What is Communication Disability?
A communication disorder is an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. A communication disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language, and/or speech. A communication disorder may range in severity from mild to profound. It may be developmental or acquired. Individuals may demonstrate one or any combination of communication disorders. A communication disorder may result in a primary disability or it may be secondary to other disabilities.
What are the causes of Communication Disorder?
Communication Disability could be due to several reasons which include: as an effect of other disability or impairment, physical factors, genetical or developmental factors and due to unhealthy lifestyle and its complications.
As an effect of present disability or impairment
Hearing impairment
– one cannot communicate well if he cannot perceive any sound
Pervasive Development Disorders (P.D.D.), or Autism spectrum disorders
- Many children with PDD or Autism have difficulty with social skills and their behaviour and conversation skills may be limited or inappropriate.
Mental retardation
- people with this disorder are commonly challenged in expressing themselves because of their incapability of thinking well.
Genetical or Developmental Factors
Developmental disability
- some children (not all) with a developmental disability or genetic disorder (e.g. Down's Syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome) may be slower to learn to talk and may need extra assistance. People with schizophrenia and cerebral palsy often have difficulty in communicating
Learning Disability
- Many learning disabled children have difficulty with receptive or expressive language.
Significant behaviour or emotional problems- In some cases the behaviour problems are extreme and the focus on the safety and security of the child is the priority
Neurological disorders
- signals cannot be transmitted well in the neuron which makes it difficult for the person to produce response
Physical factors
As an effect of present disability or impairment
Hearing impairment
– one cannot communicate well if he cannot perceive any sound
Pervasive Development Disorders (P.D.D.), or Autism spectrum disorders
- Many children with PDD or Autism have difficulty with social skills and their behaviour and conversation skills may be limited or inappropriate.
Mental retardation
- people with this disorder are commonly challenged in expressing themselves because of their incapability of thinking well.
Genetical or Developmental Factors
Developmental disability
- some children (not all) with a developmental disability or genetic disorder (e.g. Down's Syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome) may be slower to learn to talk and may need extra assistance. People with schizophrenia and cerebral palsy often have difficulty in communicating
Learning Disability
- Many learning disabled children have difficulty with receptive or expressive language.
Significant behaviour or emotional problems- In some cases the behaviour problems are extreme and the focus on the safety and security of the child is the priority
Neurological disorders
- signals cannot be transmitted well in the neuron which makes it difficult for the person to produce response
Physical factors
- Children with low muscle tone (hypotonia) have trouble coordinating (moving) the muscles of the mouth and tongue to produce clear sounds.
- Structural problems in the mouth, throat and nose, such as cleft palate prevent clear speech sounds.
- Conditions that affect nerve and muscle control, such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, may make speech difficult or impossible.
- Repeated ear infections, affecting hearing.
- Acquired brain injury may damage parts of the brain that deal with communication
- Unhealthy Lifestyle, Accidents and its complications
- Vocal cord injury
- Ill-fitting dentures
- Alcohol intoxication
- Drug Abuse
- Head trauma
- Stroke
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
What are the Symptoms of Communication Disorder?
Generally, the following are the most common symptoms of communication disorders. However, each child may experience symptoms differently.
- May not speak at all, or may have a limited vocabulary for their age.
- Difficulty in understanding simple directions or are unable to name objects.
- Most children with communication disorders are able to speak by the time they enter school. But they continue to have problems with communication.
- School-aged children often have problems understanding and formulating words.
- Teens may have more difficulty with understanding or expressing abstract ideas.
- Frustration while trying to communicate
- Repetition of words, sounds, and phrases
- Head jerking while talking
- Blinking eyes while talking
- Distortion of Sound
- Inability to express ideas
- Reduced vocabulary
- Improper use of words
- Leaving out consonants at the beginning or end of words.
- Quality deviation
- Pitch deviation
- Variation in the loudness of the voice
How can we treat and prevent Communication Disorder?
Treatment and Prevention
1. Speech Therapy:
Speech therapy will help your child learn new words, organize their beliefs and thoughts and correct the grammatical errors.
2. Behavior Therapy:
Behavior therapy will increase children’s use of desirable communication behavior and coping strategies. It will also promote the development of their useful interpersonal skills.
3. Environmental Modification:
Environmental modification may also be a part of the treatment. In this intervention, children with communication disorder will be given extra time during oral tests and school discussion to formulate their responses.
4. Have your child's hearing and eye sight checked to make sure they are not contributing to the communication problem.
5. You can provide your child with opportunities to practice communicating with children the same age. You could visit a playgroup, kindergym or the local playground.
6. Practice talking and listening skills with your child. Spend time playing with and reading to your child.
7. If your child could have a communication problem, you will probably be referred to a speech pathologist for a formal diagnosis.
8. Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)
Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices help people with speech and language problems to communicate. Not all AAC devices are expensive or highly technological.
