Speech Therapy: Speech therapy focuses on disorders of speech sounds, fluency, or voice
that interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or
functioning in the educational environment.
- Speech
sound disorder –
A speech sound disorder is a phonological or articulation disorder that is
evidenced by the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by
substitutions, distortions, additions, or omissions that interfere with
intelligibility. A speech sound disorder is not primarily the result of
factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or
limited English proficiency.
- Phonological
disorder –
A phonological disorder is an impairment in the system of phonemes and
phoneme patterns within the context of spoken language.
- Articulation
disorder –
An articulation disorder is characterized by difficulty in the
articulation of speech sounds that may be due to a motoric or structural
problem.
- Fluency
disorder –
A fluency disorder is characterized by deviations in continuity,
smoothness, rhythm, or effort in spoken communication. It may be
accompanied by excessive tension and secondary behaviors, such as struggle
and avoidance. A fluency disorder is not primarily the result of factors
related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited
English proficiency.
- Voice
disorder –
A voice disorder is characterized by the atypical production or absence of
vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, or duration of phonation that
is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age,
gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency.
Language Therapy: Language therapy focuses on disorders of language that
interfere with communication, adversely affect performance and/or functioning
in the student’s typical learning environment. A Language impairment is
defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved
in understanding or in using spoken or written language.
- Phonology – Phonology is defined as the sound system of a language and
the linguistic conventions of a language that guide the sound selection
and sound combinations used to convey meaning;
- Morphology – Morphology is defined as the system that governs the
internal structure of words and the construction of word forms;
- Syntax – Syntax is defined as the system governing the order and
combination of words to form sentences, and the relationships among the elements
within a sentence;
- Semantics – Semantics is defined as the system that governs the
meanings of words and sentences; and
- Pragmatics – Pragmatics is defined as the system that combines language
components in functional and socially appropriate communication.
Occupational Therapy: School based occupational therapy is a related service
to special education. Occupational therapy focuses on developing strategies for
success in schools in the areas of fine motor,
visual motor, self-care and sensory processing skills.
Physical Therapy: School based physical
therapy is a related service to special education. Physical therapy focuses on
developing strategies for success in schools in the areas of functional
mobility, balance, gross motor skills, and/or endurance.