1.

0 ABSTRACT

Speech, language and communication development are at the heart of all children‟s learning and
link to other areas of a child‟s development without speech, language and communication skills,
a child will not be able to reach their full potential with such a high number of children with
communication difficulties. It is important to have knowledgeable practitioners to effectively
support children‟s speech, language and communication skills.

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2.0 INTRODUCTION

There are increasing numbers of children entering an educational environmental with speech
and language difficulties. This unit will enable you to understand some of the main causes of
speech and language difficulties and the effects it can have on other areas of children‟s
development .This unit will help you to understand how to effectively support children‟s
speech, language and communication skills and adopt your communication accordingly.

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3.0 EFFECTS OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES

Speech and language difficulties in children can be caused by many different factors

3.1CHILDHOOD ILLNESS

Chronic ear infections can have an effect on a child speech and language development .If ear
infections are persistent, fluid will be present in the ear for long period of time. This can result in
hearing difficulties, which can affect how child processes language which can in turn result in
delayed speech and language.

3.2 USE OF DUMMIES & BOTTLES

Prolonged use of dummies and bottles in babies and young children can have effects on a child‟s
speech, language and communication. Before babies learn to say words and sentences, they
explore their voices by producing noises and different sounds .Prolonged use of dummies and
bottles can result in a child using their voice less often to make noises and sounds. The teat
from the body or dummy can also prevent normal movement of the tongue and tips at the front
of mouth leading to distorted speech.

3.3 DIFFICULTY IN USING ORAL MUSCLES

Oral motor disorder can affect children .A child that has an oral motor disorder will find it
difficult to use the muscles in their lips, jaw and tongue. Difficulty in using these muscles will
affect how a child can use their mouth and create difficulties with speaking, eating and drinking.

3.4 PREGNANCY OR BIRTH DIFFICULTIES

Dysaithia is a condition affecting the muscles use of speech and language difficulties. It is often
caused by changes to the brain during pregnancy and at birth.

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3.5 LACK OF STIMULATION

Children learn by watching others. They observe and copy language behavior and actions of
others around them .If a child does not receive language stimulation in their early years they
would not acquire effective language and communication skills. The literacy trust runs an
initiative titled „, talk to your baby‟ to support early language stimulation. The explain that “lack
of early language stimulation can lead to language delay and sometimes literacy and learning
difficulties that then extend well beyond early literacy development and can be extremely
costly or difficult to remedy.”

(http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talk-to-your-baby/about).

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4.0 THE IMPACT OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION
DIFFICULTIES

Speech, language and communication skills are fundamental to promoting other areas of
learning.During a recent review of the Early years Foundation Stage Curriclum by Dame Clare
Tickell (The Tickell Review), it became apparent that communication and language skills
provide a strong foundation for further learning to take place.As a result of this review ,
communication and language development has now become a prime areas of learning for
children within the Early years Foundation. If a child is having difficulties with
communication and language, their overall development may be affected. The impact of a child‟s
communication and language difficulties will vary depending on the child‟s individual needs and
severity of their difficulties .The following areas could be affected:

 Personal, social and economic Development

 Friendships
 Behavior
 Play
 Literacy
 Mathematics

4.1 PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Personal, Social and Economic Development looks at how children develop self- confidence and
self-esteem and also at how children make choices and decisions.A child with a communication
and language difficulty may find it difficult to express their need and preferences, meaning that
they may refrain from making their own choices and decisions .The development of acceptable
social skills is reliant upon play and interaction with others. Children may not feel confident
in entering social institutions where they find it difficult to interact or participate to a full extent.
This can negatively affect their social and emotional difficulties.

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4.2 FRIENDSHIPS

The development of friendships relies on positive interaction between two people. Children build
friendships by communicating and interacting with another. Positive communication relies on
eye contact, body language and gestures to be used alongside language in order to understand
what another person is saying. As children become older, language is essential for establishing
and maintaining relationships.

A child with difficulties in communication may be left out of friendships.

4.3 BEHAVIOUR

Communication and language difficulties and behavior are closely linked. Children who have
difficulty listening or processing language therefore may not understand the rules and
boundaries of classroom or setting. This may result in tantrums or frustrations demonstrated by
the child, as they are unable to understand why they are not allowed to do something
.Communication difficulties can result in a child having fewer opportunities for social interaction
with other children and less experience in co-operation and sharing with others .In this instance
children may not understand the social expectations of play, which can result in the child
snatching toys, rather than learning to share .If a child has difficulty in verbally communicating ,
they may become frustrated as they are unable to explain their interest and needs.

4.4 PLAY

Play is valuable for young children. The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum values play
as an effective method of learning for children, “play is essential for children‟s development,
building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems and relate to others.
Children who have difficulty with communication may find it difficult to engage with and relate
to other children during play.

As children become older, they enjoy using language to communicate with each other and to
play team games with rules .Difficulty engaging with others or understanding the rules of
games can leave a child isolated and left out of activities with other children. This will also affect
a child‟s confidence and self-esteem.
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4.5 LITERACY

Speech and language skills are important for children‟s literacy development. Difficulty in
understanding and processing language can lead to delays in the development of phonic skills
and reading.

The ability to understand written communication is an essential tool for learning as it supports
learning across other areas of the curriculum.

4.6 MATHEMATICS

Mathematical development includes aspects such as problem solving and reasoning, which often
require understanding of languages and instructions. Many other areas of mathematics also rely
upon the use of mathematics language such as using number and shape names and numerical
language. This close link between literacy and mathematics can also cause mathematical delays
for children with communication difficulties.

