Speech & Language Services

Below is a list of the most common terms used when describing speech and language skills, as well as a brief description of each area. 
 
 
Articulation
 
  • pronunciation
  • how children say their sounds in words
 
Phonology
 
  • the way children organize sounds into speech patterns
  • the gradual process of acquiring adult speech patterns
  • these patterns tend to be developmental in nature
 
Intelligibility
 
  • how clearly a child speaks
  • how well a child is able to be understood during connected speech
 
 
Semantics
 
  • relates to understanding the meaning of words, phrases and sentences
  • the ability to use words appropriately when speaking
  • the relationship between language and thought
 
Syntax
 
  • the ability to combine words together to form sentences
  • correctly sequencing words in the proper order
  • correct use of inflections
 
 
Morphology
 
  • relates to the structure or forms of words
  • a morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of language, for example, the addition of /s/ at the end of a word to make it plural.
 
Processing Skills
 
  • how well children receive and act on the information they hear
  • includes memory, comprehension and the ability to follow directions
 
Pragmatics
 
  • the use of language in social contexts
  • knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to interact with others
  • includes such things as eye-contact, turn-taking, and topic maintenance
 
Fluency
 
  • the rate or speed at which a person speaks
 
Voice
 
  • refers to vocal quality, such as being hoarse, using too much or too little nasality, speaking too loudly or too softly, and pitch variations