Communication is a process of exchanging information and ideas, it involves the expression and understanding of the communicator. It can occur through verbalization, vocalization, gestures, personalized movements, signs, drawings, symbols, and data from augmented reality tools (Hallahan et al., 2019). Language is the way communicator uses words to share information and get what they need. Speech is an ability to produce words and sentences, it has aspects of articulation, voice, and fluency, and the mastery or use of these aspects determines the speaker’s proficiency.
Speech and language disorders differ in their defining characteristics. Speech disorders are usually associated with problems of reception or expression. At the same time, speech disorders feature problems with articulation, voice, and fluency. For example, language disorders are speech perception disorders when the communicator cannot understand the whole message, for example, understand only part of the class instructions (“What is speech?” 2022). Expressive language impairment happens when the speaker cannot communicate the intended meaning through language.
Students with communication problems can and should be supported in the classroom. One important intervention is identifying communication in the earlier stages, as it can make a difference in learners’ further academic success. Elementary graders can go through checklists of developmental milestones, questionnaires, hearing assessments, standardized interview protocols, and formal observations in natural settings. Providing the help of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is another important intervention: SLPs can work at schools or visit students at home.
Reference
Hallahan, D., Kauffman, J., and Pullen, P. (2019). Exceptional learners: An introduction to special education. Pearson.
What is speech? What is language? (2022). Web.