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Name: Laurie Clark, MA, CCC/SLP School: MCS Education: BS & MA in Communication Disorders Univ. of Maine, Farmington & Orono
I've been a Speech/Language Pathologist since 1981 working in a variety of settings, with all ages from toddlers to senior citizens. I've been at MCS since 2002.
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Just what is a Speech/Language Pathologist & what do we do?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is a professional who evaluates and
treats children and adults who have difficulty with speech and/or language. Although people often
think of speech and language as the same thing, the terms actually have very different
meanings. If your child has trouble with speech, he/she struggles with the “how-to” of talking—
the coordination of the muscles and movements necessary to produce speech. If your child has
trouble with language, he/she struggles with understanding what he/she hears or sees. Your
child may struggle to find the right words and/or organize those words in a meaningful way to
communicate a message or hold a conversation. For more information our professional website is ASHA
Below is a list of common speech and language disorders with a brief explanation of each:
Speech Disorders
• Articulation - the way we say our speech sounds
• Phonology - the speech patterns we use
• Apraxia - difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds
• Fluency - stuttering
• Voice - problems with the way the voice sounds
Language Disorders
• Receptive Language - difficulty understanding language
• Expressive Language - difficulty using language
• Pragmatic Language - social communication; the way we speak to each other
Other Disorders
• Deafness/Hearing Loss - loss of hearing; therapy includes developing lip-reading, speech,
and/or alternative communication systems
• Oral-Motor Disorders - weak tongue and/or lip muscles
• Swallowing/Feeding Disorders - difficulty chewing and/or swallowing
Resources
handouts/pdfs/64OnlineResources.pdf)
HH #98 Articulation: When Should I Worry If My Child is Behind? (http://
HH #99 What You Need to Know About Your Child’s Speech/Language Evaluation at School
HH #120 Promoting Oral Language Development in Young Children (http://
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