HAYMARKET SPEECH THERAPY
Identifying Speech and Language
Disorders in Pre-School Children
Haymarket Speech
Agenda
• Defining Language Disorders
• Defining Speech Disorders
• Identifying speech and language
disorders in the preschool population
• When to refer to a Speech Language
Pathologist
Haymarket Speech
Haymarket Speech Therapy
• Who Am I?
• Amy Wade, M.Ed. CCC-SLP
• Masters degree of Education in
Communication Sciences and Disorders
• ASHA certified and licensed in VA. Since
2000
• Experience- Schools and Private Practice
Haymarket Speech
Services
• Individual speech language therapy
• Setting- Daycares, Preschools, Home
setting
• Parent Education
• Free Individual Screenings
• Consulting with client’s teacher or other
professionals
Haymarket Speech
Defining Language Disorders
• Receptive Language Disorders Difficulty understanding spoken,
written, or non-verbal language
• Difficulties understanding:
• Gestures
• Facial affect
Haymarket Speech
Defining Language Disorders
• Receptive Language
• Difficulty understanding:
• Questions
• Asking questions
• Identifying objects and pictures
• Following simple directions
Haymarket Speech
Defining Language Disorders
• Receptive Language
• Difficulty understanding:
• Appearing to not hear when spoken to
• Poor memory for vocabulary
• Difficulty attaching labels or words
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
• Expressive Language Disorders-Difficulty
expressing one’s wants, needs, thoughts
• Difficulty:
• Labeling Items
• Asking questions
• Communicating below age expectations
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
• Putting words together in sentences
• Using pronouns correctly
• Having age appropriate conversations
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
• Speech Disorders
• Articulation
• Phonological
• Apraxia of Speech
• Dysarthria
• Fluency
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
Articulation Disorders: Substituting
one sound for another, e.g. wabbit/
rabbit
• Refer to age appropriate norms
• How many different articulation errors?
• How prevalent are the errors in speech?
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
Phonological Disorders: Substituting
whole groups of sounds for another
• Considered a language based speech
disorder
• Associated with later reading problems
• Speech can be very unintelligible
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
Dysarthria: Speech errors due to
muscle weakness/ low tone, or
paralysis
• Therapy focuses on increasing muscle
tone and endurance
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
Apraxia of Speech: Speech errors are due
to a breakdown from the message in the
brain to the coordination of speech
movements, not due to muscle weakness
• Often a lack of babbling as a baby
• Limited consonants, vowel distortions
• Speech deteriorates with length and
complexity
Haymarket Speech
Defining Speech Disorders
Fluency Disorders: Stuttering; the flow
of speech is interrupted
• Initial syllable and initial word repetitions
• Prolongations
• Blocks
• Developmental vs. Long term stuttering
Haymarket Speech
Is It a Delay or a Disorder?
• Speech or Language Delay: Child
learns at a normal, but slower pace.
Haymarket Speech
Is It a Delay or a Disorder?
• Speech or Language Disorder: Child’s
skills are not age appropriate and they are
significantly affected either socially,
emotionally, or educationally.
• Can family and teachers understand the child?
• Is the child frustrated and shutting down?
Haymarket Speech
References
• www.apraxia-kids.org
• www.stutteringhelp.org
• www.asha.org
Haymarket Speech
Questions?
haymarketspeech@gmail.com
www.haymarketspeech.com
Haymarket Speech