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.