Students with Speech and
Language Disabilities

Implications of Speech and Language Disabilities in the
Postsecondary Education Setting

Speech and language disabilities include a wide range of disorders including, but not limited to:

• difficulty in the expression of language;
• stuttering;
• paralysis of part or all of the vocal tract;
• the removal of the larynx or other structures due to cancer.

These disabilities vary greatly in etiology and implications. They may be secondary to a medical condition or physical disability such as a stroke, cerebral palsy, cancer of the larynx, or traumatic brain injury.

These disabilities may affect comprehension, expression, or both. When comprehension or language reception is affected, students may need accommodations similar to those of students with learning disabilities. (Refer to that section for implications and teaching strategies.) When expression is affected, students may take a longer time to ask questions or respond to questions in class or it may be difficult for others to understand the student.

Some students with speech-related disabilities may use alternative communication methods. These methods vary widely from very simple communication boards (which contain pre-selected symbols, words, phrases, and letters of the alphabet) to the sophisticated electronic devices which produce synthesized or digitized speech output. Students who have had a tracheotomy may communicate through a device that is held to the neck that produces synthesized speech.