May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

Each May, Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in providing life-altering treatment.  At Lowcountry Therapy Center, we love and value our SLP’s for all the work they do!  One question they say is frequently asked is:

What is the difference between speech and language?

Speech is the verbal means of communicating. Speech consists of the following:

  • Articulation - how speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").
  • Voice - use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).
  • Fluency - the rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).

Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:

  • What words mean (e.g., "star" can refer to a bright object in the night sky or a celebrity)
  • How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)
  • How to put words together (e.g., "Peg walked to the new store" rather than "Peg walk store new")
  • What word combinations are best in what situations ("Would you mind moving your foot?" could quickly change to "Get off my foot, please!" if the first request did not produce results)

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.  When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.

Language and speech disorders can exist together or by themselves. The problem can be mild or severe. In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the first step to improving language and speech problems.

To learn more about typical speech and language development and the importance of early detection and treatment, visit the following link: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/

Author: Krista Flack, MS OTR/L

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