Oral Language

Listening comprehension (what a student understands) and verbal expression (what a student says) are the two components of oral language. When a student verbalizes their thoughts, feelings, and ideas they are expressing themselves verbally through words. Typically, when a child understands approximately 50 words, they begin using single words to express themselves. Development tends to continue in stages, beginning with one-word utterances and progressing to two-word phrases (i.e., “mommy home”) and so on until the child is using multiple words together when they reach age 5. Oral language continues to develop through the school years as the student learns new vocabulary and more complex ways to combine words. 

To assess for an oral language impairment the SLP may complete an oral motor exam, looking at the structure and function of the muscles used for speech, review the child’s hearing ability, liaise with parent(s)/guardians(s) and the classroom teacher(s), conduct either standardized* or non-standardized language assessments, and elicit a language sample to gauge how the student uses language in a functional context, such as when playing. Once the results are analyzed the SLP can provide a diagnosis and begin to formulate treatment goals jointly with the child and the parent(s)/guardian(s), if required.

Impairments in oral language may be in one or more of the following areas of oral language: 

1. Syntax (how sentences are formed using grammatical rules).
2. Morphology (individual units of meaning such as -ed for past tense).
3. Pragmatics (how language is used/social rules for language). 
4. Phonology (the sounds and patterns of sounds in a particular language). 
5. Semantics (vocabulary).

If you suspect an oral language impairment get in touch with the classroom teacher to discuss your concerns. It is important to make sure screening or assessment is completed by an SLP if you have concerns about oral language.

*standardized assessment: a test with specific questions chosen for their ability to gauge performance relative to others of a similar age/stage of development.