Speech Disorders Factsheet (for Schools)
What Teachers Should Know
Speech disorders can make it hard to communicate. Someone may have trouble with:
- articulation (production of speech sounds), such as lisping, when a person substitutes the letters “s” and “z” with “th”
- voice: the pitch and volume of sounds made
- fluency (flow of speech), such as stuttering or stammering
Sometimes kids with speech disorders have oral–motor problems. This means the muscles used to create speech aren’t working properly. Speech disorders also can be related to conditions like a developmental delay, autism, a hearing disorder, weak muscles around the mouth, cleft lip or palate, hoarseness, and breathing or swallowing disorders.
Treatment for a speech problems focuses on speech-language therapy to improve skills. The sooner therapy begins, the better.
What Teachers Can Do
Students with speech disorders may benefit from individualized education programs (IEPs) or 504 education plans. Many kids see a speech-language pathologist during the school day. Therapy may be one or more times a week, depending on the severity of the problem.
Kids with speech problems can feel stressed and anxious, which can make it even harder to talk and express themselves. A student may speak slowly in class and should be given plenty of time to express thoughts. It’s not helpful to interrupt or complete a sentence for the student, and might embarrass them.
To support students in your classroom:
- Move students closer to you. A child may need to sit closer to you if speech problems are related to a hearing problem.
- Give extra time to complete assignments or make up work when needed.
- Substitute written papers or projects for oral presentations, or allow a student to demonstrate learning one-on-one with you. Asking questions in a way that lets the student give a brief answer can also help.
- Use technology to make learning easier. A special education teacher, speech-language pathologist, or the student’s family may be able to suggest the best programs or devices to use.
- Be patient when students with speech disorders speak. Be a role model to your other students about the importance of not interrupting and letting people finish their own sentences.
- Talk about and celebrate differences. Students with speech problems want to be accepted like everyone else. But sometimes they’re targeted by others who see them as “different.” Talk about and celebrate differences, and focus on the interests that kids share. Be mindful of bullying, and keep a zero-tolerance policy for that behavior.
By addressing special needs and offering support when needed, you can help students with a speech disorder learn as best as possible.
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- 504 Education Plans
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) (Topic Center)
- Hearing Tests
- Speech-Language Therapy
- Delayed Speech or Language Development
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Speech-Language Therapy for Children With Cleft Palate
Ugonjwa wa usemi (kwa ajili ya shule) - nini walimu wanapaswa kujua - Ugonjwa wa usemi unaweza kufanya iwe vigumu kuwasiliana. "Kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na matatizo ya ""kuzungumza"" (kuzalisha sauti za usemi), kama vile lisping, wakati mtu anabadilisha herufi <unk>s<unk> na <unk>z<unk> na <unk>th<unk> - sauti: sauti na kiasi cha sauti zilizotengenezwa <unk> fluency (mtiririko wa hotuba), kama vile stuttering au stammering. Hii ina maana misuli kutumika kuunda hotuba si kazi vizuri. Matatizo ya usemi pia yanaweza kuhusiana na hali kama vile kucheleweshwa kwa maendeleo, autism, kasoro ya kusikia, misuli dhaifu karibu na mdomo, mdomo uliogawanyika au mdomo uliogawanyika, sauti ya sauti, na matatizo ya kupumua au kumeza. Matibabu ya matatizo ya usemi hukazia matibabu ya usemi na lugha ili kuboresha ustadi. Kadiri tiba inavyoanza mapema, ndivyo inavyokuwa bora. Wanafunzi wenye matatizo ya usemi wanaweza kufaidika na mipango ya elimu ya mtu binafsi (IEPs) au mipango ya elimu ya 504. Watoto wengi huona mtaalamu wa lugha ya usemi wakati wa siku za shule. Tiba yaweza kuwa mara moja au zaidi kwa juma, ikitegemea uzito wa tatizo. Watoto wenye matatizo ya usemi wanaweza kuhisi wasiwasi na wasiwasi, ambayo inaweza kufanya iwe vigumu zaidi kuzungumza na kujieleza. Mwanafunzi anaweza kusema polepole darasani na anapaswa kupewa wakati mwingi wa kueleza mawazo yake. Si jambo la kusaidia kumkatiza au kumalizia mwanafunzi sentensi, na huenda wakamfanya aone aibu. Ili kusaidia wanafunzi katika darasa lako: - Hatua wanafunzi karibu na wewe. Mtoto wako anaweza kuhitaji kuketi karibu nawe ikiwa matatizo ya usemi yanahusiana na tatizo la kusikia. - Toa wakati wa ziada wa kukamilisha kazi au kufanya kazi wakati inahitajika. - Badilisha karatasi zilizoandikwa au miradi kwa maonyesho ya mdomo, au kuruhusu mwanafunzi kuonyesha kujifunza moja kwa moja na wewe. Kuuliza maswali kwa njia ambayo humruhusu mwanafunzi ajibu kwa ufupi pia kunaweza kusaidia. - Tumia teknolojia ili kufanya kujifunza iwe rahisi. Mwalimu wa elimu ya pekee, mtaalamu wa lugha ya usemi, au familia ya mwanafunzi aweza kupendekeza programu au vifaa bora vya kutumia. - Uwe na subira wanafunzi wanaoshindwa kusema wanapozungumza. Kuwa mfano kwa wanafunzi wako wengine kuhusu umuhimu wa kutovuruga na kuruhusu watu kumaliza sentensi zao wenyewe. - Zungumza na kusherehekea tofauti. Wanafunzi wenye matatizo ya usemi wanataka kukubaliwa kama watu wengine wote. Lakini wakati mwingine wao ni walengwa na wengine ambao kuwaona kama "tofauti". Kuzungumza kuhusu na kusherehekea tofauti, na kuzingatia maslahi kwamba watoto kushiriki. Jihadharini na unyanyasaji, na uwe na sera ya kutovumilia tabia hiyo. Kwa kushughulikia mahitaji maalum na kutoa msaada wakati inahitajika, unaweza kuwasaidia wanafunzi wenye matatizo ya usemi kujifunza vizuri iwezekanavyo. Programu za elimu ya mtu binafsi (IEPs) - Mipango ya elimu 504 - Ugonjwa wa kupooza ubongo (CP) (Kituo cha Mada) - Majaribio ya kusikia - Tiba ya Hotuba-Lugha - Kuchelewesha hotuba au maendeleo ya lugha - Ugonjwa wa usindikaji wa kusikia - Tiba ya Hotuba-Lugha kwa Watoto wenye Kipande cha Mlango