Not every student have a same calibre. Some speak fluently, while others have language and communication disorders that affect their learning capabilities, ability to process things and connect with their surrounding students and teachers.
The good news – this is not something irreparable. With proper guidance from teachers, practical tricks to build confidence in them and developing the IEP, teachers can help them to express themselves like normal students.
This post shares what today’s educators should be aware of to help students with communication disorders.
Key takeaways
- Communication disorders can affect speaking, expressing and even the processing capabilities of a student.
- Teachers are usually the first ones to find out the signs that a student needs additional support.
- Small teaching strategies like corrections make a big difference in student participation.
Overview: What Is a Communication Disorder?
First, it’s important to set out our terms. A communication disorder can take many forms. Often, it’s related to speech elements such as stammering, stuttering, or difficulty delivering certain sounds.
Other times, the communication barrier might be less obvious. A student might lose their train of thought or simply have a hard time verbally stating ideas that are much clearer in their head.
Because the signs can vary so significantly, communication disorders are not always immediately detected. A student who can’t speak clearly may receive a relatively quick diagnosis, while one who struggles to keep up in verbal communication might have a longer and more complex path toward recovery.
In all cases, the process is often much more user-friendly than you might assume. In the next few sections, we’ll take a look at what that looks like for a teacher.
The Diagnosis
The first step in the process is to provide a formal diagnosis. This is not the job of a teacher, though instructors are typically the first to notice that a student might need extra help.
If you are working with a student who you feel may be having issues with speech or communication, there are internal ways you should be able to follow. Your school may have a speech-language pathologist on staff.
If they do not, they most likely have access to one within the general school district. Contacting them for a consultation with the student is often a first step toward sorting out what’s going on.
It’s important in all cases to be communicative with the parents and to avoid telling them your opinions of the situation. While teachers often have a good idea of what may be affecting a student’s academic outcomes, it is not right—or lawful—to present these thoughts as fact without a formal, authorized examination to support them.
Once the situation has been formally judged, it becomes much easier to follow through with a series of carefully curated steps optimized for the student’s unique needs.
Developing an IEP
Often, students with communication disorders will get personalized services in the form of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Writing these plans is typically the job of a special educator, but homeroom teachers may still work with the SPED department to identify accommodations and give the instructor a better idea of what the student is like in the classroom.
The IEP serves as a roadmap for future lessons. It is a valuable tool for designing an educational strategy and for tracking performance. It is also legally mandatory. Once an IEP has been established, it is very important that it is followed properly.
Facilitating Accommodations
As a homeroom teacher, your job is to coordinate accommodations that are designed by the SPED department. Special education staff may work firsthand with students alongside an SLP. However, in many cases, these students will spend some or even most of their time in larger education classrooms.
In these scenes, your job is to teach them the same course material everyone else is given, but in a way that is more flexible in view of their specific barriers to learning.
This part of the process often sounds more natural on the front end than it actually is in practice. Why? Because accommodations need to be carried out in a very specific way, no matter of whatever events develop day to day.
In other words, even if the child is not open to the accommodations you are trying to administer, you still have to push through with them. It is a legal contract.
This can result in feelings of hatred or even inaction on the part of the instructor. It’s important to push through that pain. IEPs—and education in general—are not about day-to-day outcomes, but longer-term growth.
Understand That Progress Is Almost Inevitable
One of the positive things about speech or communication disorders, neglect how difficult or annoying they can be on the front end, is that they are often very manageable with one crucial ingredient: time. Progress typically begins very slowly, but can snowball, particularly as the student grows confidence.
As their teacher, you play an important role in helping them gain that confidence. If you would like to be as helpful as possible, consider speaking with your school’s SLP for tips on how you can be a good parent for your student.
They’ll be able to provide you with advice beyond mere accommodations that can help the student feel more comfortable and taken care of.
A good example is gentle rerouting. Students who struggle to describe sounds or phrases will often benefit greatly from gentle corrections.
For example, if they can’t quite say, “I saw a giraffe at the zoo over the weekend,” your job is to fix their mispronunciation and gently repackage the word with the correct dialect: “Oh, it’s very exciting to see a giraffe at the zoo over the weekend.”
This way, the student is exposed to the proper sound, but they don’t feel unhappy or shamed for having been unable to do it themselves.
How Schools Can Optimize for a More Inclusive Learning Environment
At the end of the day, the focus isn’t just on making school more pleasant for students with speech or communication difficulties. It’s about designing an environment that is maximally pleasant and efficient for the largest possible number of people.
To be fair, schools have been headed in this direction for some time, and it’s become more possible than ever with the development of custom learning platforms, along with increased support from trainers and paraprofessionals.
Students are now given significantly more private attention and access to lesson plans that are adjusted toward their ideal learning style.
There’s always more that can be done. It takes intentional and consistent effort to optimize school for everyone. Many districts are now seeking the services of an educational consultant to conduct an external audit of systems and processes and make personalized hints for how to reach their goals.
These professionals can be an exceptional asset and an effective means of helping students of every background and skill level fulfil their potential.
The best thing about being part of a school system is that you’re never alone. As a teacher, you may put a lot of strain on yourself to do right by every student who steps into your classroom.
While that response is right, don’t forget that there are many other professionals within your network who can provide everything from active support to encouragement and practical guidance. Take advantage of the entire community that is assisting you.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, supporting students with communication issues is not just about helping them to improve their speech or classroom involvement. It is about making them feel normal like others, realise their abilities to perform better and become more confident.
With the right accommodation and encouragement, teachers can build a space where every student feels supported and at ease to grow at their own pace. These small yet effective efforts differ in the student’s learning and self-confidence.
FAQs
Communication disorders refer to difficulties in speaking, understanding, processing, or expressing thoughts and language effectively.
Teachers can identify possible communication disorders by noticing signs such as frequent pauses while speaking, difficulty expressing thoughts, or struggling to understand instructions.
Yes, with consistent support, therapy, and proper accommodation strategies, students can make significant improvements over time.
