speech, language and communication needs in adolescence · speech, language and communication needs...

National Behaviour Support Service

Speech, Language and Communication Needs in Adolescence

Information Leaflet for Teachers and Schools

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National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS)

Navan Education Centre

Athlumney

Navan

Co. Meath

Telephone: +353 46 9093355

Fax: +353 46 9093354

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.nbss.ie

The National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) was established by the

Department of Education & Skills in 2006 in response to the

recommendation in School Matters: The Report of the Task Force on

Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools (2006).

The NBSS is funded by the Department of Education and Skills under the

National Development Plan 2007 – 2013

This information leaflet for teachers and schools was written by Aoife

Murphy, Senior Speech and Language Therapist NBSS, in conjunction with

Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Limerick.

© 2011 National Behaviour Support Service


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Contents

Introduction Page 4

What is Speech and Language Therapy? Page 5

What is the Role of the Speech and

Language Therapist in Schools? Page 5

What are Speech and Language

and Communication Needs? Page 6

Identifying Speech and Language and

Communication Needs in the Classroom Page 13

References Page 15


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Every child and adolescent requires good

skills in speech, language and

communication to achieve their potential

academically and socially.

They use speech, language and

communication skills on a daily basis to:

• interact appropriately with peers

and other adults.

• express their opinions.

• clarify information.

• understand instructions and

messages.

Introduction

This list is by no means exhaustive. Speech, language and communication are the

foundation and building blocks for basic literacy and numeracy skills and are integral

to understanding, learning and achievement in all curriculum subjects.

Many people associate the speech and language development process with younger

children but language and communication development continues throughout

adolescence and into adulthood (Nippold, 2007). Good language and literacy skills

are predictive of later academic and other attainments. There is a growing body of

research which has identified students with behavioural difficulties as having

undetected speech, language or communication needs. Speech, language and

communication needs in adolescents are associated with poor academic

performance, social and emotional difficulties and poor peer relationships.

This leaflet provides information for Principals, teachers and other school staff who

work with adolescents on the importance of speech, language and communication in

adolescence.

• read and fill out forms (paper and

online).

• learn new information.

• read and understand books.

• tell and understand stories and jokes.

• send and receive e-‐mails, letters and

texts.


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What is Speech and Language Therapy? Speech and language therapy is concerned with the management of disorders of

speech, language, communication and swallowing in children and adults.

• Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals.

• SLTs work collaboratively with individuals, parents, teachers, Special Needs

Assistants (SNAs), Occupational Therapists (OTs) and other relevant

professionals.

• The aim of SLT is to provide holistic, client centred management of speech,

language and communication needs which reduces the impact of those

needs on the well-‐being of individuals and their ability to participate in

everyday life.

Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) provide assessment, diagnosis, intervention

and management of speech, language and communication needs. SLTs work with

both individuals and small groups.

The focus of SLT is to develop and maximise student’s speech, language and

communication abilities (see Table 1) to support learning and socialization,

socialisation, within an appropriate context relevant to the individuals everyday life.

SLTs work collaboratively with teachers/SNAs/learning support staff /OT in order to

maximise successful communication and learning. Their joint focus is to adapt the physical, social, sensory and linguistic components in an individual’s environment and

reduce the resulting demands that are placed on the individual.

What is the Role of the Speech and Language Therapist in Schools?


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Speech: speech sounds, tone, speed and fluency

Language: talking and

understanding

Communication: how we interact with others

Speaking clearly and fluently without too many hesitations. Speaking with a clear voice, using pitch, tone, volume and intonation to express meaning. Correctly producing speech sounds. Using speech to clearly convey an argument or message.

Having a range of appropriate vocabulary to support subject specific learning. Having organised sentences and narratives to demonstrate understanding and express views. Understanding instructions from teaching staff. Having emotional language to support emotional literacy. Using verbal reasoning to analyse information and learning. Being able to retrieve (say) a word with speed, clarity and accuracy.

Knowing how to adapt communication style to suit the situation and audience. Following non-‐verbal rules of communication, listening, taking conversational turns. Using language to persuade, negotiate, predict and account for consequences. Using language to enable conflict resolution and collaboration. Using augmentative and alternative forms of communication where words are difficult.

* It is important to note that each component of speech, language and communication can interact with each other. A problem with grammar or word retrieval may present as a lack of fluency.

Table 1: What are ‘Speech’, ‘Language’ and ‘Communication’?


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What are Speech and Language and Communication Needs? Terminology:

There is huge variability in the terms used to

describe difficulties with speech, language and

communication (Paul, 2007) in part because they

often occur in the presence of other noticeable

difficulties.

