Speech delays vs. intelligibility

[Jodi]

Hi All...

Hey, I've seen posts about "talking" and I thought I would just share my 2 cents on the matter.

Ryan will be 10 next month (holy cow!) and, for the most part, people can not understand what he is saying.

I just wanted to say that there is a difference between speech delay and intelligibility. Ryan "talks" constantly. It's just hard to understand what he is saying. So he is not delayed in his ability to communicate, it's just that he has a very hard time forming the correct sounds. Low muscle tone on top of what speech and language pathologists call a "phonological disorder" (and other issues) make it difficult for Ryan to make the correct sounds to formulate words.

The good (I see it as GREAT) news... Ryan knows what he wants to say and he is always communicating. The bad news... even I have a really hard time understanding him most of the time.

I guess my point is that for a while I thought Ryan was delayed in his speech because no one could understand him. The fact that he knows what he wants to say, tries to say it, and that he UNDERSTANDS that WE have a hard time understanding HIM so he keeps trying (and even says "good job" when we guess correctly what he is trying to say) shows me that he is doing pretty well. We just need to find a way to help him get the words out so the communication isn't so broken-up.

Most of you know we have a device for Ryan, but he still prefers to be verbal ALL the time - and he uses his device as a last resort.

Anyway, hope that makes sense. I was discouraged when I thought Ryan wasn't communicating well - and I just want the other parents out there to realize their kids are probably communicating more than they think they are.

Thanks

Jodi

[Emilysmom]

Jodi,
I totally understand what you're saying. Emily's intelligibility is her weakest area of all. I know it has to frustrate her to pieces, because she has SO much to say! And, bless her heart.........what she does say comes out so FAST, (and sometimes quietly) that it is nearly impossible for even ME to understand. It does help if I can get her to slow way down. I always wonder if it's like someone who has had a stroke and they know exactly what they want to say, and just can't understand why WE can't understand?

I had to giggle about Ryan telling you "good job" when you understand him. How sweet!!! Recently, Emily was trying to tell me something and I was not having a bit of luck understanding her. So, she looks really patiently at me and begins to SPELL the word slowly! (Her spelling is creative, at best, but it really did help me understand what she was saying.)

Even at 16 years old, Emily's language continues to grow and her articulation improves too..........just a bit more slowly. It's one of those things that makes me so envious of other teens (and some little kids too!) who have much clearer speech.

Susan

[CC]

"I just wanted to say that there is a difference between speech delay and intelligibility."

Sooooo TRUE. Jodi you are so right. Funny for us I always just use the phrase "speech delayed" but Chris is so much like your Ryan. Chris OMG he yaps all day long and loves talking to anybody that will listen the problem is most of his words are not understood by most BUT Chris understands exactly what he means.

For me the killer is why do some words come out as clear as if you or I said them but lots don't, KWIM?

We have had a augmentative for Chris for years and honestly he would rather try the verbal over and over before ever going to the augmentative. Colin, I and actually all the professionals that work with him say the same thing, its cause he knows what he is saying and not sure why we don't get it

Chris will go so far as to turn your head and repeat it in your ear as I sometimes think he thinks we don't hear him KWIM.

CC ~

[victoriasdad]

victoria has plenty to say, we just cant understand her, she sings and give great speeches ,gets the bible and gives sermons,copies word for word commercials and movie scenes its just garbled, we can underestand her sometimes , sometimes she will say something clear as a bell and never say it again, we know shes talking, stringing whole sentences together, asking questions, answering questions, but its garbled, its fustrating for us, its fustrating for her, but when i realized she was stringing sentences together , asking questions ect i finally realized it was going to come, sooner or later we were going to be able to hold a conversation together eventually, it was like i was holding my breath for seven yrs and i finally got a new breath.

[Jessie]

Ditto!! That is exactly the way Jason is too. He knows how to use the aug device but prefers not to use it.

I have always compared it to being in a foreign country. Jason understands his language and our language - we just don't know how to translate his language in order to understand him.

Susan - Jason's uncle had a stroke a few years ago. The next time he saw Jason after that and heard Jason try to communicate, he said he finally understood what it must be like for Jason - just like how he felt after he had his stroke.

That's where the Apraxia diagnosis comes in.


Jessie

[Connie]

Jodi,

I so completely agree....while with new people and new surroundings I would still describe Collin as being non-verbal but, at home....he is very talkative but, I sometimes can't understand him and have to have his 6 year old sister translate for him.

I hate it because I know he is trying so hard but his intelligibility makes it hard for us at times.

Very very good point

Connie

[CC]

"Jason's uncle had a stroke a few years ago. The next time he saw Jason after that and heard Jason try to communicate, he said he finally understood what it must be like for Jason - just like how he felt after he had his stroke.

That's where the Apraxia diagnosis comes in. "

YUP Jessie, OMG my sis aka Christopher's Aunt also had a stroke and she too once she recovered said the exact same thing, that she finally understood what Chris goes through and how hard it must be.

CC ~

[Jodi]

Bump for Leah...

[mydsgirl]

I guess I just don't know how to respond to this. Yes, Emma bables frequently and talks with her hands also. She lloks at me when she does this and nods her head as if asking me "Yes, Mommy, You understand don't you." I guess I don't really see the difference between the speech delay and the intelligibility. Her therapist at school and at the hospital for children do not seem to think Emma will develope a laguage that most people will be able to understand. Thus we are moving toward the augmentation device to help. I just don't look forward to working with her at home with this device because Emma can be ever so stubborn. I will do it however because I want lots of people to be able to understand what she has to say.

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

Does Emma sign? Brook just started and it's wonderful

[Jodi]

I will try to explain it a little better. There is a difference in the ability to understand speech, and being able to communicate. Some children have great receptive language skills (understand what is being said to them) but are delayed in expressive language skills (verbally responding). Some children are delayed in both receptive and expressive language skills.

I have found that Ryan's receptive language is very good. His expressive langauge is severly delayed. Some people look at Ryan and assume that his understanding of language is limited based on his ability to communicate.

Children who understand what is being said, and who try to speak a lot but are misunderstood, are excellent candidates for devices and alternate means to communicate. If the child does not understand, then such alternatives can create further frustrations.

If you child does have good understanding, the hardest thing to do is to back off from always interpreting their wants and make them find a way to communicate. Anticipating their every need will undermine their independence. If she doesn't like using a device, is it because she can get what she wants without it? Can she get what she wants without communicating? By using bad behaviors?

I might be wrong about her. I can only say what has and what has not worked for Ryan. We've stopped anticipating his needs and his life as King Ryan is coming to an end!

Jodi

[kellyds]

Very educational thread! Thank you! Joshie is very hard to understand (thaf for bath, caca for chocolate, etc.), but he signs well and I can tell he knows what he's trying to say. I appreciate understanding the difference.

[Chris too]

Are you wanting Leah's info on cued speech? It is great for improving intelligibility. Also you may want to have a Beckman analysis - it is a thorough analysis of the muscle strengths and weaknesses in and around the mouth. If you can get a good assessment of these weaknesses, you can really concentrate therapy on strengthing them. Susan just took Emily for one by none other than Julia Beckman herself. Very cool.