Language is unique to human experience. It is what shapes our brains and our culture as we interact with the world and communicate with each other. “Speech, language, and communication are all words that are sometimes used in describing the language production and language differences of children” (Kuder, 2017, p.2). Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they denote different aspects of how we express our needs, wants or desires using sounds and/or symbols to make ourselves understood. Speech is the production of sounds we use in language.
Speech is the act of producing the sounds we use to communicate. The use of speech develops in a predictable stepwise fashion. However, for some children, this process goes awry. “Speech disorders include difficulties with articulation (the way sounds are formed and put together to form words); disordered articulation (characterized by substituting one sound for another, omitting a sound, or distorting a sound); stuttering (interruptions in the flow of speech); and voice (inappropriate pitch, loudness, or quality)” (Lesson 1: Language, Language Disorders, and Language Differences, 2020, para. 6).
Language is a system of communication shared by people. It can be verbal or gestural. American sign language (ASL) is certainly a gestural language used by millions to communicate with one another. Language is generative in that it adds words and redefines words already in use through the creative process of communication.
Communication is the process of making our needs, wants and desires know to other people using speech and language.
This website is primarily about language disorders or what happens when something goes wrong in the acquisition of speech and language and how that impacts communication and personal growth for children as they develop.