About+Speech

**Q:** What does a speech-language pathologist do?
(from http://www.asha.org/careers/professions/slp.htm)
 * Evaluate and diagnose speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders.
 * Treat speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly


 * Q**: What is the difference between speech and language?

Speech is the motor production of our speech sounds. It is moving the tongue in the correct place, holding it in the correct manner and with the correct timing to create words. Language is a code we use to communicate with one another. Receptive language is receiving and understanding communicative messages from others, and expressive language is using language to share thoughts, ideas and feelings.

**Q:** What are the primary (but not all) areas of speech/language treatment at Sunflower Elementary?
1__. Speech (Articulation)__ Articulation problems can make people sound garbled. When children distort, substitute, or leave out the correct speech sounds it can be hard for others to understand them. The language code can be correct, but if the right body parts are not moved at the right time, then the message will not sound right. Common errors are /r/ (wabbit for rabbit), /s/ (tongue protrudes out too far) and /l/ (wuv for love), but any speech sound can be distorted.

__2. Vocabulary__
 * What words mean
 * How words are associated (cat goes with dog because both are pets)
 * and more!

__3. Grammar (syntax and morphology)__
 * How to combine words together ("Peg walked to the new store." Not "Peg walk store new")
 * How to make new words (friend, friendly, unfriendly)

__4. Fluency (stuttering)__ The smoothness or flow with which sounds, syllables, words and phrases are joined together when speaking quickly Persons who stutter may have too much tension or difficulty with timing of their speech mechanism resulting in word repetitions, complete blocks of sound and other concerns