Study Notes on Communication Disorders
Disorders
Importance of Communication
Communication is fundamental to the human experience.
Problems with communication lead to frustration.
Key Definitions
Impairment:
Biological or physiological condition.
Involves loss of physical, social, or cognitive functioning.
Disability:
Physical or mental impairment.
Substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Handicap:
Social disadvantage experienced by an individual with an impairment or disability.
Communication Disorder
Impairs the ability to:
Receive, send, process, and comprehend:
Concepts
Verbal information
Nonverbal information
Graphic information
Affects:
Hearing
Language
Speech
Severity can range from mild to profound.
Can be:
Developmental
Acquired
May be present with other disorders or disabilities.
Types of Speech Disorders
Articulation Disorders:
Involves atypical production of speech sounds.
Disfluencies or Stuttering:
Interruption in the flow of speech, severity varies.
Voice Quality Disorders:
Abnormal production and/or absence of voice quality, which includes aspects of:
Pitch
Loudness
Resonance
Duration
Language Disorder
Distinct from speech disorders.
Impairment in:
Comprehension and/or use of:
Spoken language
Written language
Other symbol systems
Hearing Disorder
Results from:
Impaired sensitivity of the auditory or hearing system.
Central Auditory Processing Disorders:
Refers to deficits in processing information from audible signals.
Differences vs. Disorders
Dialects and regional language differences are not considered disorders, they are simply differences in communication.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AAC)
Often called AAC systems or AAC devices.
Used to:
Compensate for impaired communication
Facilitate communication through various methods
Examples include:
Letter boards (clients touch letters to form words)
Picture icons exchanged for items (for nonverbal clients)
Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
Intervention covered by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) rather than Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs).
Can involve:
Assisting preterm infants with weak suck response
Working with stroke recovery patients on swallowing abilities.
Overview of Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Roles
SLPs typically cover feeding and swallowing disorders, which is not a primary focus of SLPAs.
Conclusion
This content lays the foundation for understanding communication disorders.
Next lecture will discuss professionals in the field of communication disorders.