Communication Strategies for the Classroom

• SLP’s have received specialized education and training through a Masters program to support communication disorders, including:

  • Speech sounds, Receptive/Expressive Language, Pragmatic (social) Language, Stuttering, AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication), Voice, Cognition, Feeding/Swallowing.

  • Which two areas do we work with most at an elementary school?

• Receptive and Expressive Language

• Stuttering

• Speech Sounds

• Voice

Articulation means: how speech sounds are formed. Types of errors can be substitutions, omissions/deletions, distortions, or additions

• -Substitutions (ie. “fink” for “think”)

• -Omissions/Deletions (ie. “ca” for “cat”)

• -Distortions - sounds are altered or changed (lisp - “th” for “s” or lateral lisp)

• -Additions (ie. “buhlack” for “black”)

"Will you tall my mom?" is what type of error?

All of the following are effective strategies in the classroom except

• • Model correct speech sound production in the classroom while drawing attention to your mouth 

• Reinforce accurate production of speech sounds while giving specific feedback about how to make the sound (ie. if a student says the “f” sound, remind them to bite their lower lip and blow)

• • Ask the student to repeat what they’re saying if not understood

• • Highlight or underline target sound(s) for read aloud or homework activities

• Yell super loudly so that every student in the classroom can hear

All of the following are also effective speech sound strategies in the classroom except

• • Explain how misarticulations change word meanings (ie. if a student says “tea” instead of “key”, you can say “did you mean /t/ like the letter, or “key” that unlocks a door)

• • Allow longer response time

• • Reduce the amount of background noise in the classroom

• • Provide preferential seating near the teacher or at the front of the class

• Increase background noise in the classroom

• Difficulty learning and retaining basic skills such as colors, shapes, letters, numbers (even after lengthy instruction and repetition)

• Difficulty following simple commands or directions

• Trouble adequately expressing their thoughts, feelings, needs/wants at school

• Grammatical errors that are not age appropriate or due to a second language influence

• Vocabulary and word finding difficulties

• Difficulty understanding word meanings, including multiple meaning words

• These are all examples of what type of communication disorder?

• Receptive/Expressive Language Disorder

• Pragmatic Communication Disorder

• Stuttering

• Articulation Disorder

• Obtain student’s attention before giving a direction

• Shorten/modify oral directions

• Ask student to repeat or rephrase the directions to ensure understanding

• Allow longer oral response time

• Provide visuals to enhance explanation or new material, especially with abstract concepts

• Give written directions or visual cues for verbal directions

• Assist student in giving correct responses by accepting his/her answers and expanding on them

• Give student an opportunity to explain their response

• These are all strategies to help a student with which kind of difficulty

• Stuttering

• Articulation

• Receptive/Expressive Language

• Pragmatic Communication

• Provide visual schedules and supports.

• Provide a consistent routine.

• Provide opportunities to act out and role-play interactions while giving suggestions and feedback.

• Understand each child’s unique interests and ways of communicating.  

• Encourage and help the child to identify communication needs and supports to empower them to self advocate.

• Respect and appreciate neurodiversity.  For example, it is not “wrong” if a child does not make eye contact.  Many autistic students have extreme discomfort making eye contact.  

• These are all strategies to help a student with which kind of difficulty

• Stuttering

• Articulation

• Receptive/Expressive Language

• Pragmatic Communication

Stuttering is speech characterized by various disfluencies, including sound/word repetitions, blocks, or prolongations. Stuttering can be extremely variable in regards to frequency, severity, and situation. In more severe cases, a student may develop accompanying behaviors, including facial and/or gestural movements, or avoid talking in certain situations. This can look like:

• Sound repetitions - ie. “b-b-ball”

• Word repetitions - ie. “we, we are playing”

• Prolongations - ie. “s—sun”

• Blocks - getting “stuck” on a particular sound (or sounds) in a word

• A student saying "H-h-h-he hit me!" is an example of which type of stuter?

Strategies to support a student who stutters include which of the following?

• Encourage and maintain a neurodiversity affirming environment in the classroom, accepting all types of communication as valid, whether stuttering is present or not

• • Allow sufficient time for students to formulate and express their thoughts (don’t finish sentences or attempt to speak for the student)

• Give them your full attention by conveying you are listening to what they say

• Have students give a presentation in front of the class so that their peers understand their communication preferences and accommodations they may need

Augmentative and Alternative Communication means all of the ways that people communicate besides ​

• talking
• signing
• selecting buttons on a talker