Alternative devices (such as communication boards, computers or voice output devices) give a child a way to communicate when no speech is present.
Augmentative devices (such as pictures or symbols) assist a speaking child to give a clearer message.
9. Sign language
Signing is a way to communicate using standard hand movements. When children have speech and/or language problems, signing can help to make their message clear.
10. Preschool and school
There are many different types of communication difficulties. Some children with communication difficulties do not need much extra support to do well in preschool and school. Others need quite a lot.
Preschools and schools may be able to give your child additional help, depending upon her needs.
The type of speech pathology service your child receives may change when she starts preschool. It may change again when she moves from preschool to school.
Speech and language difficulties can be very frustrating for your child and may be the cause of behaviour problems at preschool or school
1. Speech Therapy:
Speech therapy will help your child learn new words, organize their beliefs and thoughts and correct the grammatical errors.
2. Behavior Therapy:
Behavior therapy will increase children’s use of desirable communication behavior and coping strategies. It will also promote the development of their useful interpersonal skills.
3. Environmental Modification:
Environmental modification may also be a part of the treatment. In this intervention, children with communication disorder will be given extra time during oral tests and school discussion to formulate their responses.
4. Have your child's hearing and eye sight checked to make sure they are not contributing to the communication problem.
5. You can provide your child with opportunities to practice communicating with children the same age. You could visit a playgroup, kindergym or the local playground.
6. Practice talking and listening skills with your child. Spend time playing with and reading to your child.
7. If your child could have a communication problem, you will probably be referred to a speech pathologist for a formal diagnosis.
8. Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)
Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices help people with speech and language problems to communicate. Not all AAC devices are expensive or highly technological.
Alternative devices (such as communication boards, computers or voice output devices) give a child a way to communicate when no speech is present.
Augmentative devices (such as pictures or symbols) assist a speaking child to give a clearer message.
9. Sign language
Signing is a way to communicate using standard hand movements. When children have speech and/or language problems, signing can help to make their message clear.
10. Preschool and school
There are many different types of communication difficulties. Some children with communication difficulties do not need much extra support to do well in preschool and school. Others need quite a lot.
Preschools and schools may be able to give your child additional help, depending upon her needs.
The type of speech pathology service your child receives may change when she starts preschool. It may change again when she moves from preschool to school.
Speech and language difficulties can be very frustrating for your child and may be the cause of behaviour problems at preschool or school
Facts About Communication Disorder
Facts on Communication Disability
- A child who can’t pronounce words correctly do not have expressive language issues.
- Expressive language issues are not the same thing as a speech disorder. Children with expressive language issues typically have no trouble with pronunciation. Their challenge is putting ideas and feelings into words.
- Language disorders are not a sign of low intelligence. In fact, research shows that most children who have language difficulties also have average to above-average intelligence
- Children with language disorders sometimes also struggle with reading issues.
- Children with mixed receptive-expressive language issues are believed to be at special risk for reading issues like dyslexia. This is because they have difficulties with interpreting sounds.
- Language disorders often run in families.
- Research points to strong genetic links with specific language impairments (SLI), the broad term that covers language disorders.
- Studies show that 20 to 40 percent of children with a family history of SLI have it themselves, compared to around 4 percent for those without a family history of SLI.
- Many children with delayed speech can catch up on their own. So it is incorrect to believe that most late talkers develop language disorders. But most doctors recommend seeking help if you suspect your child’s language development is lagging. Early help can avoid long-term problems.
- A speech-language pathologist can become certified to be a reading specialist.
- Boys are three times more likely than girls to stutter
- Research suggests that the first 6 months are the most crucial to a child’s development of language skills.
Activity for Kids!
Articulation Screener
Together with a company, read the pictures a loud and note the words you didn't get right using the checklist provided below. After reading, count the number of words and see your age range base on your number of errors.
Together with a company, read the pictures a loud and note the words you didn't get right using the checklist provided below. After reading, count the number of words and see your age range base on your number of errors.
References:
“Ontario Association for Families Of Children With Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from http://www.oafccd.com/factshee/fact39.html on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from Rochester: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P02559 on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/communication-disorders on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorder”. Retrieved from Cincinnati Children: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/c/communication on March 23, 2017
”Communication Difficulties”. Retrieved from Child and Youth Health: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=306&id=1877 on March 23, 2017
"Articulation Screener" Retrieved From: http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/wp-content/downloads/forms/articulation_screener.pdf
“Ontario Association for Families Of Children With Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from http://www.oafccd.com/factshee/fact39.html on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from Rochester: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P02559 on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorders”. Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/communication-disorders on March 23, 2017
“Communication Disorder”. Retrieved from Cincinnati Children: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/c/communication on March 23, 2017
”Communication Difficulties”. Retrieved from Child and Youth Health: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=306&id=1877 on March 23, 2017
"Articulation Screener" Retrieved From: http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/wp-content/downloads/forms/articulation_screener.pdf