SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS By Amanda

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS By: Amanda Christian

SOME STATS YOU SHOULD KNOW • 7. 5 million people in the US have trouble using their voices • 3 million people in the US stutter • 5% of children have noticeable speech disorders by 1 st grade • 6 to 8 million people in the US have some form of language impairment These cover areas relevant to Voice, Speech and Language all having a specific area of concern

VOICE, SPEECH, LANGUAGE • “The functions, skills and abilities of voice, speech and language are related. Some dictionaries and textbooks use the terms almost interchangeably. But for scientists and medical professionals, it is important to distinguish among them. ” - National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

VOICE DISORDERS • Vocal Fold Nodules and Polyps - Hoarseness, the most common RRP symptom, is caused when papillomas interfere with the normal vibrations of the vocal folds. Eventually, tumors may block the airway passage and cause difficulty breathing. • Vocal Fold Paralysis - changes in the voice, such as hoarseness or a breathy voice; difficulties with breathing, such as shortness of breath or noisy breathing; and swallowing problems, such as choking or coughing. Occurs when one or both of the vocal folds don't open or close properly. Single vocal fold paralysis is a common disorder.

VOICE DISORDERS CONT. • Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement - causes wheezing and breathing problems. Paradoxical vocal fold movement, or PVFM, happens when your vocal folds close when they should open. For example, when you take a breath, your vocal folds should open to let air through to your lungs. • Spasmodic Dysphonia - causes voice breaks and can give the voice a tight, strained quality. People with spasmodic dysphonia may have occasional breaks in their voice that occur once every few sentences.

SPEECH DISORDERS • Apraxia – Having difficulty imitating or saying sounds on their own. They may add new sounds, leave sounds out or say sounds the wrong way. • Dysarthria – Displays difficulty with speaking too slowly or too fast. Has slurred or mumbled speech that can be hard to understand. • Stuttering – Displays difficulty with speech called disfluencies in speech to include blocks (having a hard time getting a word out), prolongations (stretching a sound out), repetitions ( repeating part of a word).

SPEECH DISORDERS RELATED TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS • Dementia – This causes memory loss and other thinking problems. Difficulty telling people what they need or want, confused, distracted. • Laryngeal Cancer – This impacts the vocal folds within your voice box. The vocal folds vibrate to provide sound. It can cause hoarseness, voice changes, and shortness of breath. • Oral Cancer – This can impact lips, upper or lower jaw, tongue, gums, cheeks or throat. Can lead to difficulty in speech as talking out nose sounds and hoarseness. • Right Hemisphere Brain Injury – This can impact attention, memory, reasoning and problem solving, leading to trouble communicating with others. • Traumatic Brain Injury – This can impact speech in various ways, most display dysarthria and/or apraxia. (see previous slide)

5 CATEGORIES OF LANGUAGE DISORDERS • Morphological—difficulties in understanding structural changes in words, such as word tense, • Phonological—difficulties in organizing speech patterns and sound contrast, • Pragmatic—difficulties understanding the meaning of words and using proper language in social contexts, • Syntactic—difficulties in understanding and using correct grammar, • Semantic—difficulties understanding word meaning and vocabulary development.

LANGUAGE DISORDERS • Auditory Processing Disorder - APD is a disorder that prevents individuals from fully understanding sounds, such as spoken language. • Dyscalculia - Related to the more commonly known dyslexia, dyscalculia is a difficulty understanding, using, or processing math. Dyscalculia can affect a wide range of mathematical concepts, so individuals with dyscalculia have different strengths and weaknesses. • Dysgraphia - Dysgraphia is a language disability that means individuals may struggle to express themselves through writing. Dysgraphia can take many forms, including messy handwriting and difficulty putting ideas on paper. • Dyslexia - Dyslexia is a learning and language disability in which individuals may have difficulty deciphering the written word, potentially because they have trouble recognizing words or understanding their order.

LANGUAGE BASED LEARNING DISABILITY • Expressive Language - Expressive language refers to verbally conveying ideas, feelings, and emotions. Individuals may have expressive language disorder if they are unable to or have difficulty using expressive language. Expressive language disorder itself does not indicate intellectual capabilities. • Receptive Language - Receptive language refers to understanding verbal, spoken language. Individuals with receptive language disorder have difficulty absorbing or learning from verbally-expressed information. Receptive language disorder does not necessarily indicate an intellectual disability. • Specific Language Impairment - SLI, typically diagnosed in children, refers to difficulty gaining language skills despite having no auditory/visual disorder or other impairment. SLI is also known as language delay.

EFFECTS OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE ON LEARNING • Difficulty Taking Notes - Students whose language disorders prevent them from fully comprehending spoken word or from writing it down may not be able to take as helpful of notes as their peers. • Classroom Isolation - Students with speech disorders may feel uncomfortable or unable to speak up in class, meaning they could ask fewer questions and not receive the valuable answers. • Low Test Scores - Students who have difficulty comprehending written word may struggle to understand exams, which will negatively impact their grades. • Stress - Students who have speech or language disabilities may have to work harder in their classes than their peers and may also have to participate in ways they are not comfortable with (such as verbal presentations).

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPEECH RELATED ISSUES • Augmentative and alternative communication • laptop computer with LED display and printer, • laptop voice synthesized computer • Use of laptop in classroom for written responses in class • Modifications of assignments such as one to one presentation or use of a computer • Alternative assignments for oral class presentations/reports • Course substitutions • Preferential seating near instructor

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR LANGUAGE DISORDERS • Altered Tests or Assignments. - To assure that the student’s knowledge and abilities are being fully assessed, students may be given testing instructions or assignments different from their peers. • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Technology - AAC refers to tools which help individuals with communication disorders express themselves more fully. AAC can include low-tech options like a whiteboard, high -tech-to-speech predictive word processors, and more. • Speech-to-Text - Speech-to-text technology often uses dictation software and other similar tools to convert the spoken word into readable text. This technology is especially useful for individuals who express themselves better when speaking than when writing. • Text-to-Speech - TTS technology includes apps, devices, and software that can convert text to audio. TTS can be used to have written word read aloud or to even facilitate a conversation.

ACCOMMODATIONS CONT. • Extended Scheduling - Students may be given extra time for tests and assignments or be permitted breaks during exams. • Note Takers - Students can possibly receive copies of the notes classmates take in their courses. • Proofreaders - Students may be offered software or the services of a proofreader to help them express their written ideas more clearly. • Verbal Tests - Students may be given the opportunity to have tests or exams read aloud to them.

RESOURCES • Speech Room News • American Speech – Language – Hearing Association • Affordable Colleges Online – Speech and Language Disorders • National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders