or rules
• Often watches others
• Uses empty words often such as 'thingy', 'stuff', 'you know'
• Uses literal understandings.

Some of the strategies our tutors may use when working with and supporting a child with understanding communication:

• Ask questions using:
  • cloze procedure
  • forced alternatives (choice between two)
  • initial sound response
  • syllable clapping
  • 'sounds like' questions
• Get their attention before asking questions by repeating their name
• Give additional time to process and respond to questions (10 second rule)
• Support them to take their time to start and finish sentences
• Tailor different styles of teaching
• Use visual supports and multisensory approaches, including:
  • checklists
  • pictures
  • real objects
  • storyboards
  • task boards

It's important to note that each individual is unique, and the severity and characteristics of speech and language disorders can vary widely. Early intervention and ongoing support can significantly improve outcomes for individuals with these disorders. If you or someone you know is experiencing speech or language difficulties, consulting with a speech-language pathologist is recommended.