Asia Pacific College of Business and Arts
College of Education
FOUNDATION FOR SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
CHAPTER 13
Learners with Difficulty Communicating
Communication can be classified as “expressive” or “receptive.” Expressive
communication is the ability to produce speech. Receptive communication is the ability to
understand speech.Students who have difficulty communicating in class include those who are
deaf or hard of hearing, have speech impairments, have difficulty processing auditory
information because of a learning disability, or have physical impairments that affect their speech
or language.
The Importance of Communication
Communication is an essential part of everyday life. It is also a fundamental human right.
It is our primary means of accessing and conveying information and expressing our needs
and wants. It is how we explain our thoughts and emotions and interpret those of others,
make choices, express feelings and build relationships. It forms the basis of how we
interact socially with others.
It is not uncommon for children and young people with additional needs to have
communication difficulties. These difficulties may include children and young people
who communicate verbally most of the time or some of the time and those whose
communication is mostly non-verbal. These children and young people often struggle to
communicate their needs, wants and/or opinions and as a result use behaviour as their
voice. By supporting children and young people to use alternative and augmentative
(AAC) ways to communicate, we can increase their positive interactions and provide
them with opportunities to understand and express themselves fully. We call this a total
communication approach.
Total Communication Approach and Your Child
A Total Communication Approach involves using and accepting all types of
communication, not just speech, equally. This approach includes facial expression, body
language, gesture, sign, sounds, symbols, written language, pictures, objects of reference and
electronic aids. An example of this might be a child using gestures to access a toy, using a sign to
indicate that he or she needs to go to the toilet or exchanging a picture to ask for a snack. For a
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total communication approach to be effective, the following three components need to be
included in the approach:
* Identifying and supporting your child’s means or mode of communication.
* Motivating your child by providing a reason for him/her to communicate.
* Practising and creating many opportunities for your child to communicate.
‘What We Need to Communicate
Effectively
Reasons / Motivation
Without reasons to communicate, there is no point or need to communicate
Opportunities/ Practice
Without opportunities for communication, there can be no communication
Means / Mode
Without a means of communication, you cannot express yourself
COMMON COMMUNICATION DISABILITY
AUTISM
Is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal
communication and social interaction.
It is a wide range of spectrum of brain disorder that is usually noticed in young children.
Asperger’s Syndrome
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Children with Asperger’s Syndrome might engage in obsessive routines and shows
unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Also known as Heller’s Syndrome and Disintegrative Psychosis, is a rare condition
characterized by late on-set of developmental delays or severe and sudden reversals in language,
social function, and motor skills.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
Refers to a group of disorder characterized by delays in the development of socialization
and communication skills. Parents may note symptoms as early as infancy, although the typical
age of onset is before 3 years of age.
Rett Syndrome (RTT)
Is a genetic disorder that typically becomes apparent after 6-18 months of age in females.
Symptoms include impairment in language and coordination and repetitive movements. Those
affected often have slower growth, difficulty walking, and a smaller head.
SPEECH DEFECT
A speech disorder is a condition in which a person has a problem in creating or forming
the speech sound needed to communicate with others. This can make the child's speech difficult
to understand.
COMMON SPEECH DISORDER
*Articulation disorderHave problem making sounds and forming particular speech
sounds properly.
Phonological Disorder
Is a type of speech sound disorder that is used to describe children who do not follow the
typical pattern of speech development. May produce sound errors when producing words that are
not seen in speech development of typically developing children.
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Stuttering
Also called as stammering or Child on set fluency disorder that involves frequent and
flow of speech. People who stutter know what want to say, but have difficult saying it
Apraxia
Oral me gechdiseder he chi brain has ful ordinatine the complex
Into phrases.
Receptive Disorder
People who have it often don’t understand what other says. They struggle with the
meaning of language and respond in way that don’t make sense.
Selective Mutism
Is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in a certain social
situations, such as classmates at school or relatives they do not see very often.
LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS OF SPEECH DISORDER
Some characteristics of language disorder includes improper use of words and their
meaning, inability to express ideas, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and
inability to follow instructions.
GENERAL EDUCATION ADAPTATION
* Treat the student with disability like any other students.
* Encourage classmates to accept the student with disability.
* Be a good speech model. This will indicate to all that good communication is desirable.
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* Give students with autism and speech defectan opportunity to speak on class.
* Speak to them naturally.
References:
https://www.washington.edu/doit/effective-communication-students-who-have-communication-
disorders#:~:text=Students%20who%20have%20difficulty%20communicating,affect%20their
%20speech%20or%20language.
https://accessiblecampus.ca/tools-resources/educators-tool-kit/teaching-tips/teaching-students-
with-speech-related-disabilities/#:~:text=Include%20the%20person%20with%20a,to%20respond
%20to%20a%20question.
https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Resource-5-A-Total-Communication-Approach.pdf
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/president-ramon-magsaysay-state-university/bachelor-of-
secondary-education/learners-with-difficulty-communicating/42131430
