Literacy news
Types of speech and language difficulties
19 Sep 2003
- Most children have immaturities in the way they speak, such as 'aminal' for animal', but these sort themselves out with practice and experience.
- Many children have delayed speech due to a hearing difficulty, such as glue ear. So always check hearing first.
- However, some children lack the ability to make certain sounds, or cannot co-ordinate the sounds in the required sentence. These children are sometimes described as having 'dyspraxic', 'dysarthric' or 'articulation' difficulties.
- For other children language remains rather like a telegram because they do not naturally acquire the grammar and 'order' that language follows.
- Sometimes this is because the children's language development is 'delayed' but nevertheless progressing along normal lines. It may be the case that these children are delayed in other areas of their development as well, and the language delay is just one part of this immaturity.
- For other children there is a specific language 'disorder' or 'difficulty' because, although the child's language is disordered or delayed, their general intelligence and ability may be average or even high for their age.
- For these children, their understanding of language (their receptive language) is usually affected as well as their use of language (their expressive language).
- Quite often, children who have specific language difficulties also have difficulties in understanding social situations, in seeing the other point of view, in using their imaginations and in handling conversations. Sometimes these children are described as having pragmatic difficulties.
- Other children may opt not to speak at all in your setting (selective mutism) or stammer and stutter.
Assessment
- Observe your child's interactions, note down extracts of their language and understanding and make tape recordings.
- Speech and language therapists provide specialist assessment of all aspects of children's speech, language and communication and can work with families and settings on the best ways to help. Speak to a health visitor if you feel that a specialist assessment may be needed.
An extract from "Supporting speech and language difficulties", Dr Hannah Mortimer, Nursery Education, September 2003,
p. 8.
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