Communication Disorders Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering definition, types, etiology, and treatments for Communication Disorders based on DSM-5 criteria.

Communication Disorder

A diagnostic term referring to deficits in language, speech, and communication according to the APA (2013).

Speech

The expressive production of sounds, which includes articulation, fluency, voice, and resonance.

Language

The form, function, and use of a conventional system of symbols in a rule-governed manner.

Communication

Any verbal or nonverbal behavior that influences another's behavior, ideas, or attitudes.

Phonology

The study of speech structure, accepted pronunciation rules, and the smallest units of sound known as phonemes.

Morphology

The study of the smallest units of meaning, known as morphemes, including base words, affixes, plurals, and tenses.

Syntax

The rules governing how words combine to form grammatically correct sentences.

Semantics

The component of language concerned with conveying meaning, including non-literal meanings like idioms.

Pragmatics

The social use of language to achieve specific goals in different contexts, such as adjusting speech style for different listeners.

Language Disorder

A condition characterized by persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language across modalities with scores typically $> 1.25$ SD below the mean ($< 80$).

Receptive Language

The aspect of language processing involved in listening to and understanding others.

Expressive Language

The aspect of language processing involved in sharing ideas, beliefs, knowledge, and skills.

Linguistic Lateralization Failure

A neurodevelopmental finding where children with language disorder show equal hemisphere sizes instead of the typical left-hemisphere enlargement in the lateral sulcus region.

Rapid Temporal Processing

The ability to quickly and accurately process sensory information in rapid succession, such as discriminating between syllables like $/ba/$ and $/pa/$.

Phonological Short-Term Memory

The ability to hold auditory material in memory briefly, often measured by nonsense syllable recall.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

A skill acquisition method involving a stimulus, response, and reinforcement to teach individual words and complex sentences.

Conversational Recast Training

A treatment technique focused on error correction by immediately prompting and correcting morphological or grammatical mistakes.

Milieu Training

A behavioral approach using naturalistic environments to generalize language skills, involving techniques like mand-model and incidental teaching.

Speech Sound Disorder (SSD)

The inability to produce expected speech sounds according to age (persisting beyond age $4$), which interferes with intelligibility.

Omission

A speech error type where phonemes are left off, such as saying "at" for "cat".

Substitution

A speech error type where one phoneme is replaced with another, such as "wed" for "red".

Distortion

A speech error type where a phoneme is produced incorrectly, often resulting in a "slushy" sound.

Addition

A speech error type involving the inclusion of an extra phoneme in words, such as "farog" for "frog".

Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder

Also known as stuttering, it is an impairment in the rate, duration, rhythm, and sequence of speech that typically emerges between $24–48$ months.

Two-Factor Theory of Stuttering

A behavioral model suggesting stuttering is initiated by classical conditioning (anxiety) and maintained by operant conditioning (attention or escape).

Psycholinguistic Model of Stuttering

A theory suggesting stuttering is a breakdown in the formulation stage of speech, involving phonological or grammatical encoding problems.

In-block Modification

A technique for older children who stutter to switch from "hard speech" to relaxed "easy speech" during a moment of disfluency.

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SCD)

A disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and following conversational rules, without the restricted/repetitive behaviors found in ASD.

Conversational Repair

The ability to recognize and take action, such as rephrasing or providing context, when a listener does not understand a communication attempt.

PEERS Program

A $16$-week group intervention designed to improve social communication and friendship skills for middle and high school students.

Martin, Kuhl & Haroldson (1972)

A study that demonstrated the effectiveness of operant conditioning (using a timeout) in reducing stuttering behaviors.