An article written by Alison
Huneke, helpline manager at Afasic, the Association For
All Speech Impaired Children
A significant problem with speech, language or communication
is one of the most common developmental difficulties in
children. In some cases, the language problems arise as
a result of conditions such as a learning disability or
a hearing impairment. In other cases, however, there is
no obvious reason for the child's difficulties. Such children
are usually described as having a 'specific language (or
speech) impairment' (SLI for short). It is to help these
children that Afasic was founded in 1968.
Speech and language are extremely complex,
and a lot of different things can go wrong with their development.
Some children are described as having a 'language delay',
which strictly speaking means that their language is developing
in the usual way but at a slower rate than in most children
their age. However, many professionals use the term 'language
delay' to mean any type of speech or language impairment.
Some children, though, have a speech, language or communication
disorder which means that one or more aspects of their language
is developing atypically. Speech, language and communication
comprise a number of different skills, any of which might
fail to develop properly.
Some children have difficulty articulating
some or all of the sounds that go to make up speech ('d',
'g', 's', 'w', etc) or putting them together to make words.
Their speech may sound very unclear, and, in the worst cases,
it may be impossible for other people to understand what
they are saying.
Children with language problems may have difficulty
understanding language (this is known as 'receptive' language)
and/or with producing words and putting them together to
make coherent sentences ('expressive' language).
Communication problems involve a difficulty
with responding to and using language appropriately in different
contexts. Children with communication disorders often have
difficulties with social interaction generally and some
of them may be described as having an autistic spectrum
disorder.
Many specific speech and language impairments can be overcome
completely if children are give appropriate help. Depending
on the nature and severity of the difficulty, this is likely
to mean appropriate levels of speech and language therapy
and perhaps specialist teaching or other support at school.
Children with severe speech and language impairments often
spend some years in language units. There are special classes
attached to mainstream schools which provide intensive speech
and language therapy, and a curriculum which is modified
to meet the needs of children with speech and language impairments.
There are also a small number of special schools around
the country that cater for children with speech and language
difficulties.
What often proves difficult for parents is
accessing the right help. Speech, language and communication
impairments are a 'hidden disability'. Children with these
difficulties look perfectly 'normal' and their speech may
not be obviously 'odd', at least to the casual listener.
Even if people who know or meet the child sense that there
is something 'not quite right', they do not always correctly
identify the problem as being with speech and language.
The very low levels of awareness of speech and language
impairments among the general public does not help here.
There remains an assumption that 'all children talk eventually'.
This situation is not helped by the fact that
many very young children of two and three who are slow to
talk catch up spontaneously by the time they start school.
As a result, many professionals who lack experience of children
with speech and language impairments are often very dismissive
of parents' initial concerns. We hear from many parents
that persuading their GPs, health visitors, and children's
schools that their children need assessment or extra help
has been an uphill struggle. Sometimes the only tangible
sign of a problem is a failure to progress satisfactorily
at school or difficult behaviour and parents often feel
that they themselves are being blamed for their children's
difficulties, either implicitly or explicitly.
Afasic exists to help parents (and professionals) understand
their children's difficulties and secure the right help
for them. We run a helpline (aimed chiefly at parents) which
is open between 10.30 am and 2.30 pm, Monday to Friday.
Afasic also produces a range of free and low-cost publications
and issues a newsletter three times a year to members. We
organize training for parents and professionals, and rates
are reduced for members.
The Afasic website has recently been updated,
and we have collaborated with the charity ICAN and the Royal
College of Speech and Language Therapists on a website about
speech and language development and difficulties in children:
www.talkingpoint.org.uk.
Future objectives include seeing better recognition of the
needs of older children and young people with unresolved
speech and language impairments and ensuring that appropriate
provision is available for them.
Written by Alison Huneke,
helpline manager at AFASIC, 08.08.2005
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