Welcome to Speech and Language Therapy.
The Speech and Language Therapy program is designed to identify and provide intervention by a certified/licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for students demonstrating a communication disorder in the area of articulation/phonology, language, fluency, and/or voice that adversely affects educational performance. Eligible students with speech impairment are served from Pre-K through 12th grade. Three and four year old students who are eligible and not enrolled on a campus may be placed in Pre-school Speech Therapy at Marie Huie Special Education Center.
What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist is a highly-trained professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty with speech or language. Although people often think of speech and language as the same thing, the terms actually have very different meanings. If your child has trouble with speech, he/ she struggles with the “how-to” of talking—the coordination of the muscles and movements necessary to produce speech. If your child has trouble with language, he/she struggles with understanding what he/she hears or sees. Your child may struggle to find the right words and/or organize those words in a meaningful way to communicate a message or hold a conversation. An SLP also evaluates and treats children who have difficulty swallowing food or liquid.
Below is a list of common speech and language disorders with a brief explanation of each.
Speech Disorders
• Articulation – the way we say our speech sounds
• Phonology – the speech patterns we use
• Apraxia – difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds
• Fluency – stuttering
• Voice – problems with the way the voice sounds, such as hoarseness
Language Disorders
• Receptive Language – difficulty understanding language
• Expressive Language – difficulty using language
• Pragmatic Language – social communication; the way we speak to each other
Adapted from What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
© 2008 Super Duper® Publications