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5.0 ADAPTING COMMUNICATION METHODS

Children with speech, language and communication difficulties will all have varying degrees of
severity and will therefore need different levels of support. There are many different strategies
that can be adopted in order to support individual children.

5.1 SLOW DOWN YOUR COMMUNICATION

In order to process language, children require time to listen, think about and work out what has
been said to them. Slowing down the speed in which you communicate with children will give
them time to listen to and process the language. By pausing after questions, children would get a
chance to think about and answer to the question .Do not rush children. This may result in the
child feeling like they have failed and will lower their self- esteem and confidence. Children will
be more likely to attempt to communicate and answer questions if they feel comfortable and get
the opportunity to participate.

5.2 USE VISUAL AIDS

Using visual aids can support children in understanding communication .Within everyday
communication gestures and hands action can support a conversation and can engage a child.
Within a setting visual aids can be used to help the child to understand the daily routine and to
make choices and decisions.A visual timetable is a popular strategy used to give children
structure for the day and due to anxiety. A visual timetable is a sequence of symbols or pictures
that is displayed in order to demonstrate the activities planned for the session. Children can
become involved in the visual time table by removing the symbols when the activity is complete.
Symbols or pictures can also be used to support children in decision making for example, a
practitioner could have symbols for different types of fruit and encourage a child to choose a
picture to represent what they would like for their snack. This strategy can be applied to other
areas of child‟s day such as choosing activities.

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5.3 CHECK CHILDREN’S KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

When given children instructions or explaining an activity, it is important to clarify their

knowledge and understanding of their task. By encouraging children to repeat the instructions or
by asking them to explaining what they have understood what you have asked them to do.

5.4 SIMPLIFY YOUR LANGUAGE

Shortening your sentences and simplifying your language can help children to process language
and understand what has been said to them. Think about the words you use with children and
ensure that they are not too complex for their age and stage of development. For example, you
could replace the word „construct‟ with the word „build‟.

5.5 GUIDED ACTIVITY

Think about some of the vocabulary you use with children. For each word or phrase, identify a
simplified version you could use with children with communication difficulties.

5.6 PRAISE CHILDREN’S EFFORTS

Giving children praise is an important method to promote the use of communication. Praising a
child for participating in an activity or for what they have done well will help to build a child‟s
self-esteem and confidence and further encourage their participation.

5.7 SHARE THE CONVERSATION MODEL AND CORRECT LANGUAGE AND

COMMUNICATION

Being a good role model is important for all children‟s acquisition of language and
communication; however it is especially important for children with communication difficulties.

If a child is saying a word or sentence wrong, do not place emphasis on the error, but repeat the
word or sentence back to them in its correct form. For example, if a child says, “me do paint”,
you could join with the child and say, “I‟m doing some painting too.”

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5.8 USE ALTERNATIVE AND AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION METHODS.

For some children that have little or no verbal communication skills, using an alternative or
augmentative communication method is essential to enable them to communicate their needs and
preference. Children with Autistic Spectrum Difficulties will often have little or no speech. They
will usually be able to understand communication, but will need alternative communication
methods to enable them to communicate their wishes.

5.9 SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL

LANGUAGE

There are more and more children entering children setting who speak English as an additional
language. Most of these children will have developed speech language and communication skills
in their home language and will need support from practitioners to develop their skills in English.

The home language is important for family relationships and connections. Some members of
child‟s family, may not speak any English, therefore a child will need to speak their home
language for vital communications in the home.

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6.0 CONCLUSION

As noted in each of the preceding chapters, the committee drew upon the existing literature and
other relevant sources of information to formulate its findings and conclusions. The committee
was not tasked with providing recommendations to the Social Security Administration (S.S.A).
At the same time, the committee‟s finding and conclusions underscore potential directions and
opportunities for policy makers and professionals in relevant field of research and practice-
related to the identification and treatment of speech and language disorders in children. In
addition, the committee‟s finding and conclusions could be used to inform eligibility criteria and
ongoing monitoring of children with speech and language disorders within the supplemental
security income program.

Finally, the committee‟s review of the literature and multiple sources of data provide insight into
current data collection efforts related to children with speech and language disorders. The
committee‟s findings and conclusions in this area, in particular, offer significant opportunities for
the social security administration, for researchers and for individuals who provide care for
children with these disorders.

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7.0 REFERENCES

1. National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Speech and Language
Impairment. (Accessed May 13,2013)
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/speechlanguage/

2. Rice ML, Taylor CL, Zubrick SR. Language outcomes of 7 year old children with or without
a history of late language emergence at 24 months.

J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2008;51:394-407.

3. Ellis EM, Thal DJ. Early language delay and risk for language impairment. Perspectives
Lang Learn Educat.2008;15(3): 93-100

4. American Speech- Language-Hearing Association. The Speech Language Pathology Medical

Review Guidelines. 2011. (Accessed 12, October 2014). www.asha.org/uploadfile/SLP-
Medical-Review-Guidelines.

5. Dethrone LS, Hart SA, Petrill SA, et al. Children‟s history of speech-language difficulties:
genetic influences and associations with reading-related measures. J Speech Lang Hear Res.
2006:49(6):1280-93.

6. Laing EJ, Law J, Levin. A, et al. Evaluation of a structure test and a parent led method for
screening for speech and language problems: Prospective population based study. BMJ.
2002; 325(1373):1152.

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