How often have you told your children..."Use your words!"
Commonly Used Terms and Definitions
What is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)?
An SLP is required to hold a Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology and works with a variety of areas. An SLP who works in the school setting works with children who present with articulation disorders, language disorders, fluency disorders (a.k.a. stuttering), voice disorders, swallowing/feeding disorders. We also work with students who have a difficult time understanding language and who may have a hard time answering questions, following directions in the classroom or understanding vocabulary. Here are some of the most common areas we work on with students:
Receptive Language: Understanding language. This includes: answering questions (understanding what is being asked), following directions, following along in a conversation, understanding figurative language.
Expressive Language: Using language. This includes: use of grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, sentence length, participating in conversations, answering questions (formulating appropriate responses), telling stories.
Mean Length of Utterance (MLU): The mean length of utterance is the average number of morphemes (words) that are produced in an utterance. MLU corresponds closely to chronological age and can help indicate a language delay or disorder. There is a predicted MLU for children in a variety of ages.
Fluency: Speaking in a fluent manner. Stuttering entails repeating whole words, syllables or sounds in words. True stuttering is often accompanied with visual signs of tension in the mouth, jaw, neck and/or body.
Articulation: Refers to how sounds are made using our lips, tongue, jaw, teeth (our articulators). Sounds in disorder can be a substitution or distortion.
Substitution: When one sound replaces another sound. Example: tup/cup (the "t" replaces the "k" sound)
Distortion: When a sound is produced without clarity (it may sound "slushy" or baby like).
Phonology: When referenced as a phonological disorder in regards to your child's intelligibility, it groups sounds into classes. The classes are grouped based upon where/how the sounds are produced in our mouth. For example "Velars" are the /k/, /g/ and "ng" sounds which are made when the tongue makes contact in the back of our mouth.
Intelligibility: How clearly speech sounds are produced. When an intelligibility percentage is given, this is in reference to how much of their speech was understood by the listener in general conversational speech.
Whole Word Accuracy (WWA): WWA is the percentage of words in conversation that are free of articulation errors. An analysis of conversational speech can give a good indication of a child's WWA. There is a mean WWA for children in age groups ranging from 3-7 years in age.
Pragmatics: Refers to socially appropriate behaviors and use of language. This includes: how to gain attention of others, how to use language to start, maintain and end a conversation, how to ask for help appropriately, how to interact with peers during play and so on.
An SLP is required to hold a Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology and works with a variety of areas. An SLP who works in the school setting works with children who present with articulation disorders, language disorders, fluency disorders (a.k.a. stuttering), voice disorders, swallowing/feeding disorders. We also work with students who have a difficult time understanding language and who may have a hard time answering questions, following directions in the classroom or understanding vocabulary. Here are some of the most common areas we work on with students:
Receptive Language: Understanding language. This includes: answering questions (understanding what is being asked), following directions, following along in a conversation, understanding figurative language.
Expressive Language: Using language. This includes: use of grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, sentence length, participating in conversations, answering questions (formulating appropriate responses), telling stories.
Mean Length of Utterance (MLU): The mean length of utterance is the average number of morphemes (words) that are produced in an utterance. MLU corresponds closely to chronological age and can help indicate a language delay or disorder. There is a predicted MLU for children in a variety of ages.
Fluency: Speaking in a fluent manner. Stuttering entails repeating whole words, syllables or sounds in words. True stuttering is often accompanied with visual signs of tension in the mouth, jaw, neck and/or body.
Articulation: Refers to how sounds are made using our lips, tongue, jaw, teeth (our articulators). Sounds in disorder can be a substitution or distortion.
Substitution: When one sound replaces another sound. Example: tup/cup (the "t" replaces the "k" sound)
Distortion: When a sound is produced without clarity (it may sound "slushy" or baby like).
Phonology: When referenced as a phonological disorder in regards to your child's intelligibility, it groups sounds into classes. The classes are grouped based upon where/how the sounds are produced in our mouth. For example "Velars" are the /k/, /g/ and "ng" sounds which are made when the tongue makes contact in the back of our mouth.
Intelligibility: How clearly speech sounds are produced. When an intelligibility percentage is given, this is in reference to how much of their speech was understood by the listener in general conversational speech.
Whole Word Accuracy (WWA): WWA is the percentage of words in conversation that are free of articulation errors. An analysis of conversational speech can give a good indication of a child's WWA. There is a mean WWA for children in age groups ranging from 3-7 years in age.
Pragmatics: Refers to socially appropriate behaviors and use of language. This includes: how to gain attention of others, how to use language to start, maintain and end a conversation, how to ask for help appropriately, how to interact with peers during play and so on.