RESOURCES

MINI SPEECH & LANGUAGE GLOSSARY FOR FAMILIES

*Please always ask for clarification if you are unfamiliar with terminology used by your therapist! We are happy to educate and want to support your understanding*

Articulation (physical sound production): This refers to the ability to make the sounds needed to speak clearly.

An articulation or speech sound disorder is when a child has difficulty saying certain sounds correctly. This means they might mix up, leave out, or distort sounds in words, which can make their speech harder to understand.  Even if a child is using long sentences, if their sound production (articulation) is not clear they won’t be understood.

Oral Motor Impairment (muscle status and movements): Oral motor skills refer to the ability to use the muscles in your mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw to perform tasks like speaking, eating, and drinking. When muscle structure and function are to blame for unclear speech. A child can have low or high muscle tone, keeping them from producing clear and intelligible speech. Oral motor impairment can also make it more difficult to chew and swallow food safely and to manage saliva.

Phonology (sound representation in the brain): Sometimes we can say individual sounds, but not in every part of every word. Struggles with sound concepts early on can lead to reading difficulties later if not appropriately addressed.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech/ CAS (the motor plan and coordination of speech): Sometimes a person knows what they want to say and their muscle structure and function is fine, but the pathway from the brain where that word is stored to the mouth muscles that move, is disrupted. Their ability to store motor sequences after saying a word correctly may also be impaired, so even if they get the word right once, they struggle to repeat it correctly again.

Receptive Language (what we understand): This refers to how well a person understands or "receives" information when others speak to them. It's the ability to listen to and make sense of words, sentences, and ideas. In simple terms, receptive language is the input part of communication. It’s how we understand what other people are saying. It includes listening to words, following directions, and understanding sentences or stories. People need to comprehend the content of language to appropriately respond to it.

Expressive Language (what we say): This is how we "express" ourselves through talking, writing, or even using gestures and body language. When someone has difficulty with expressive language, it means they might struggle to find the right words, form sentences, or express their ideas clearly. People need language output to communicate their wants and needs.

Voice (the quality of our vocal output): This can include issues like hoarseness, a weak or breathy voice, difficulty speaking loudly enough, or losing your voice easily. Voice problems might be caused by things like overusing the voice, an injury, illness, or even stress. Voice therapy can be really helpful for people who speak for long periods of time (like teachers, singers, or public speakers) or for anyone who’s experiencing voice strain or discomfort. The goal is to help you use your voice in a way that’s healthy, effective, and doesn’t cause harm in the long term.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): AAC refers to a range of tools and strategies that support people in expressing themselves when use of vocal speech is effortful or impaired. These tools, which may include "high-tech" (e.g., iPads, speech generating devices), "low-tech" (e.g., paper-based visuals, binders, pictures), or "no tech" (e.g., gestures) help individuals communicate more effectively, engage with others, and participate fully in life, supporting their independence and social connections.

Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing): Challenges in the process of eating and drinking, whether it’s getting food or liquids into the mouth, moving them safely down the throat, or into the stomach. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as weakness in the muscles used for swallowing, or issues with the nerves that control the swallowing process. Observable signs of dysphagia may include: difficulty chewing/swallowing, taking longer to eat, choking/coughing during meals, gagging or feeling like food is "stuck", rapid & unexplainable changes in weight.