Language Disorders Impact Academic Success

During your child’s formative years, the lessons learned in school will benefit your children as well as you by helping them become a strong, self-reliant person. Making the most of this time will require you to totally commit to their academic success. Unfortunately, speech and language disorders can place frequent roadblocks along the learning pathway. These problems are in no way the fault of your child, yet can end up exacting a devastating personal toll on him or her. Fortunately, you and your child are not without assistance in overcoming these challenges.

Connecting Communication Issues with Poor Scholastic Performance

Why is it that speech and language disorders can have such a dramatic impact on learning? Education is contingent upon effective communications. That includes not only the way that lessons and concepts are communicated to your child, but also how he or she is able reflect those teachings back to their teachers and peers. Depending upon the particular disorder your child struggles with, he or she may have issues with:

• *Expressing him or herself both orally and with the written word
• *Interpreting information for processing
• *Understanding non-verbal gestures and cues
• *Retaining the attention needed to complete assignments and tests

As these issues in effectively communicating begin to manifest themselves, he or she may misunderstand these struggles as being problems with his or her level of intelligence. This may cause them to become withdrawn, making it even more difficult to engage with classmates and forming those relationships that make school enjoyable.

Coordinated Care is the Key to Improvements

Such challenges are not insurmountable, however. The key is recognizing that issues exist and having your child assessed to determine the nature and extent of his or her disorder. With that information in hand, you can then coordinate with teachers, speech-language pathologists in NJ and your pediatrician to develop an action plan aimed that improving your child’s communication skills and academic performance. Integrated treatments can then be delivered in conjunction with his or her schooling so that he associates overcoming speech and language obstacles with scholastic achievements.

Tackling speech and language issues early will help guarantee your child has the best chance at academic success. Don’t think that if you can address the language processing disorder treatments during the primary school years that they cannot be overcome later on. With the help of a qualified speech therapist for teens, and a few well-chosen special education reading programs can provide the assistance that he or she needs. No matter the age at which your child begins to combat the challenges posed by their disorder, you both have access to the resources necessary to deliver personal and academic success.

1. Language processing disorder treatments
2. Speech therapist for teens in Mercer County

3. Special education reading programs

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Should Your Child Be Screened for Oral Motor Disorders?

When kids are learning to talk, they often mispronounce words and we all think it’s cute. Just like children have to build up their muscles to walk, they need to develop oral muscles that are used in speaking.

In many cases, the weaknesses with word pronunciation that we hear get resolved without intervention because children make improvements by practicing and developing those verbal skills. However, there’s also a chance your child is coping with an oral motor disorder that requires professional guidance to treat.

Types of Oral Motor Disorders

Oral motor disorders fall into two types:

1. Articulation disorders

2. Developmental Apraxia of Speech (DAS)

A child who is dealing with either of these issues may not only have trouble with speech, but could also struggle with mouth-related tasks such as sipping from a straw or eating. Children with DAS frequently have difficulty moving their mouths in the ways that are necessary to form words, whereas kids who’ve been diagnosed with articulation disorders might have lisps, be unable to say certain sounds or substitute one word for another.

Visual and Audible Symptoms of Oral Motor Disorders

As a parent, you arguably know your child better than anyone else. That’s why parents are usually the first to notice that something might be wrong with the way your children are verbally expressing themselves. Some of the most obvious clues of possible problems include:

1. Gagging often while eating
2. Failing to say certain consonants after age three
3. Not liking to eat foods that must be chewed
4. Having difficulty putting sounds in the right order to form words
5. Struggling to move the tongue
6. Consistently displaying an open or drooping mouth even while not speaking
7. Drooling after the age of 18 months
8. Being hard to understand


Diagnosing and Treating Oral Motor Disorders

Doctors aren’t sure what causes oral motor disorders in children, but they frequently recommend seeking a diagnosis as soon as possible by visiting a speech pathology center near you. You can likely get a referral by your child’s pediatrician. Oral motor disorders usually become most apparent around age two.

These issues are often treated through speech and language center. A speech pathologist in New Jersey will serve as a good resource for both you and your child’s teachers.

Discovering that your child is not developing at the same average rate as his or her peers can feel overwhelming. However, your best course of action is to get information through speech therapist in Somerset County so you can choose the best course of action for a child with oral motor disorders.

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