There are three children with communication problems in Ms.

Ranson's
first grade class. Despite their speech and language diffi-culties, these
students are mainstreamed for all regular class activities. Each
receives individual help twice each week from the speech-language
pathologist.
Elaine speaks clearly and distinctly but has difficulty producing the r
sound. Because of this articulation problem, she calls her teacher Ms.
Wanson.
Jeff's speech is like that of a much younger child. He mispronounces
sounds, omits some, and speaks hurriedly and indistinctly. Jeffs
teacher and classmates often find it difficult to understand what he is
saying.
Rocky speaks intelligibly but makes many grammatical errors. He uses
incomplete sentences and may mix plural nouns with singular verbs
("boys runs"). In addition, his speaking vocabulary is limited, and his
knowledge of word meanings is poor for his age.
Willy stutters. He is in tenth grade and is a good student. On written
reports, assign-ments, and exams, Willy excels. However, because of
his dysfluency in speech, he is reluctant to answer questions in class,
participate in discussions, or give oral reports. Willy has several close
friends around whom he is comfortable speaking, but he is hesitant to
talk with persons he does not know well.
• Although mainstreamed for all of his academic work, Willy
receives special education services from the speech-language
pathologist. This special teacher is working with Willy to reduce
his dysfluency and to overcome his embarrassment in speaking.
• She also consults with Willy’s regular teachers to help them
provide a nonthreatening classroom environment in which Willy
will feel comfortable and will practice speaking in front of others.
• When children enter school, they are expected to be able to
communicate. This expectation may not be realized in students
with speech and language disorders. Communication disor-ders,
one of the most common of all handicapping conditions, affect a
student's ability to interact with teachers and classmates.
Students with speech problems may mispronounce words or
sounds, speak with dysfluency, or have an unusual voice quality;
as a result, their speech is difficult for the listener to understand.
Students with language problems may fail to understand the
speech of others and may have trouble expressing their own
thoughts in words. Although communication disorders can
 accompany other handicapping conditions such as learning dis-
abilities, mental retardation, and hearing impair-ment, most
students with speech and language problems remain in the
mainstream. Special services are provided to them on a part-time
basis by professionals such as speech-language pa-thologists.
• The special needs of students with communication problems fall
in the areas of academic and social performance. In instruction,
the regular teacher may need to make minor adaptations in order
to stress language, listen-ing. and speaking skills for such
students. Creating an accepting classroom environment is also
important. Students with communication handicaps are more
likely to practice verbal interactions with others if their
classmates and teacher are tolerant, accepting, and supportive.
• This chapter describes the characteristics of mainstreamed
students with communication disorders and suggests methods
for the regular teacher to use in gathering data, teaching
listening and speaking skills, and creating an accepting
classroom environment. To become more familiar with speech
and language disorders and their impact on communication.

INDICATORS OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

Because students with communication disorders typically remain

members of mainstreamed classrooms for their entire educational
careers, the regular teacher is an important professional on the
mainstreaming team. It is the regular teacher who notes signs of
communication difficulties, refers individual students for special
education assessment, helps to gather assessment information, and
later coordinates students' regular instruction with special speech and
language services.
Communication disorders are of two types: those that affect language
and those that affect speech. Language is the ability to communicate
using symbols; it includes both oral and written communication and
requires both expression and reception of ideas. Speech is one aspect
of oral language; it is the vehicle by which thoughts are expressed in
oral communication.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
(ASHA) (n.d.), language and speech disorders can be differentiated in
the following way:
A language disorder is characterized by an inability to use the symbols
of language through (a) proper use of words and their meanings, (b)
appropriate grammatical pal terns, and (c) proper use of speech
sounds.
A speech disorder is characterized by difficulty in (a) producing speech
sounds (articulation), (b) maintaining speech rhythm (fluent speech),
and (c) controlling vocal production (voice). (p. 1, italics added)
Thus, students with difficulty understanding of expressing ideas
appropriate to their age may be experiencing language problems. with
adequate language but poor speech sound production, fluency, or
voice quality may be candidates for special services in the area of
speech.
Most speech problems are detected as an early age, articulation
disorders are most commonly found among children in the first few
grades of school. Language disorders are also sound productIon,
fluency, or voice quality may be candidates for special services in the
area of speech.
Most speech problems are detected at an early age; articulation
disorders are most commonly found among children in the first few
grades of school Language disorders are also identified in young
children but can persist throughout the elementary and secondary
Years. Speech disorders are usually obvious to
the listener. In fact. Van Riper (1978) maintains that one criterion for
identifying a communication disorder is speech unusual enough to
bring attention to itself. Unusual, however is not a very precise
description of a possible problem. The questions in “Tips for the
Teacher” can assist in obtaining more specific information.