S

In by ferociousdigital

Scaled Score 

A scaled score is a conversion of a one’s raw score that allows for comparison between other students and also for the same student over a period of time.

Screen Literacy 

A person’s ability to successfully interact with everyday technology. This is a critical skill in today’s world and might include using a cell phone, an ATM, a TV remote, or a gas pump.

Screening 

An abbreviated or brief evaluation of a child to determine if a full or complete evaluation is necessary. If any delays are suspected, the child may be referred for a more comprehensive evaluation that would determine whether the child had a disability and needed special education. It is often a part of a program called “Child Find.” ‘Screening’ (Roulstone, 2009) has at least three distinct meanings.
Early identification screening of at risk populations– This is a public health process in which children within a defined population (e.g., low birth weight infants; all pre-schoolers) are tested to identify those who are at risk of speech and language problems so they can be referred for further diagnostic testing. The aim of such screening is to provide early identification, so as to provide treatment at the earliest appropriate opportunity or as a preventative measure. Informal Speech-Language Pathology / Speech and Language Therapy triage screening– This happens as part of the initial assessment process carried out by a speech-language pathologist. The experienced speech pathologist makes judgements about the priority status of each newly referred child in order to make best use of resources and monitor the urgency and needs of those being referred. Formal screening assessment– Screening assessments are used to decide whether an aspect of speech and language requires further investigation. For example, the screening assessment of the DEAP allows the therapist to gain a quick overview of the child’s articulation and phonology in order to establish whether or not to carry out full diagnostic testing.
The first type of screening described above is a public health role, to be carried out by health and education professionals including preschool and school teachers.

Scripting 

See Echolalia.

Secondary Behaviors 

Secondary behaviors are behaviors a person who stutters exhibits in response to the core behaviors. These behaviors are developed in reaction to the moment of stuttering. Secondary behaviors can include avoidance or escape behaviors, circumlocution, using fillers, avoiding eye contact, etc.

Section 504 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination due to disability by recipients of federal financial assistance.

Segmentation 

Breaking down a sentence into words, a word into syllables and a syllable into phonemes.

Selectively Mute Children 

Selectively mute children can speak but only do so with certain people or in certain places. For example, a child might speak at home to his/her parents but not to anyone at school (including his/her parents). A selectively mute child has an anxiety disorder and appropriate management is by a clinical psychologist or child psychiatrist. Many such children also have communication disorders, so a SLP/SLT may be involved, working collaboratively with the child, family and other professionals including teachers

Selective Mutism 

Selective mutism is a term used when children who are able to talk quite freely in some situations, usually with their families at home, and are persistently silent in other situations, usually outside the home and with less familiar people. The problem commonly shows up in school where children who have not spoken for two terms or more can usefully be described as having selective mutism.

Self Advocate 

An individual being able to effectively communicate their own wants, needs and desires on their own behalf.

Self Help Skills 

The basic daily living activities of eating, dressing, bathing, and use of the toilet.

Self Management 

Monitoring, recording and reinforcing one’s own behavior and actions.

Self Regulation 

The nervous system’s ability to attain, maintain and change levels of arousal or alertness.

Self Stimulating Behaviors 

Self-stimulating movements, postures, and/or mannerisms significant to the performer. Typical in children with ASD.

Self Talk 

This is a strategy that can be used to help children learn language. This is when you are using short sentences to talk about what you are seeing. hearing or doing when you are with your child. For example, when you are making cookies you may say “Mommy is making cookies! I am putting the chocolate chips in the batter! I am stirring. I am going to put them in the oven” and so on.

Semantic Disorder / Pragmatic Disorder 

Children with semantic and pragmatic disorders are often first identified because of their unusual language characteristics. Children may have difficulty understanding some words, phrases and sentences, and use others oddly or inappropriately. They often show signs of limited social development and play. ‘Semantic’ refers to the meanings of words and phrases. ‘Pragmatic’ refers to knowing what to say when, and how to say it to other people.

Semantics 

The study of the meaning of language, includes the relations between language, thought and behavior.

Sensorimotor 

Denoting the combination of the input of sensations and the output of motor activity; motor activity reflects what is happening to the sensory organs.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

A permanent hearing loss caused by failure or damage of auditory fibers in the inner ear (cochlea) and/or damage to the neural system.

Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) 

A neurological disability in which the brain and nervous system are unable to receive, process and integrate information coming in from the senses, causing learning and behavioral problems.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction 

Sensory integration dysfunction is the inability to process certain information received through the senses.

Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) 

This test evaluates sensory processing deficits related to learning and behavior problems. The SIPT measures visual, tactile, and kinesthetic perception as well as motor performance. It is composed of 17 brief tests. The SIPT test is a helpful assessment in providing standardized scores which may be necessary to prove to insurance companies or school districts the need to provide occupational therapy services. In addition, the SIPT will very specifically delineate processing challenges which may be contributing to difficulties in learning or behavior.