TABLE 2 – SLCN is associated with:

Specific Speech and Language Impairment (SSLI)

Sensory impairment (hearing, visual or multi-‐sensory)

General learning difficulty (mild, moderate, severe, profound)

Cerebral palsy

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) /Attention

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Syndromes (Down’s Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Worcester-‐Drought

Dyslexia

The term most widely used to describe children and young people with difficulties

with speech, language or communication is Speech, Language and Communication

Needs (SLCN). SLCN is an umbrella term which encompasses multiple different

profiles of young people. It includes students with SLCN secondary to a general

learning difficulty, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, etc. as well as those

students with a specific speech and language impairment as their primary difficulty

(see Table 2).


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Causes and Correlates:

The cause of SLCN is sometimes clear e.g. neurological impairment, intellectual

impairment, hearing impairment, cleft palate or severe social deprivation impacting

on language acquisition and development. More often there is often no identifiable

cause.

Specific Speech and Language Impairment refers to students who have difficulties

with understanding and/or expressing themselves through speech and language as

their primary difficulty. These students often present with co-‐occurring difficulties

(behaviour, social, emotional, sensory, or physical).

Variability and Risk Factors:

Each adolescent with SLCN will have a different profile of needs. Language and

communication do not develop in isolation but are influenced by a myriad of factors

(personal, social, behavioural, educational opportunities, etc). It is important to look

at the individual and the difficulties they have as well as their respective

environments and how they participate in those environments.

Social Disadvantage: There is a growing evidence base identifying social

disadvantage as a risk factor for SLCN (Sage, 2005; Stringer, 2006; Locke, Ginsburg &

Peers, 2002). Students from areas of social deprivation are at risk of less language

input from an early age, poor language and communication modelling within their

environment, lack of language stimulation (including shared reading and

conversation/interaction) and multiple familial stresses (financial and social). These

may or may not impact on student’s development of speech, language and

communication.

Gender: Significantly more boys than girls present with SLCN (approximately 3:1).


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1. Speech, Language and Communication are Life Long Skills

Good communication skills are integral to all aspects of a

student’s development not only in school but also in the

workplace and the wider community. This includes

learning, emotional development and socialising.

Adolescents need effective speech, language and

communication skills in order to have a wide range of life

choices.

Why are Speech and Language and Communication Important for Adolescents?

2. Language Development continues throughout Adolescence Despite the common belief that by adolescence the brain has completed most of its

growth, there is a wealth of research identifying huge amounts of activity, pruning,

growth and development in the adolescent brain, this includes language and

communication (Nippold, 2007).

Language continues to develop throughout adolescence. Key to that development is

wide reading, social experiences (Reed, 2005) and exposure to education (Locke &

Bogin, 2006).

Poor oral language skills are significantly linked to poor literacy (Snowling, 2005).

SLCN is linked to poor peer relationships and poor social emotional well-‐being

(Brinton & Fujiki, 1996). Therefore young people with SLCN may struggle significantly

to develop a sophisticated language in adolescence without appropriate intervention

and support.


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Some different aspects of language development during the secondary school years

• Complex verbal reasoning (problem solving).

• Learning new and complex vocabulary.

• Understanding increasingly more complex instruction words (explain, evaluate, describe, find themes, estimate, research).

• Understanding and using figurative language (jokes, idioms).

• Understanding inferences.

• Telling more involved stories – Having well structured (beginning, middle, end) narratives, creating or developing characters throughout the story, using interesting language, having the ability to tell stories within stories.

• Using and understanding increasingly complex conjunctions to create longer, more complex sentences (and, but, because….even though, similarly, provided that).

• Using increasingly sophisticated social communication skills – Understanding others point of view, negotiating, verbal arguing, using different styles (formal/informal) of communication, keeping on topic and changing topic appropriately.

I-‐Can: What’s Typical talk at Secondary?

Table 3: Typical Language Development in Adolescence

3. Language is the medium through which the curriculum is taught

Language is fundamental for, participation in and access to, the majority of the

school life. At post-‐primary the language demands of the classroom increase

significantly.

• Oral language skills significantly impact many aspects of written language (e.g.

story-‐telling, understanding language in books) through which students learn

and are assessed (written tests).

• There is an increasing amount of figurative language in curriculum texts.

EXAMPLE 2 (Multiple Meaning Words): Science

EXAMPLE 1 (Idioms): English Text

‘She was as white as a sheet’ Student: ‘Is she wearing a sheet? ‘He kicked the bucket’ Student: What bucket did he kick?

Text: A magnetic field is the space around a magnet where a magnetic force can be detected Student: Why is the magnet in a field?


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• 37% of teacher instructions contain expressions with multiple or non-‐literal

meanings, 20% of that being Idioms e.g. it was raining cats and dogs.

