Speech and Language

Wyoma Clouss, MS,CCC-SLP ***

We talk to little babies, and pretty soon, they start talking back to us. (but that's another story!) In fact, most children seem to learn to speak without much effort. Once in a while though, you might begin to wonder if a child is talking as well as he should be for his age. Happily, the answer is usually "Yes".
SLP dragon

If family and friends seem to have trouble understanding your child, then contacting a Speech Pathologist is a good next step. By the way, we've been called Speech Pathologists, Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), Speech Therapists, Speech Clinicians, or Communication Disorders Specialists, depending upon custom at the time. The names don't reflect any difference in our training or in our national certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

In our schools (Boise, Idaho), we try to help the children whose speech or language interferes with their ability to function in a school environment. If a child doesn't communicate as well as he should, the problem might be the production of the sounds or in the structure of his language - and these can be affected by a variety of factors

Articulation -- Speech, the way words are said, might be affected by

Sound errors with no obvious cause, such as a Lisp, or distorting L or R, that make it difficult to understand the child.
Physical problems such as Cleft Palate, Hearing Loss
Stuttering or "stammering" that frustrate the child
The Articulation Page has more details

Language -- The content and structure of our communication

Vocabulary, knowing and using the names of things
Sentence form, grammar - "Her run", "Why you not do that?"
The Language Page and Early Language and the Brain have more details.

Reading is sometimes affected!: Not surprising when you think about it - Successful Reading skills depend first on developing Speech and Language skills. Children need to understand that sentences are made of words, and that words are made of sounds before they can be successful manipulating letters to read and spell.; The Literacy Page and SLPs, Literacy, & Inclusion have more details

*** My name is (Mrs.) Wyoma Clouss, and I am certified by our national organization, the American Speech Language and Hearing Association A.S.H.A. -- that's what the CCC-SLP means. I have a Master's degree in Speech Pathology from Eastern Washington State University, after earning my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Speech Pathology from Washington State University. I have worked in the Boise (Idaho) Public Schools "forever", but am retired now.

Email us -- clouss (at) wy-os.net

More nifty dinosaurs and dragons - all copyrighted by Kevin Palivec, and used with his permission - may be found at http://www.camalott.com/~malathar/front.html