Reading and writing skills are reliant on a solid language base.

There are different speech difficulties:

1.   Ataxia is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he/she wants to say correctly. It is not due to weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles.

2.   DAS is developmental ataxia of speech which is present from birth.

3.   In this case the brain doesn’t process information properly so messages are not transmitted fully. More boys than girls are affected and there is thought to be a genetic link.

4.   Acquired  ataxia of speech is usually found in adults after a stroke, accident or illness which has damaged the brain.

Communication problems can be caused by:

·        Finding it difficult to put sentences together so they can be understood.(expressive language)

·        Having difficulties understanding what others say.(receptive language difficulty)

·        Having difficulty using spoken and non verbal communication to interact socially. (pragmatic difficulty)

·        Using the wrong sounds in speech and not improving/following the expected developmental pattern.(phonological difficulties)

 Stammering /Stuttering is described as “an involuntary repetition, prolongation or block which interrupts the normal flow of speech.”

·        1 in 20 children under 5 years old will go through a phase of stammering : 3 out of 4 will grow out of it.

·        There is no cure.. it’s what you can do about it.

·        Speech and language therapy can help you deal with your stammer and achieve your potential.

In conclusion  speech language and communication skills are all needed to get our message across. If a learner’s needs are not addressed the result may be..

·        Isolation

·        Behavioural problems

·        Anger

·        Depression

·        Drop out from college

·        Withdrawal from society.

Strategies for Aiding Students with Speech and Language Difficulties

There is evidence that preschool children with speech, language and communication difficulties have an increased risk of displaying behaviour problems.  This can carry through to primary, secondary and further education.

Strategies to support attention and listening:

·        Minimise potential distractions in the classroom including visual distractions and unnecessary noise.

·        Ensure the student is in a position where they can easily see and hear you.

·        Speak clearly and directly to the student.

·        Try to vary activities so that periods of listening are interspersed with contrasting activities.

 Strategies to support instruction following:

These guidelines will ensure you have the learner’s attention before giving instructions, to make sure your instructions are simple and allow enough time for the learner to absorb the information.

·        Gain the learner’s attention by using their name (for example) and establishing eye contact.

·        Ensure your instructions are simply and clearly stated and broken down into shorter steps when necessary.

·        Give visual or auditory clues which will aid understanding.

·        Give the learner time to absorb and respond to the instruction.

·        Repeat and re-phrase all or part of the instruction as necessary to the learner individually.

Strategies to support attention to task:

The general principle is to make sure that the task is clear by providing a variety of clues to support the task including an overview of the end of the task and the steps necessary to achieve it.

·        Ensure the necessary equipment is available and the learner knows what to do.

·        If possible show the learner examples of what he is working towards.

·        Break the task down into small steps, providing reminders where needed.

·        Demonstrate the steps where necessary as well as giving verbal description.

·        Differentiate the task to suit the learner to circumvent difficulties which may lead to failure.

·        Ensure the learner can ask for help without embarrassment so that difficulties can be pre-empted.

Strategies to improve subject access:

There are several strategies you could consider  to improve the learner’s access to your subject.  You may wish to consider organising materials and the students differently, or vary the way the tasks are presented and the way they are recorded. You might consider the language used and how new vocabulary can be supported.  You might also think how you can relate new learning to the learner’s own experience.

·        Tasks could be adapted in such a way that they are  presented or recorded differently.

·        Varying the amount of help given to the learner by the teacher/learning assistant /peer group.

·        Presenting information in different ways eg. Present information visually through demonstration or by a means not dependent on language.

·        Demonstrating new skills rather than talking them through.

·        Allowing alternative methods of recording eg. ICT  or visual means.

·        Provide appropriate vocabulary and phraseology to support written work. Cloze is a useful strategy.