A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Acquired (communication disorder): Caused
by an event after birth - e.g. an accident or illness such as a stroke
or cancer.
Alternative Communication (see also "Assistive Communication" and "Augmentative Communication "): A
means of communication to support or
replace speech. For example, pictures, signing, alphabet board or
electronic devices such as a computer or electronic communication aid.
Anarthria (see also "Dysarthria"):
A severe form of dysarthria, in which the
muscles used to produce voice and speech are so weak, they are unable
to produce any understandable speech sounds.
Aphasia (see also "Dysphasia"):
Aphasia and dysphasia are now used to mean
the same thing. Aphasia is a disorder of language.
The person's ability to understand and express words is affected.
Aphasia can affect the understanding of speech, reading, speaking,
writing, gesture and signing. People sometimes describe their
difficulty as "knowing what they want to say but being unable to
remember the words." Aphasia can be acquired
or developmental. Aphasia does not affect
the person's general intelligence. The type of difficulties vary from
one person to another.
Aphonia:
Total loss of voice (may be temporary or permanent).
Apraxia (see also "Dyspraxia"):
A more severe form of dyspraxia in which the
person's ability to co-ordinate their muscles together to form speech
is severely disrupted.
Articulation:
Movement of the articulators (mouth, throat, tongue and teeth) together
to shape sounds.
Asperger's Syndrome: A form of autism
used to describe people who function at the higher end of the autistic spectrum.
Assistive Communication: (see
also "Alternative Communication" and "Augmentative Communication "): A
means of communication to support or
replace speech. For example, pictures, signing, alphabet board or
electronic devices such as a computer or electronic communication aid.
Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: ADHA effects 3-5% of all children.
Two to three times more boys than girls are affected. It has been
described as "living in a kaleidoscope, where sounds, images and
thoughts are constantly shifting". A child will feel easily bored and
distracted by unimportant sounds and sights. They will be unable to sit
still and dash around incessantly. There will also be signs of
impulsicity; unable to curb their immediate reactions or thinking
before they act.
Augmentative Communication (see also "Alternative Communication" and "Assistive Communication"): A means of communication to support or replace speech.
For example, pictures, signing, alphabet board or electronic devices
such as a computer or electronic communication aid.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Developmental disability affecting the way
the person communicates with and relates to people around them. People
with autism have difficulty relating to others in a meaningful way.
Social interaction, social communication and imagination are impaired.
Difficulties range from severe to mild (see also Asperger's
Syndrome).
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C
Cluttering:
A speech / language
disorder characterised by abnormal fluency which is not stuttering, and a rapid and / or irregular
speech rate.
Cognitive
Difficulties: Cognition refers to the way the brain remembers,
organises thoughts and problem solves situations. People who have
cognitive difficulties may have short or long-term memory problems and
experience difficulties in starting things, making decisions, planning
and organising. They may not always recognise these difficulties
themselves. Cognitive problems can occur with or without an
accompanying language disorder (see "aphasia"
above) and are often present in people who have had a head injury or
who have dementia.
Communication: The sending and
receiving of messages between people. The message can be about
information, ideas or feelings and can be by spoken or written word or
gesture. Facial expression, tone of voice and body language are also
important elements of communication. (See also "non-verbal
communication").
Communication
Disorder: Disruption to one or all of the usual methods of communication.
Communication Impairment: Reduced
or lost ability to communicate in the standard way.
Cued
Speech: Cued Speech is a sound-based visual communication
system which in English, uses eight hand shapes in four different
locations (cues) in combination with the natural mouth movements of
speech to make all the sounds of spoken language look different. Cued
Speech was devised for use with deaf and hearing-impaired people and is
also being successfully used to assist hearing children with specific
language impairments.
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D
Deafness:
As hearing impairment but the term "Deaf" can
also be used to identify a cultural group.
Developmental: Present from birth.
May become apparent during the child's development.
Developmental
Language Delay: The child's language
is developing slowly and is similar to that of a younger child.
Developmental
Language Disorder: The child's language
is not following the usual order for language development.
Dysarthria (see also "Anarthria"): A disorder of speech. The
person's ability to speak clearly is affected due to weakness of the
muscles in the mouth and throat that produce voice and speech. The
person may find it difficult to control the volume of their speech. It
may also sound flat in quality. The speech sounds may be slurred or
mumbled making them difficult to understand.
Dyscalculia:
Difficulty with calculation and using numbers.
Dysfluency: A disorder which affects
the fluency of speech production. Problems with fluency may include
disruptions in the flow of speech, e.g. hesitations, blocking or
repetitions of speech. These may be accompanied by associated
non-verbal mannerisms and / or psychological and emotional difficulties.
Dysgraphia:
Difficulty with writing. Dysgraphia may affect the person's ability to
find and spell words correctly. Dysgraphia may be developmental or acquired.
Dyslexia:
Difficulty with written language. Dyslexia affects reading, spelling,
writing, memory and concentration. Sometimes called a "specific
learning difficulty." Dyslexia can be developmental
or acquired.
Dysphasia (see also "Aphasia"):
Dysphasia and Aphasia are now used to mean the
same thing. Dysphasia is a disorder of language.
The person's ability to understand, find and express words is affected.
Dysphasia can affect the understanding of speech, reading, speaking,
writing, gesture and signing. People sometimes describe their
difficulty as "knowing what they want to say but being unable to
remember the words." Dysphasia can be acquired
or developmental. Dysphasia does not
affect the person's general intelligence. The type of difficulties vary
from one person to another.