Sensory Processing Disorder 

Difficulty in the way the brain takes in, organizes, and uses sensory information, causing a person to have problems interacting effectively in the everyday environment.

Sensory Stimulation 

Behaviors performed to stimulate internal response. May be for avoidance, attention requests, or a means of soothing. Appear meaningless to everyone but the person performing the action.

Sensory 

May refer to a type of deficit, where a child is hyper or hypo sensitive to touch, noises, light, or smell. May also refer to hyper or hypo sensation in and around the mouth that could contribute to speech and eating problems.

Sensory Diet 

A planned and scheduled activity program designed to meet a child’s specific sensory needs.

Sensory Input 

Internal (heart rate, body temperature) and external (sights, sounds, tastes, etc.) sensations.

Sensory Integration 

The process of the brain organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Services Plan 

A written statement that (1) describes the special education and related services the school district will provide to a parentally placed child with a disability enrolled in a nonpublic school who has been designated to receive services, including the location of the services and any transportation necessary, consistent with rule 3301-51-08 of the Administrative Code; and (2) is developed and implemented in accordance with rule 3301-51-08 of the Administrative Code.

Shaping 

This is used to develop a behavior that a client does not already demonstrate. Shaping involves reinforcing approximations of a desired behavior.

Shifting Attention 

Being able to change attention from one activity or task to another.

Short-Term Memory 

See Specific Memory Disorders. Brief, verbatim storage of auditory information. It is often called “working memory,”. Short-term memory is an important component in reading, as it allows the reader to remember a string of individual sounds and then blend then the sounds together when decoding an unfamiliar word. Short-term memory is the ability to hold information for a limited period of time, such as visual images (e.g. a shape or face) and/or phonological/auditory information (e.g. a spoken telephone number or sentence). Information can be held in this way for a few seconds. If the information has to be held for longer a system of rehearsal can be used (e.g. repeating a number to yourself to help you remember). Should one of these skills fail to work in some way, this could lead to specific short-term memory problems. However, problems that appear to be due to poor memory can also have other causes, such as inattention, language difficulties and general learning difficulties. Therefore a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment is necessary to reliably identify a specific memory disorder and rule out other possible causes of problematic behaviour. Children who have short-term memory disorders can have particular problems in a number of areas, including;

Short-Term Objectives 

Immediate steps leading to each annual IEP goal. Objectives must be measurable and understandable to all IEP team members.

Sight Word 

Words that are memorized or easily recognized without being decoded in a sound-by-sound manner. These tend to be high-frequency words. During reading instruction, words that do not follow basic rules of phonology (“exception words”) are usually explicitly taught as sight words. Examples include “there” and “again.” These can be particularly difficult for the young dyslexic.

Signal to Noise Ratio 

The difference in the intensities of the speech signal (such as a teacher’s voice) and the ambient (background) noise.

Signed English Systems 

Sign systems developed for educational purposes, which use manual signs in English word order; sometimes with added affixes which are not present in American Sign Language. Signing Exact English and Seeing Essential English are two examples.

Skill Deficit 

A below expected performance of a skill.

Small Group 

A structured therapy group that meets on a daily basis in which a facilitator leads a group of children in activities based on the programming goals identified for that specific group (examples include: Music and Movement, Stepping Stones, CREATE).

Social Communication 

See Pragmatics.

Social Imitative Play 

Acting out typical actions or daily routines in the context of play.

Social Impairment 

Verbal and/or nonverbal difficulties in socializing and relating with peers.

Social Interaction 

Verbal and/or nonverbal behavior used to communicate with others.

Social Language Disorder 

Difficulties with turn taking. Initiating and maintaining a conversation, repairing conversation breakdowns, perspective taking and interpreting non-verbal cues.

Social Play Groups 

Play groups that help children develop social skills, gain independence, and build self-confidence.

Social Reciprocity 

Back and forth flow of social interaction. A persons behavior influences another’s behavior and so forth.

Social Skills 

The ability to interact with other people appropriately, include making appropriate eye contact, taking turns, using appropriate language, demonstrating listener awareness, initiating interaction and responding to interaction.

Social Stories 

A social story is like a script for a specific situation or scenario in your child’s life. It explains to the child what will happen in a given situation and how the child should behave. This can be extremely helpful when working with a child who may not always understand what is going on around him or be able to communicate in that situation.

Sociodramatic Play 

Play involving acting out scripts, scenes, etc. (i.e., from a favorite cartoon or book or from daily life). Children take/assume roles using themselves and/or characters (dolls, figures) as they interact together on common themes. A faciliator may assist ideas for characters, settings or props and use the children’s ideas for a story. Typically occurs between 3 – 4 years of age. As a child matures, themes, sequences, plans, problem solving, characters and so forth become more rich and they begin to organize other children for role play with independence (around 5 years of age).

Soft Palate / Velum 

The part of the palate which is soft and flexible. The soft palate moves for swallowing, sucking and when producing certain speech sounds. The soft palate (velum) extends from the rear of the hard palate nearly to the back of the throat, terminating in the uvula. See Velum.

