A school based speech-language pathologist is trained to work with children in the following areas:
Articulation disorder- the student may have difficulty producing particular speech sounds.
Auditory processing disorder- the student with auditory processing difficulties may be easily distracted and have difficulty staying on task and/or following oral directions. He/she may be successful in a one-to-one setting but have great difficulty performing well in a group. These children may also have difficulty acquiring reading and spelling skills.
Fluency disorder- the student may have difficulty with the rate or rhythm of speech. He/She may repeat words, phrases, parts of words or sounds in words or may seem to "get stuck" on words or sounds.
Language disorder- the student may demonstrate difficulty understanding oral instructions and/or struggle with verbal or written expression.
Pragmatic language disorder- Pragmatic language is frequently referred to as social language. It includes the ability to understand the "unwritten rules" of conversation and the ability to "read" other's nonverbal signal
Voice disorder- the student may demonstrate a voice difference including hoarseness, nasality, denasality, pitch, or intensity that is inappropriate for his/her age. Voice therapy cannot be recommended without a medical referral to rule out an organic cause of the disorder.