Dysphonia:
Voice disorder in which the quality and / or volume of the voice is
changed. Dysphonia can be caused by misusing the voice.
Dyspraxia (Verbal): A
co-ordination difficulty. The brain transmits the wrong messages about
when and how the muscles of the throat and mouth should move to make
voice and speech. Speech may sound muddled because the wrong sounds are
produced in the wrong places. Sometimes words are said automatically
and sound clear. Other forms of dyspraxia can affect other parts of the
body (e.g. limb dyspraxia). Automatic movements may not be affected.
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E
Echolalia:
Instant and meaningless repetition of words / phrases heard.
Elective
Mutism: Emotional disorder affecting children. The child
speaks fluently in some situations, but remains silent in others.
Expressive
Language Difficulty: Difficulty affecting the person's ability
to speak, write or gesture. May be developmental
or acquired.
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H
Hearing Impairment: A hearing loss that
can be either temporary or permanent and can range in severity from
mild to profound.
I
Impairment:
Loss or abnormality of function.
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L
Language: May be spoken, written or
signed. Sounds or symbols are grouped together to form meaningful
words. Symbols or words are grouped together to form meaningful
phrases.
Laryngectomee: Person who has had
his / her larynx (voice box) removed usually due
to cancer.
Laryngectomy: Surgical removal of the
larynx (voice box) usually due to
cancer.
Laryngopharyngectomee:
Person who has had their larynx (voice box) and
pharynx (part of throat) surgically removed.
Larynx: Voice box, including the vocal
folds.
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N
Normal
Non-fluency: A period of dysfluency
that can occur as part of a child's development and which the child
grows out of.
Non-verbal Communication: Communication not by spoken or written
words. Non-verbal communication includes facial expression, body
language, natural gestures, tone of voice, drawing and use of symbols.
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O
Oesophageal
Speech: Used by some laryngectomees.
A method of producing voice by pushing air down into the upper
oesophagus (food pipe) then releasing it, causing the pharyngo-oesophageal segment to vibrate.
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P
Pharyngo-oesophageal segment: A
surgically created area in people who have had a laryngectomy, It is made when some of the
throat muscles (the inferior pharyngeal constrictors) are repaired
after the larynx has been removed.
Phonological
Impairment (developmental or acquired): Difficulty in
recognizing, selecting and using speech sounds in words.
Pitch:
This describes the fundamental frequency of voice. Frequency is
measured in hertz in the same way that temperature is measured in
degrees centigrade. Pitch refers to how "high" or "low" your voice is.
Pragmatic
Disorder: Difficulty relating to the world and using language
appropriate to a particular situation. May be developmental
or acquired.
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R
Receptive
Language Difficulty: Difficulty affecting the person's ability
to understand other people or read. May be developmental
or acquired.
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S
Semantic
Disorder: Difficulty understanding and using the meanings of
words. May be developmental or acquired.
Sign
Language (See also "Language"): A
system of hand movements supported by posture and facial expression and
used for communication. This refers to a system that has evolved
naturally within a Deaf community and has its own structure and rules
of grammar. Like any other language it is continuing to evolve and has
regional variations. Examples include - British Sign Language, Irish
Sign Language and American Sign Language.
Sign
System: A system of hand movements used to support the
understanding and use of spoken language. This has been systematically
developed and introduced to meet the needs of a particular group.
Examples include: Paget Gorman, Makaton and Sign Supported English.
Specific
Language Impairment: Difficulty in understanding and / or
using spoken language in the absence of other
types of disability.
Speech: A series of sounds shaped by the
person's mouth, tongue, teeth and throat. The sounds are grouped
together to create spoken words.
Stammering (See also "Stuttering"):
Stammering and stuttering are used to mean
the same thing - a communication impairment
which can affect the way the person who stammers relates to the world.
Many stammering "symptoms" such as avoiding particular words or
situations cannot be heard. Stammering speech itself is characterised
by "involuntary interruptions" (usually repetitions of sounds or
words), "prolongations" (where the person extends a sound) and "blocks"
(where the person is unable to produce a particular sound).
Stuttering (See also "Stammering"):
Stammering and stuttering are
used to mean the same thing - a communication
impairment which can affect the way the person who stammers relates
to the world. Many stammering "symptoms" such as avoiding particular
words or situations cannot be heard. Stammering speech itself is
characterised by "involuntary interruptions" (usually repetitions of
sounds or words), "prolongations" (where the person extends a sound)
and "blocks" (where the person is unable to produce a particular sound).
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T
Tracheostomy:
Operation to form a hole from the front of the neck into the trachea
(wind pipe). The operation is performed when normal breathing is
prevented by an obstruction in the windpipe or prior to surgery to
prevent blood / saliva entering the trachea, or to ventilate people in
Intensive Care.
Tracheo-Oesophageal
Speech: Another alternative method of producing voice used by
people who have had their voice box removed. Here, the air from the
lungs passes from the trachea (wind pipe) to the oesophagus (food pipe)
through a small hole made surgically between the two. The movement of
the air causes the pharyngo-oesophageal segment
to vibrate and this produces noise.
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V
Verbal
Dyspraxia: See "Dyspraxia".
Voice:
Sound produced by the vibration of the vocal cords in the voice box as
air from the lungs passes between them.
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