How to Accommodate Children With Speech Problems

Speech impairment affects about 1 million U.S. school students. This figure does not include those who speech difficulties are caused by hearing loss. Speech disorders are defined as difficulties physically articulating speech, including apraxia (an oral-motor impairment), stuttering and cleft palate. Other children are language impaired--their difficulties lie with understanding and using words. Speech difficulties can isolate children, detract from learning and cause frustration. Teachers and parents see improvements in verbal speech when children are allowed assistive devices or are encouraged to sign.

Things You'll Need

• Electronic picture boards
• Communication boards
• Non-phonic-based reading scheme
• Language resources with actions

Instructions

Professional Services

1. Investigate the precise nature and degree of difficulty. Arrange assessments. Talk to doctors and parents about what help is needed.

2. Arrange regular speech therapy as part of a speech-impaired child's school life. Work closely with therapists, taking advice and keeping abreast of children's progress in speech.

3. Ask the therapist whether sign language is an appropriate accommodation. Use sign language teachers or interpreters if appropriate.

4. Read everything you can about the specific impairment. Ask for professional development training in relevant courses or seminars. Attend product fairs to familiarize yourself with the available assistive technology.

Assistive Technology

1. Record common phrases onto electronic communication devices. Teach children to "play" the appropriate remark as needed. Provide clock-style communicators with clock hands that point to the image intended.

2. Purchase software packages for non-verbal learners. Chose programs with voice synthesizing technology if appropriate. Provide electronic spell checkers to children with auditory or decoding difficulties.

3. Use electronic devices to provide speech models. Ensure students hear useful phrases repeated regularly and clearly; they may gain confidence to copy them.

Basic Classroom Stategies

1. Sit speech-impaired children close to the teacher and away from auditory distractions, including air vents, corridors and doorways. Speak slowly and clearly. Model good communication. Ensure children are focused before giving instructions.

2. Establish methods by which students are to communicate that they need assistance. Ask them what help they feel they need.

3. Allow children plenty of time to express their meaning. Encourage pointing, gesturing, drawing or writing to supplement speech. Listen carefully; be patient.

4. Allow extra time or more breaks in test situations. Provide readers to read test questions aloud to speech-impaired students.

Inclusive Strategies

1. Create an inclusive and accepting classroom. Use a peer buddy system. Never allow other children to mimic the difficulty--embarrassed children may choose not to speak, becoming selective mutes.

2. Provide alternative means of communication. Allow good readers to point to, or write the words they mean. Allow nodding or smiling in place of answering at roll call. Allow speaking students to try electronic communication devices so that this is seen as a "normal" and valid form of expression.

3. Choose poems or songs with actions that non-verbal students may join in. Encourage participation in presentations to parents and peers; permit children to hold up placards, or to illustrate words with actions.

4. Try alternative reading and spelling strategies. Appreciate that speech-impaired children will find it difficult or embarrassing to read aloud or to "sound out" unfamiliar words. Offer alternatives to the phonic approach, which is ineffective for students with poor auditory processing. Teach tricks for visual memorization of new words. Encourage children to use context clues.

References

• Partnership for Accessible Reading Assessments: Reading and Students with Speech and Language Impairments
• National Association of Parents of Children in Special Education: Exceptional Children and Disability Information: Speech and Language Impairments
• West Virginia University: Strategies for Teaching Students with Communication Disorders
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: Speech and Language
• Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA): Using Sign Language for Children with Apraxia of Speech
• Able Data: Communication Devices

Resources

• The Attainment Company: Videos: The Go Talk Product Line
• ABC News: Selective Mutism: When your child Can't Speak
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Speech and Language Disorders and Diseases
• Purdue Cooperative Extension Provider-Parent Partnerships; What are Some Types of Speech and Language Disorders?: S. Ramamoorthy, J. Myers-Walls; 2006-2010
• Educational Resource Information Center; Children with Communication Disorders; Alejandro Brice
• Cleft Palate Association