Speech & Language Disorders in Children: A Teacher's Guide

Introduction: Speech and Language Impairments in the Classroom

One of the most pressing challenges facing educators and teachers in the classroom today is identifying and dealing with children who have a speech, language, or communication impairment that negatively impacts learning. Many children find it difficult to understand how conversation works, or do not make use of language at all. There are different terms used to describe specific speech and language difficulties, including "phonological difficulties, articulation difficulties, verbal dyspraxia, dysarthria, semantic pragmatic disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and selective mutism" (Speech Impairments).

These specific speech and language difficulties can impact severely on the development and natural psychological and social growth of the child. Furthermore, they can lead to further and more complicated problems. "Children with a variety of speech and language impediments are increasingly at risk as their language abilities fall behind those of their peers" (Children and Mental Health).

Emphasis must also be placed on recognizing the speech or learning disorder or impediment—and this is where the teacher plays a vital role. Some impediments may manifest as disruptive behavior or even aggression, and unless the teacher identifies the problem, the difficulties may result in further developmental and psychological damage. Throughout this discussion, the focus will also be on practical activities and tasks that the teacher can implement to help those with impediments. However, some impediments are more severe than others and necessitate specialized care and therapy. Even when the teacher cannot directly intervene with therapy, he or she can play a vital role in the identification of problems.

An estimated 10–15% of children in the United States have a speech disorder, "as well as six percent of children in grades one through twelve" (Fleming C. 1991). Research suggests that in many cases the cause of these difficulties is not due to any other disability or condition, but "that there may be a genetic cause for specific speech and language difficulties," while on the other hand it has been found that "other children find it hard to use language because of another disability like deafness or cerebral palsy" (Speech Impairments).

The danger of leaving these disorders untreated can be serious for the short- as well as long-term development of the child. As Fleming (1991) notes: "Left untreated, a speech disorder can become a big problem for a child. The taunts of classmates can leave lasting psychological scars. Children with speech problems often do poorly in school because they are afraid to speak up. The earlier a problem is detected, the better."

Classification and Prevalence of Speech Disorders

The United States Office of Education has variously estimated that 3% to 4%—or roughly 2,500,000—of school-age children in the United States have speech disorders. For the broader population, an extremely conservative figure is 3%, or close to 5,000,000 (Johnson, Wendell).

By definition, a speech or language impediment is a communications disorder associated with the impaired ability to produce sounds, normal voice, or fluent speech (Laberge, D.). As a communications problem, speech disorders are often linked to and associated with various learning disorders and language learning issues. Learning impediments may impact speech disorders and vice versa. There are many different speech disorders, generally characterized by "an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech such as stuttering, or by problems with the way sounds are formed, also called articulation or phonological disorders, or they may involve voice problems such as pitch, intensity, or quality. Often, there is a combination of several different problems" (ibid).

Speech disorders can also be associated with hearing loss and hearing deficiencies. Disorders of speech are commonly classified as follows: (1) disorders of voice; (2) disorders of articulation; (3) stuttering (stammering); (4) aphasia (dysphasia); (5) retarded development of speech or language; and (6) speech disorders associated with hearing loss or deafness, cleft lip and cleft palate, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular impairments, laryngectomy, facial or oral injury or deficiency, intellectual disability, and emotional illness (Johnson, Wendell).

It has also been found that young people with speech or language impairments struggle to understand abstract concepts like time, have problems learning to read, and find it difficult to switch conversation topics. They generally feel isolated and do not make friends easily.

Stuttering and Stammering

Stuttering is a common impediment that many teachers may encounter among their students. It is essentially a difficulty that a child has in uttering and "getting out" words. "These involuntary repetitions, prolongations, or blocks stop the normal flow of speech. Stammering usually starts when children are between 3 to 5 years old, although it can appear later" (Stammering).

Five percent of children stammer at some point, and it is more common in boys than girls. The cause of this impediment can be varied and may reside in emotional and psychosocial issues, or may even be genetically inherited. Many people who stutter have difficulty coordinating the muscles used in speech. One of the most important consequences is social embarrassment, especially in the classroom situation. "It's embarrassing and frustrating not being able to get the words out, and this can make people feel worried and tense about speaking. In turn, this can lead to a lack of self-confidence and shyness" (ibid).

The teacher can be important in identifying those who stutter, as they are not always obvious—there may be "covert" stutterers who learn to hide their difficulty. As Wester (1996) observes: "For some, stuttering means an intense and visible struggle to force individual syllables through their lips, a phenomenon that is physically exhausting for the speaker and mentally awkward for the listener. Others stutter mildly, occasionally getting stuck or tripping on sounds. Some manage to avoid outward symptoms by substituting words and feigning ignorance."

There are a number of classic signs of this impediment. These include: "prolongation, where someone sits on the same sound, in any part of a word; repetition, where someone repeats part of a word; block, which is a total cessation of speech, where the face seems to go into a spasm and the person has an evident struggle to get the word out; and circumlocution, which is a phobic response to a word, where the stutterer avoids a particular word because it must be avoided" (Jacobs, Leonard. 2002).

One exercise the teacher can use in the classroom is to make others aware of the problem of stuttering and thereby reduce the stigma that may be attached to it. The following exercise was used to good effect in this regard: each student put a marshmallow on his or her tongue and tried to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. "I couldn't talk real good," admitted one student. After students realized they could not speak or understand each other, the teacher suggested what to do in future when encountering others with speech difficulties: "You can ask them to repeat what they said. The key is to be understanding" (Wester, Holly, 1996).

Training and helping a stutterer to overcome his or her impediment is a complex process that usually involves the input of a professional speech therapist. However, a class teacher can also help by providing articulation therapy—the practice of repeating specific sounds, words, phrases, and sentences. There is also fluency training, which includes developing the coordination between speech and breathing and attempts to slow the rate of speech, thereby helping the articulation process (Speech-Language Pathology).

The teacher may help the child practice repeating a single word and then add more words gradually, allowing the student to develop confidence as words and sentences become more complex (ibid). Other techniques include "the motor-kinesthetic approach and biofeedback, which helps the child to know whether the sounds he or she is producing are faulty or correct. For children with severe communication disorders, speech pathologists can assist with alternate means of communication, such as manual signing and computer-synthesized speech" (ibid).

Conclusion

Identifying and addressing speech and language impairments early is one of the most important responsibilities a classroom teacher can fulfill. Left untreated, these disorders can leave lasting psychological and developmental scars that affect a child's academic performance and social well-being well into adulthood. Whether the impediment is stuttering, dyslexia, dysarthria, apraxia, or ADHD, the teacher plays a pivotal role—both in early identification and in creating a classroom environment that is supportive, structured, and responsive to individual needs. While severe cases require the expertise of professional speech therapists and specialists, practical classroom strategies can make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of affected children. A teacher who is informed, observant, and compassionate is often the first and most important line of support for children with speech and language impairments.