Teacher: You’re skating on thin ice young man. Student: There is no ice Sir?

Teacher: I want you to all go on with your work. Student: Where do you want us to go?

EXAMPLE 3 (Idioms): Teacher Instruction

EXAMPLE 4 (Non-Literal Meaning): Teacher Instruction

• At post primary level there is an increasing emphasis on independent study

and learning. Language is used to plan, sequence, organise and problem

solve; all integral to independent study.

• In adolescence, social interactions become more complex and sophisticated -‐

negotiating norms, status and trust, using slang and jargon.

• Adolescents are increasingly expected to become more independent -‐ texting,

e-‐mailing, writing down homework, ordering food, arranging train travel,

making appointments, for all of which language is integral.

4. Language and Communication are linked to Social, Emotional and

Behavioural Difficulties in Adolescence

Between 50-‐80% of young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties

have undetected speech, language or communication needs (Cohen et al. 1998,

Bryan et al, 2007). That means that over half of the students you work with may

have unidentified difficulties expressing themselves, understanding what you say

and interacting appropriately with peers and adults.


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Many studies have investigated the prevalence of undetected SLCN in different

populations, outlining the potential negative impact of SLCN on an adolescent’s life

trajectory and choices:

• 74% of students with identified social, emotional and behavioural disorders

(including ADHD) (Stringer & Lozano 2007).

• 66% of excluded males (Clegg et al, 2009).

• 46-‐67% of youth offenders (Bryan et al, 2007).


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Speech, language and communication needs are not always easily recognised. There

may be no overt physical manifestations of a specific speech and language

impairment. Consequently many adolescents may have an undetected or hidden

difficulty with language and communication.

WHY?

·∙ Difficulties with understanding and processing language and information can

often be hidden by a student who has good expressive language skills.

·∙ Children and adolescents will often develop compensatory strategies (such as

responding using learned phrases, always agreeing/disagreeing with their

conversation partner, remaining silent) to hide their language difficulties.

·∙ Poor pragmatic skills (poor understanding of turn taking in conversation,

interrupting and talking over people) are often viewed/labelled as disruptive

or poor behaviour. (Stringer & Clegg in Clegg & Ginsburg 2006)

·∙ Children can often cope with their SLCN in the relatively organised daily

structure of primary school. However, the social and academic expectations

and demands of post-‐primary school are significantly higher and can serve to

highlight students SLCN. This occurs for students who may have had

intervention at primary level and those that have never had identified SLCN

(Larson & McKinley, 2003).

Identifying Speech and Language and Communication Needs in the Classroom


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POOR SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SK ILLS

• Overreacts to jokes or sarcasm. • Becomes angry for unknown reasons. • Very quiet, doesn’t speak in groups. • Pretends to laugh and join in but cannot explain details

of stories or why a joke was funny. • Avoids/doesn’t contribute to group situations and

conversations. • Chooses to be alone (eating, break times), likes having

sanctions where they can be alone. • Averse to one on one contact with adults.

P O O R U N D E R S T A N D I N G

• Cannot follow instructions correctly, remembers the last thing you told them or looks blank.

• Consistently breaks the rules despite being reminded numerous times by staff.

• Poor understanding of sanctions, feels they are being treated unfairly.

• Unable to summarise written text.

The following chart (based on ‘Sentence Trouble -‐ Signs of Communication Needs’—

The Communication Trust) illustrates the ‘hidden nature’ of SLCN for adolescents and

identifies typical behaviours a teenager with SLCN might have in a typical day.

POOR ORGANISATIONAL SK ILLS

• Disorganised and chaotic. • Regularly forget what they are

supposed to be doing, will continuously ask for repetition.

• Forget different appointments and materials.

• Difficulty sequencing events. P OO R N UMB E R S K I L L S

• Has difficulty remembering strings of number e.g. phone numbers, bank pins.

• Confuses dates and times.

•

POOR READING OR WRIT ING SK ILLS

• Pretends to be able to read. • Avoids reading and writing. • Has slow speed of reading and/or writing, difficulties

filling out forms or homework sheets. • Handwriting is poor. • Misreads words which look/sound similar.

POOR LANGUAGE SK ILLS

• Repeats points when telling a story. • Gets lost and trails off when telling you something. • Mixes up the sequence of events when explaining

something. • Explanations, descriptions or stories are confusing/hard to

follow. • Uses lots of pausing and hesitations when speaking. Will

contradict themselves when speaking which may appear as though the student is lying.

Indicators that a student may have SLCN Some students will display more of the above behaviours than others. It is important to

remember that these are indicators of speech, language and/or communication difficulties. Some

students might present with these behaviours in the absence of any SLCN.

