Speech and Language are not the same thing. Your child or student(s) may be receiving services for speech, language, or both.
Speech:
- deals with articulation, fluency, and voice
Language:
- deals with communication (including spoken and unspoken),
- deals with syntax and pragmatics, including figurative language
- deals with the processing of receptive and expressive language
Terms:
articulation, fluency, and voice– refers to pronunciation/enunciation, quality of voice/tone, and rhythm (e.g. is the student a stutterer?)
communication– the process of conveying a message or meaning with a shared understanding with another
syntax– grammar, sentence structure, word order, and phrases
pragmatics– language in its social context (how the language is used including the inferred intents of the speaker)
receptive and expressive language– the ability to understand verbal and nonverbal language and the ability to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings
