National Center for Learning Disabilities, Research Paper Example

Seeing as how there are a variety of American children who have learning disabilities nowadays, it is vital to comprehend exactly what kinds of factors lead individuals to consider these children disabled. In order to effectively do this, both language disorders and speech disorder must first be understood. (1)

To start off, speech disorders have to do with the problems and/or conflicts with producing certain speech sounds that arise from an individual (in this case, a child). They are more than often characterized by simple factors such as an individual who might not be able to speak fluently due to “interruptions”, otherwise identified as stuttering. These certain speech disorders may often interfere with the manner in which a child ineffectively gets his or her point across. As a result, this causes a huge learning disability, causing a delay for the child both inside and outside of the classroom. Aside from there being stuttering problems, a child may also have problems with articulating certain sounds due to various problems with his or her voice, ranging from pitch of the voice to quality of the voice. This may create an uncomfortable situation for the speaker as well as those around the speaker who cannot seem to understand what is being said despite their efforts. (2)

Unlike having a speech disorder, a language disorder deals with the way through which an individual is able to get his or her point across. Simply put, a speech disorder can deal with a number of factors, but often deals with the fact that a child might not be able to put structured complete sentences together or come to understand certain concepts that are explained to him or her. In addition, a child who has a language disorder might not be able to put ideas together by himself or herself, creating a delay in his or her respective classroom. In regards to language development, a child is not able to acquire a vast vocabulary throughout his or her life unless the disorder’s effects are able to be reversed. On the other hand, what this means for a children’s education is that he or she might have to be placed in special classes (on top of his or her current classes) so that the child is able to catch on to his or her peers and stay at the top of the game throughout his or her life. For example, with a language disorder, a child would be able to see a word and name it, but not be able to recognized its meaning. (2)

A child’s communication is most often considered delayed once he or she has fallen behind in his or her classes when being compared to his or her peers. Of course, there is nothing wrong with not being at the top of his or her respective classroom, but when the child shows significant and constant failure in many of his or her classes, a sense of worry should be raised. Simply put, a child’s communication would be considered delayed if he or she would not be showing any progress in the areas of language or speech. On that note, it must be kept in mind that there have been many instances where a child’s language skills might improve over time when compared to his or her comprehensive skills and vice versa. (2)

Regardless of how complex a child’s situation may be, whether it range from mild articulation delays to autism or Down syndrome, making use of a speech language pathologist is always a great option to opt for. In regards to communication disorders, speech language pathologists are able to help children with their expressive language skills, listening skills, articulation skills, and even stuttering. In some cases, speech language pathologists are able to find ways to help a child reverse his or her disorder in order to live a better lifestyle. Due to the fact that these therapists help children with their augmentative and alternative communication skills, it is without a doubt that children are able to develop better speech skills day by day, eventually becoming completely proficient in communication. (3)

Resources

NCLD – National Center for Learning Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncld.org/

Speech and Language Impairments. (n.d.). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/Disabilities/                 Services%20to%20Children%20with%20Disabilities/Disabilities/disabl_fts_00017_061105.html

Yeh, K. (2013, May 28). Attention Required! | CloudFlare. Retrieved from http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2013/05/28/10-ways-a-speech-language-pathologist-can-help-your-child/