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Speech/language impairment - Coggle Diagram
Speech/language impairment
Criteria
Voice
The child’s voice is abnormal in vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance and/or duration and is inappropriate for the child's age and gender. Deviance is noticeable and distracting to any listener. The disorder adversely affects communication.
The voice disorder is not the result of a temporary problem such as normal voice change, allergies, asthma, tonsils and/or adenoid removal or other such conditions.
Evidence that vision/hearing screening results are satisfactory prior to proceeding with evaluations.
Fluency
Abnormally dysfluent speech is observed during conversation and/or structured speaking tasks. Listeners are distracted by the child’s dysfluent speech and distracting concomitant behaviors may be observed. The child may exhibit fear or avoidance of speaking.
The child’s ability to communicate is adversely affected by the disorder. Developmental dysfluencies attributable to normal maturation patterns are not considered as a disability
Evidence that vision/hearing screening results are satisfactory prior to proceeding with evaluations.
Articulation
Errors are primarily characterized by substitutions, distortions, additions, and omissions. Phonological errors are in excess of developmental expectations and nondevelopmental processes may be noted. Errors are not stimulable. Connected speech may be unintelligible or may be intelligible only to familiar listeners or within known contexts.
Children who exhibit a tongue thrust are not eligible for speech/language services unless they also exhibit an associated articulation disorder. Speech/language services are not a required service for children who exhibit tongue thrust only.
Evidence that vision/hearing screening results are satisfactory prior to proceeding with evaluations.
Language
Syntactic, morphologic, semantic, and/or pragmatic errors are observed. The child’s ability to comprehend or use spoken language is adversely affected.
A total language standard score or quotient of at least two standard deviations below the mean (70 or below) on a standardized comprehensive language test containing both receptive and expressive components must be obtained.
Evidence that vision/hearing screening results are satisfactory prior to proceeding with evaluations.
Definition
Speech or Language Impairment means a communication disorder in the area of articulation, voice, fluency, or language that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
What we would see in the classroom
Difficulty understanding them when they ask a question
Child is quieter than usual
Shyness when called to answer a question or read
Minimum evaluations
Voice
A minimum of one formal measure that assesses the child’s pitch, loudness, quality, inflection and resonance.
A written description of the child’s voice patterns in a variety of tasks, in a minimum of two separate settings; one in the classroom and one in a non-structured environment that includes social/ peer interaction. Diagnostic observations should occur over a period of six weeks or less, if appropriate.
Medical evaluation by a physician, preferably a ENT. Written documentation from the physician stating that the child is medically cleared to participate in voice therapy is required prior to the eligibility meeting. The public agency is responsible for the cost of the evaluation if no other means of payment is available.
The eligibility team must obtain written documentation from the child’s teacher and/or caregiver that the voice disorder adversely affects his or her involvement and/or progress in the general education curriculum and/or environment.
A summary of all required evaluations
Language
written documentation from the child’s teacher and/or caregiver that the child’s language impairment adversely affects his or her involvement and/or progress in the general education curriculum and/or environment.
The assessment of a specific language component must be in the same area as the deficit score on the comprehensive language test
A minimum of one standardized or formal comprehensive measure that assesses both receptive and expressive language skills must be administered.
A summary of all required evaluations in each specific area.
Articulations
A minimum of one standardized or formal measure that assesses the child's articulation/phonological skills.
Written documentation of a stimulability assessment as part of the standardized or formal measure or as a separate assessment.
Written documentation of the impact of intelligibility on connected speech.
Written documentation of an examination of oral structures and functioning.
The eligibility team must obtain written documentation from the child’s teacher and/or caregiver that the child’s articulation skills adversely affect his or her involvement and/or progress in the general education curriculum and/or environment.
A summary of all required evaluations
Fluency
Interviews with the child, teachers, and/or parent, documenting strengths and concerns regarding the fluency disorder.
The eligibility team must obtain written documentation from the child’s teacher and/or caregiver that the fluency disorder adversely affects his or her involvement and/or progress in the general education curriculum and/or environment.
A written description of the child's speaking patterns in more than one speaking task and in more than one setting.
A summary of all required evaluations
A minimum of one formal measure that assesses the child’s dysfluency patterns.