SPEECH AND LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
SPEECH SOUND DIFFICULTIES
A child with speech sound difficulties may:
mix up the sounds in words, e.g. key → tea
use incorrect sounds, e.g. see → thee (lisp)
be unable to imitate particular sounds, or groups of sounds, e.g. snake → nake
leave sounds out of words, e.g. bus → bu
DELAYED LANGUAGE SKILLS
A child’s language skills may be developing normally in sequence and pattern, but the stages are showing a developmental delay.
Receptive Language Difficulties – difficulties understanding meaning at a word and sentence level.
Expressive Language Difficulties – difficulties formulating ideas into words and sentences due to difficulty with, for example, grammar, vocabulary and meaning, or word-
LANGUAGE DISORDER
A child’s language skills may be disordered or uneven in development. A disorder may involve one or all areas of language development.
SOCIAL INTERACTION
DIFFICULTIES
A child may, for example, have difficulty using appropriate eye-contact, listening to others and taking turns in conversation.
STAMMER/STUTTER
A stammer (or stuttering) may affect speech in the following ways:
repetition of syllables, sounds, words or phrases
silent pauses, called ‘blocks’
physical struggles to speak
unusual breathing sounds
lengthening speech sounds
avoidance of some words and situations
DYSPRAXIA
This is an impairment/immaturity in the organising or planning of movement. A child with articulatory dyspraxia may have problems producing individual speech sounds and sequences of sounds at will.
DYSARTHRIA
This is a neuro-muscular impairment (weakness) of speech articulation which prevents the person making the appropriate movements for speech with the appropriate force.
VOICE PROBLEMS
Voice problems in children may include:
a husky voice
hoarseness
sore or dry throat
sudden pitch changes
discomfort when speaking.