Acquired
Difficulties occurring after birth through illness or an
injury.
Ambidextrous
Equally skillful with each hand.
Articulation
The production of sounds to create speech.
Assessment
The gathering of information from people involved with
the child as well as toys, games, and pictures to determine the level
of his/hers speech and language development.
Audiologist
A specialist who checks on the hearing skills of a child.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
The ways in which
someone’s communication is improved by using signs, symbols and
output.
Autism
A lasting difficulty that affects language development, social
interaction and imaginative play.
Babble
Repetitive patterns of sound produced by the young to practise
speech and communicate.
Bilingual
Using two languages.
Cleft lip / palate
Parts of the upper lip, palate (roof of the mouth)
that have not connected properly during pregnancy.
Comprehension
Understanding words, verbal gestures and/or the context
of a situation. The most popular form is understanding spoken words.
Delay
The speech and language development is following the normal
pattern of development but at a slower rate compared to the majority
of children.
Disorder
The learning of speech and language is following a different
pattern to that of many other children.
Dysarthria
A muscle weakness in the mouth which causes difficulty
with speech.
Dysfluency
Repetitive breaks or pauses which interrupt the flow of
talking.
Dysphasia
A loss of language that can affect one’s understanding
of language and talking skills.
Dysphagia
Difficulty with swallowing food.
Dyspraxia
A disorder that affects the co-ordination of the lips,
teeth, tongue, palate, and vocal cords resulting in impaired speech.
This is not due to a physical difficulty.
Expression
Communicating one’s message through words, non-verbal
or signs. The most popular form is talking.
Global delay
All areas of development are maturing at a slower rate
compared to the majority of children at the same age.
Hearing impairment
A loss in ability to detect some or all sounds.
Language
The most used form of communication for an individual. This
is normally through verbal communication and is made up of understanding
words and talking.
Non-verbal communication
The use of gestures, signs, facial and body
expression to convey a message.
Paediatrician
A doctor who specialises in working with children.
Palate
The roof of the mouth.
Phonology
The sounds and the rules of how to use those sounds in
a given language.
Selective mutism / reluctant speaker
When someone chooses to talk
in the situation they feel comfortable in and stop talking in others.
Speech
The individual sounds and combination of sounds to make words.
Speech and Language Therapist (SLT)
A specialist who is able to assess
and treat speech and language difficulties.
Speech and Language Therapist Assistant
A trained professional who
works alongside a SLT.