UNCLEAR SPEECH

• Difficult to understand due to an articulation problem (e.g. a lisp or stammer).


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UNCLEAR SPEECH

• The student might be difficult to understand due to a lisp, stammer or the student might mumble

POOR LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Students might repeat themselves when telling a story or student might get lost and trail off when telling you something.

• Students might mix up the sequence of

events when explaining something • You might find it confusing to follow

students explanations, descriptions or stories

• Students might seem to be lying due to

pausing, hesitations and contradictions

POOR NUMBER SKILLS

• Students may have difficulties remembering strings of number e.g. phone numbers, bank pins

• Student may confuse dates

and times

References: Brinton & Fujiki, (1996). Social Skills of Children With Specific Language Impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools Vol.27 195-‐202 Bryan K. Freer J, Furlong C. (2007). Language and communication difficulties in juvenile offenders. International Journal of language and Communication Difficulties; 42, 505-‐520. Clegg, J, Hollis, C, Mawhood, L and Rutter, M (2005) Developmental language disorders – a follow up in later adult life: cognitive, language and psychosocial outcomes Journal: Child Psychology and Psychiatry Vol 46 Clegg, J., Stackhouse, J., Finch, K., Murphy, C. and Nicholls, S. (2009). Language abilities of secondary age pupils at risk of school exclusion: A preliminary report. Child Language Teaching and Therapy 2009 25: 123 Cohen, N. J., Barwick, M. A., Horodezky, N. B., Vallence, D. D.& Im, N. (1998) Language, Achievement and Cognitive Processing in Psychiatrically Disturbed Children with previously identified and unidentified Language Impairment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 39, 6, 865-‐877 Cook, C., Gresham, F., Kern, L., Barreras, R., Thornton, S. & Crews, S. D. (2008). Social Skills Training for Secondaary Students with Emotional and/or Behavioural Disorders: A Review and Analysis of the Meta-‐Analytic Literature. Journal of emotional and behavioural Disorders; 16:3,131-‐144 Cross, M. (2007) I CAN Talk: Language and Social Exclusion: Issue 4 Hartshorne, M. (2011). ICAN Talk: Speech, Language and Communication in Secondary Aged Pupils: Issue 10 Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT) Position Paper (2007). Specific Speech and Language Impairment in Children: Definition, Service Provision and Recommendations for Change Larson, VL and McKinley, NL (2003) Service Delivery Options for Secondary Students with Language Disorders: Seminars in Speech and Language Vol 24 (3) Locke, JL and Bogin, B (2006) Language and Life History: A new perspective on the development and evolution of human language: Behavioural and Brain Sciences Vol 29 Locke, A., Ginsborg, J. and Peers, I. (2002) Development and Disadvantage: Implications for the early years. International Journal of Communication Disorders Vol 27 No 1 Nippold, Marilyn A. (2007) Later Language Development: School-‐age Children, Adolescents, And Young Adults. 2nd ed. Publ. Pro Ed. Paul, R. (2007). Language disorders from infancy through adolescence: assessment & intervention. 3rd Ed. Elsevier Health Sciences Reed, VA (2005). An Introduction to children with language disorders, 3rd edition Allyn and Bacon/Pearson 6 Sage, R. (2005) Communicating with Students Who Have Learning and Behaviour Difficulties: A continuing professional development programme. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 10 4 281-‐297 Snow, P.C. & Powell, M.B. (2005). What's the story? An exploration of narrative language abilities in male juvenile offenders. Psychology, Crime and Law 11(3) 239-‐253 Snowling, M. J. (2005). Literacy outcomes for children with oral language impairments: Developmental interactions between language skills and learning to read. In Catts, H. W. & Kamhi, A. G. (2005). The connections between language and reading disabilities. Snowling M., Bishop, D.V.M., Stothard, S., Chipchase, B. and Kaplan, C. (2006) Psychosocial outcomes at 15 years of children with a preschool history of speech-‐language impairment: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Vol 47 Stringer, H (2006) Facilitating Narrative and Social Skills in Secondary School Students with Language an Behaviour Difficulties in Clegg, J and Ginsborg, J. (eds) Language and Social Disadvantage: theory into practice. Wiley

Websites: www.sentencetrouble.info The Communication Trust, The Dyslexia SpLD Trust and the Autism

National Behaviour Support Service National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) Navan Education Centre Athlumney Navan Co. Meath Telephone: +353 46 909 3355 Fax: +353 46 909 3354 Email: [email protected]

Speech, Language & Communication Needs in Adolescence

speech, language and communication needs in adolescence · speech, language and communication needs...

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