Welcome Back to School!

Students headed back to school yesterday to almost all of the Wisconsin Public Schools!  We are lucky to head back after Labor Day when the temperature is typically a bit cooler than other states first weeks.  This week has so far been no exception!  It makes the return to routine much more comfortable for all :).

My speech groups started up at our school Walker Elementary today.  So nice to reconnect with students and to make plans for what we want to accomplish by the end of the year.

It is typically the beginning of the year when parents and teachers alike have questions and voice concerns over students' speech or language skills.  The following "Frequently Asked Questions" should be a helpful resource for many.  It is an excerpt from the guidelines shared by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs that my child may have a communication problem?

He/she began talking later than expected
Cannot seem to express his/her thoughts and ideas
Has difficulties understanding others and following directions
Doesn’t pick up on social cues
Is performing below expectations in the classroom
Is having difficulty learning to read
What types of speech and language disorders affect school-age children?

Speech sound disorders – difficulty pronouncing sounds
Language disorders – difficulty understanding what is heard as well as expressing themselves with words
Cognitive-communication disorders – difficulty with thinking skills including perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, and judgment
Stuttering (fluency) disorders – interruption of the flow of speech including hesitations, repetitions, and/or prolongations of sounds or words
Voice disorders – differences in the quality of voice that may include hoarseness, nasality, or volume

Do speech-language disorders affect learning?

Speech and language skills are crucial for academic success and learning.  Language is the basis of communication.  Reading, writing, gesturing, listening, and speaking are all forms of language.  A student must be able to communicate with peers and adults in the educational setting in order to succeed in school.

How may a speech-language disorder affect school performance?

Children with communication disorders often do not perform at grade level.  They may struggle with reading, have difficulty understanding and expressing language, misunderstand social cues, and have difficulty with tests.

American Speech-Language Hearing Association