Welcome parents, students, and teachers!  Whether your student receives speech services, is in the process of a speech/language evaluation, or has recently undergone a speech/language screening, I hope you will use this webpage to learn more about speech and language.  Here at Sedalia, students who qualify to receive speech therapy services may be seen individually or in small groups.  Services may be provided in the classroom, resource room, and/or speech room.  My goal is to address students’ unique speech/language needs.  Teacher and caregiver communication and support are also essential.  Thank you for taking the time to view this webpage!  Read on to learn more about speech and language!

Michelle Emery, M.S., CCC-SLP

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with individuals who demonstrate communication disorders in articulation, language, fluency, voice, and/or swallowing.  SLPs have many roles in the school setting:

• prevention of communication disorders
• screening and/or periodic monitoring of students' communication skills
• assessment of students' communication skills
• development and implementation of IEPs
• documentation of outcomes
• collaboration with teachers, parents, and other professionals

What is an articulation disorder?

Articulation is the process by which sounds, syllables, and words are formed when the tongue, jaw, teeth, lips, and palate alter the air stream after it moves past the vocal folds.  A person is described as having an articulation disorder when he or she produces sounds, syllables, or words incorrectly so that listeners do not understand what is being said or pay more attention to the way the words sound rather than to what they mean.  Examples of articulation disorders include saying one sound for another ("wabbit" for rabbit), omitting a sound in a word ("i-cream" for ice cream), and distorting a sound ("thee" for see).

What is a language disorder? 

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language) or sharing thoughts, ideas, and/or feelings completely (expressive language), he or she is described as having a language disorder.

A person exhibiting a language disorder may have difficulty with comprehension, vocabulary, concepts, or grammar.  A language disorder could also impact the social aspects of language (also known as pragmatics).  For example, a person with a pragmatic language disorder may demonstrate difficulty initiating or maintaining conversation appropriately.

What is fluency?

Fluency is the smoothness or flow with which sounds, syllables, words, and phrases are joined together when speaking.  All people produce brief disfluencies from time to time, repeating some words and/or sounds and preceding words with "uh" or "um."  However, more frequent and severe hesitations, repetitions, blocks, and sound prolongations can impede communication.  This type of disfluency is more commonly known as stuttering.

What is a voice disorder?

A voice disorder exists when a speaker exhibits some sort of abnormality in loudness, pitch, quality, or resonance with consideration of the speaker's age, gender, geographic background, and cultural background (Boone, McFarlane, & Von Berg, 2005).

Some examples of voice disorders include the following:

• speech that is too high, too low, or monotonous in pitch
• speech that is too loud or too soft
• speech that is harsh, hoarse, breathy, or nasal

“Unhealthy” Vocal Habits

• Screaming/Yelling
• Talking too loudly
• Talking for long periods of time
• Hard laughing
• Throat clearing
• Smoking (or secondhand smoke)
• Vocal noises (for example, grunting)
• Talking in dry air
• Caffeinated beverages daily

“Healthy” Vocal Habits

• Modify or eliminate “unhealthy” vocal behaviors!!
• Use amplification
• Reduce the distance between speaker and receiver(s)
• Avoid airborne irritants
• Healthy nutrition
• Drink water! (Note: Water should never touch your vocal folds when swallowed, but water is a source of full body hydration)

What is a swallowing disorder/dysphagia?

Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia, can occur at different stages in the swallowing process and may include difficulty sucking, chewing, triggering a swallow, and/or moving food into the stomach.