What is a communication disorder?
A difficulty
beyond normal variances in communicating; an interruption, deviance, weakness,
or atypical skill in any one or combination of communication areas, which
subsequently interferes with the process of interacting with another person,
or with the use of a communicative modality (i.e., reading, writing).
Some definitions of terms...
- Language: A skill basic to all aspects of living and learning, and
includes understanding and using language verbally, gesturally, and
in writing. It includes aspects of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, reasoning,
problem-solving, pragmatics, social skills, and organization.
- Receptive: Understanding of language.
- Expressive: Use of language.
- Speech: Verbal and/or vocal production of language, includes how sounds
are said/made - articulation.
- Voice: The loudness, quality, inflection,
and pitch of vocalization.
- Fluency: The rhythm of speech; often referred to as stuttering when
there is unnatural fluency, such as sound or word repetitions, sound
prolongations, silent blocks, or unusual physical accompaniments to
speech production.
- Auditory Processing: Skills in utilizing auditory information,
including sound discrimination, sound sequencing, sound-blending,
direction-following. This processing occurs beyond the level of hearing
acuity, and inter-relates with language skills.
- Oral Motor: Refers to the oral mechanism, including tongue, lips,
teeth, jaw, their coordinated movements, chewing/swallowing; may affect
speech production, feeding, dentition (i.e., tongue thrust).
- Language-Learning: Refers to effects of language on learning, for
children, often in the academic areas, including reading, writing,
organization, routines, and vocabulary.
- Developmental Delay: Slowed rate of development,
but follows typical sequence and pattern of growth, often in all areas
of development (cognitive language, motor, etc.) but may be area specific,
such as speech-language (and within subareas again, such as speech)
or gross motor.
- Disorder: Refers to an abnormal or atypical pattern of skill development,
and is often accompanied by normal development in other areas.