More information about stuttering can be found at: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/stutter.html 

This is the site for children and adults with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder: http://www.chadd.org 

This is a link to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association Tipsheet page. It has info on everything from auditory processing to emergent literacy and nearly everything else, too!: http://www.asha.org/about/news/tipsheets/ 

How is a speech language screening different from a speech language evaluation?

These are two very different things. First a screening is a very basic "glimpse" of a child's abilities. Think of it as a snapshot. A screening can be conducted very quickly. It takes anywhere from just a few minutes to as much as 15 minutes or more. It takes a broad look at the child's receptive and expressive language skills as well as speech (articulation) skills. A screening is done to identify any child who may need further testing. A failed screening does not necessarily mean a child needs speech therapy, it does mean the child needs additional testing.

An evaluation is a much more in depth look at a child's abilities. Think of it as a video. An evaluation takes much longer to administer. The length of an evaluation depends on the child's age and the skills being assessed as well as other factors. A evaluation typically last about one hour or more.  It will assess many aspects of the child's receptive and expressive language skills. An evaluation will assess a child's ability to produce all of the sounds of the English language. An evaluation will also include a check of the child oral structures. (This is sometimes called an oral mechanism assessment.) An evaluation is done to see if a child needs speech and/or language therapy.

Is it possible for a child to pass a screening and still need to receive an evaluation?

Yes, it is possible. You or your child's teacher may feel that your child needs additional testing even after passing a screening, based information that the screener may not have been able to detect.

Also screenings need to be conducted regularly, a child may develop problems over time. A child can pass a screening at the age of four and fail it the next year.

What are some strategies I can teach my child to increase and memory skills?

Strategies for Listening and Memory**

ATTENDING SKILLS:

*Recognize your teacher's alerting words.

*Establish eye contact when a listening cue is heard. This helps you focus on what is being said, and looking at the speaker is the polite thing to do.

*Recognize external distractions and put them in the background. Some external distractions can be solved. If it's noisy in the hallway, shut the door, etc... Ask the teacher to speak louder or move away from the source of distraction if possible.

*Recognize internal distractions (DAYDREAMING!) and stop. Think of it as turning off the T.V. in your mind. Think, "Oops, I've got the wrong channel on. It's not tie to watch that. I've got to turn on the 'teacher channel'." Then look at the teacher and try to repeat what the teacher is saying in your mind. Remember...daydreaming is a great way to pass the time if you're riding in the car or waiting in line. Daydreaming is inappropriate in the classroom, however, and causes you to miss important things your teacher is saying.

*Maintain a good listening position (maintain eye contact and full body control). Eyes: Look at the speaker most of the time. Hands: Keeps still and away from distractions. Feet: Do not move them unless you are shifting to view the speaker.

*Wait for verbal direction to be completed before beginning a task.

REMEMBERING WHAT IS BEING SAID: *Subvocalizing (repeating key information silently)  to hold on to information long enough to complete a task or write it down. *Chunking (grouping pieces of information together) *Visual imaging

**Taken in part from A Metacognitive Program for Treating Auditory Processing Disorders  by Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi

How long can I expect my child to be in therapy?

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to answer  that question. Each child is unique therefore, it is impossible to say how long the therapy process will take. ASHA NOMS * data has determined that for speech disorders it generally takes 20 hours of therapy for a child to improve one functional communication level.

For some children the process goes very quickly for others it takes longer. This varies depending on a number of factors which typically include: the severity of the disorder; length and frequency of therapy sessions; whether or not a home program is used consistently; and maturity of the child.

You can help the process along by ensuring that your child attends sessions regularly and by following all the suggestions given by your child's therapist.

*Please visit the ASHA website for more information on NOMS data.  

What is an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?   

An Auditory Processing Disorder, which may also be known as a Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), is used to describe a special type of hearing problem which can be found in children as well as adults. Typically the individual has normal hearing acuity, but functions as though he/she has a hearing loss. "Very simply auditory processing is what the brain does with what the ear hears" (Katz, 1994).

Students with auditory processing disorders (APD) are a heterogeneous group. They display a multitude of symptoms varying in number and degree of severity. Other disorders such as language disorders, word retrieval difficulties, dyslexia, and attention deficit disorder may co-exist with APD. Statistics show the prevalence of APD to be in two to three percent of children, with a 2:1 boy to girl ratio (Chermak and Musiek, 1997).

What is Language Processing? Language Processing (LP) is the ability to attach meaning to the auditory stimuli (Massaro, 1975). Language Processing is primarily an auditory task. The population demonstrates normal intellectual potential and is approximately age-commensurate in language acquisition measurements. In addition, word retrieval and short-term auditory memory deficits are cardinal features of language processing disorders.

How Is CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder) different from ADHD?

While two disorders often co-exist, children with only CAPD will appear inattentive after the auditory system has been "overloaded." When there is a great deal of noise and/or when they are required to listen for long periods of time. Inattention is not the primary symptom of CAPD. It is the primary symptom of ADHD. The impulsivity seen in children with ADHD, is not seen in those with only CAPD.

The primary symptoms associated with CAPD are: difficulty hearing in background noise; difficulty following instructions given orally; poor listening skills; academic difficulties; and poor auditory association skills (Chermak et al (1998)  JAAA).

If you suspect your child is having difficulty processing auditory information, please seek an evaluation. CAPD should only be diagnosed by a two part evaluation,  done by an audiologist and speech-language pathologist.

I am concerned about my child's speech (or language) development, but our pediatrician is not. What should I do?  

You know your child better than anyone so if you have concerns please seek an evaluation. Your child may behave differently in the doctor's office, so your doctor may not see exactly why you are concerned. If you need a referral keep bringing it up to your child's pediatrician. Site for the doctor the specific things that your are concerned about. Keep a record of the behavior that is concerning you and take it in at your next doctor's appointment.  After you do this, if you are still getting nowhere seek out a second opinion from another pediatrician. In any case I would not advise you to wait more than a few months, since early intervention can truly make a big difference in the life of a child. Further, it will not hurt to get an evaluation and find out that nothing is wrong. However, if you have developed these concerns recently or if your child is under two years of age you may take a few months to see if your concerns persist.

How is therapy different from tutoring?

While both tutors and therapist often work with children individually or in small groups, the goals of each are very different. Tutors often work with children to reteach the same material that the child's teacher is covering in school. The goal of therapy is to retrain or remediate  the child's speech or language skills.  The work a therapist does with a child should improve his or her functioning in the classroom environment, but the focus is not to reteach the material presented by the child's teacher. Also tutoring is often done for short periods of time, while therapy is typically ongoing over a period of months or years.