1. Chapter 11
Communication
Disorders
Based on: Special Education for Today’s Teachers: An Introduction,
by Rosenberg, Westling, and McLeskey (second edition)

2. Chapter 10 Questions
 What are language and speech disorders?
 What are the main types of language and speech
disorders?
 How are communication disorders identified?
 What kinds of service delivery options are used?
 What are some ways that teachers can
collaborate with speech therapists?

3. Communication Disorders
 IDEA definition: a communication disorder such
as stuttering, impaired articulation, language
impairment, or voice impairment that adversely
affect a child’s educational performance.
 Language disorders – problems receiving,
understanding, and formulating messages.
 Speech disorders – problems related to the
verbal transmission of messages.

4. Language Disorders
 Form Disorders
• Phonology - sounds used to make word parts (e.g., 40
phonemes in English language)
• Morphology - rules for constructing words (e.g., plurals,
suffixes)
• Syntax - rules for connecting words together (e.g., word
order, organization)
 Content Disorders
• Semantics - rules that dictate meaning (e.g., vocabulary)
 Use Disorders
• Pragmatics – application of language in social contexts
(e.g., conversation)

5. Speech Disorders
 Articulation Disorders (common)
• Phonological – mental representation problem (can
make sound, but doesn’t)
• Articulation – structural problem (can’t make sound)
• Substitutions, omissions, additions, distortions
 Fluency Disorders – interruptions in the flow of speaking
(e.g., stuttering)
 Voice Disorders - pitch, duration, intensity, resonance,
vocal quality
 Motor Speech Disorders
• Apraxia - lack of coordinated muscle movement
• Disarthria – weak, slow, or paralyzed muscles

6. Should I Talk to the SLP?
 How is the student’s intelligibility? (By age 4,
should be 100%.)
 How easy is it to communicate with the student?
(Can you have a normal conversation?)
 How does the student interact with others?
(Does s/he avoid talking?)
 Does the student have unusual speech
characteristics (e.g., substitution, omission,
stuttering, hoarseness, etc.)?

7. Identification
 Review developmental, educational and medical
history
 Interview parents, teachers, etc.
 Questionnaires
 Systematic observation
 Language sampling
 Formal tests

8. Service Delivery
 Service Delivery Models
• Monitoring
• Collaborative consultation
• Classroom-Based
• Pullout
 Issues
• Shortage of SLPs
• Heavy caseloads

9. Collaboration
 Discuss concerns about students
 Know what student is working on
 Ask how you can help students
achieve and generalize skills
 Communicate progress
 Discuss behavioral challenges
 Ask how to improve the
communication skills of the whole class.