Student with Speech Disorder

[Yvan Rose]

Dear Info-CHILDES members,

I just received the question below, sent by a former student of mine.  
I (we) would very much appreciate any advice or reference on the matter.

Thank you very much in advance,
Yvan Rose

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I’m working in a small town in Northern Alberta where my resources  
are very limited. I am an aide at a school and some students I work  
with have speech impediments. One student in particular has no  
efficient way of communicating to me or peers. The student refuses to  
use sign language as a form of communication and will only sign when  
I demand it. Words like ‘mom’, ‘ah’, ‘ouch’, ‘hockey’, ‘yeah’ and  
‘stop’ are the most comprehensible. The student mumbles (lips and  
teeth slightly moving) in sentence formation but most often others  
don’t respond back. What I find most interesting is the intonation of  
the mumbles and the child’s expressions when speaking to me. It seems  
that the words are there, but the child is not letting them out.

The student was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth (can walk,  
run), is a Native and lives with a family who speaks both English and  
Cree. I’m looking for ways to help motivate this child to speak so  
that others can understand. Do you know of any books or good online  
resources or perhaps some of your own suggestions to help me when  
working with this student? I would greatly appreciate it.

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