Speech and Language

Welcome to Oak Grove School's Speech and Language Services! Children on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with identified speech or language needs are provided speech and/or language therapy by Jennifer Sawyer, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist. Below please find some guidelines regarding what constitutes speech and language, and how the two are related. Please feel free to contact Jennifer Sawyer with any questions regarding speech and language services at Oak Grove School (254-3740, ext. 128.)

The below information is taken from asha.org. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the governing body for all certified and licensed speech and language pathologists, as well as audiologists, in the United States.

What is speech? Speech is the verbal means of communicating. Speech consists of the following:

Articulation

How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").

Voice

Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).

Fluency

The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.

What is language? Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:

• What words mean (e.g., "star" can refer to a bright object in the night sky or a celebrity)
• How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)
• How to put words together (e.g., "Peg walked to the new store" rather than "Peg walk store new")
• What word combinations are best in what situations ("Would you mind moving your foot?" could quickly change to "Get off my foot, please!" if the first request did not produce results)

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.

How are speech and language related?  Speech and language disorders can exist together or by themselves. The problem can be mild or severe. In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the first step to improving language and speech problems.

(asha.org, 2010)

If you have concerns regarding your child's speech and/or language, please speak to his/her classroom teacher or contact Oak Grove School's speech-language pathologist, Jennifer Sawyer.