Solitary Play 

The child plays alone with toys that are different from those used by the children within speaking distance and makes no effort to interact with other children. The child plays alone without concern for the activities of those around him/her. Seen by 15-18 mos up through 2 yrs.

Sonorant 

Sonorants are consonants or vowels produced without obstruction of the airstream (cf. Obstruent)

Sound Fields 

Area for testing how well an individual can hear with hearing aids on.

Sound System 

The sounds that a child is able to say and the sound combination rules the child makes use of.

Speaking Rate 

A speech term for how fast or slowly you speak.

Special Needs 

A term that describes a child with a mental or physical disability that requires special services or treatment.

Special Education 

Resources, services, classes, etc. for students with special educational needs. The public school system is involved with the identification of students with special needs, ages three on up. They provide assessment and, if appropriate, intervention services for those who qualify. Specific procedures are involved in assessment and intervention. If identified with special needs, an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is written for the child to address learning needs.

Specialized Individual Program 

Specific programs that are greatly beneficial to certain individuals.

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) 

When a child’s language (comprehension and/or expression) is the only area of difficulty and all other areas of a child’s development at in line with their peers. A language disorder that prohibits the mastery of language skills in children who do not have hearing loss or developmental delays. It is the most common childhood learning disability and there is no known cause.

Specific Learning Disability (SLD/SpLDs) 

Disability category under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; includes disorders that affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language; may manifest in difficulties with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, and doing mathematical calculations; includes minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. ‘Dyslexia’ is often used interchangeably with ‘specific learning difficulties’ (SpLDs), and indeed the terms mean the same in the case of many children. However, it is possible to make a distinction between them. Children with SpLDs need not be dyslexic. For example, some children have little or no trouble learning to read, write and spell. Yet, they may confuse ‘left’ and ‘right’, have great difficulty noticing the exact details of shapes and directions, and have unusual difficulty with maths or arithmetic. Strictly speaking, these children do not have dyslexia, though they may have a specific learning difficulty. SpLD, then, describes children who have difficulty in one or two aspects of learning but who do well in other areas.

Specific Memory Disorders 

It is increasingly recognised that like adults, children can have specific memory disorders (Gathercole, ’98). It is known that these can adversely affect the development of other skills, such as children’s language development, academic attainments, independent living skills and general problem solving abilities (Hood & Rankin, in press).

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) 

lingual People with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) – Bilingualism does not cause or contribute to SLI. However, SLI is just as likely to affect bilingual children as monolingual children. A bilingual child presenting with SLI will experience difficulties acquiring both (all) their languages. It is therefore essential for a speech and language therapist (with the assistance of an appropriately qualified co-worker, where applicable) to assess a child in the context of all the languages to which the child is exposed. See Specific Language Impairment (SLI).

Speech 

When we speech pathologists refer to the term speech we are referring to three things: articulation/phonological skills, speech fluency and voice. We are looking at a child’s ability to: Physically produce the individual sounds and sound patterns of his/her language (Articulation), produce speech with appropriate rhythm, and free of Stuttering behavior, produce speech with an appropriate vocal quality for his/her age and sex.

Speech Apparatus 

The mouth, tongue, nose, breathing, and so on, and how they are co-ordinated and operated by muscles. Children with a difficulty Specific language impairment in this area only are usually identified quickly as having a speech and language impairment.

Speech Banana 

‘Speech banana’ is a term used to refer to the speech spectrum since speech is softest in both the very low and high frequencies and loudest at low-mid frequencies, producing a banana shape when plotted on the audiogram. SeeAudiogram.



Speech Delay 

Speech development that is following a normal pattern, but typical of a younger child.

Speech Disorder 

Any deviation of speech outside the range of acceptable variation in a given environment. Speech may be considered defective if it is characterized by any of the following to a significant degree: A. not easily heard; B. not readily intelligible; C. vocally or visually unpleasant; D. deviates in respect to sound production; E. lacks conventional rhythm or stress.

Speech Impaired (SI) 

A category of special education services for students who have difficulty with speech sounds in their native language.

Speech Intelligibility 

This is how well a person’s speech can be understood. If your “speech intelligibility” is good, that means the words you are speaking are clear and can be understood most or all of the time.

Speech Mechanism 

Structures involved in the production of speech; includes A. articulators (lips, tongue, velum, pharynx and lower jaw); B. larynx; C. resonators, (pharyngeal, laryngeal, oral and nasal cavities); D. respiratory system (lungs and air passages).

Speech Motor Programming 

The activity that occurs in the brain that leads to sequencing the motor movements needed to produce speech accurately.

Speech Perception 

The ability to recognize speech stimuli presented at suprathreshold levels (levels loud enough to be heard).

Speech Sound 

The speech sounds are vowels, diphthongs, triphthongs, and consonants.

Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) 

A Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) involves difficulty with and/or slowness in the development of a child’s speech. There are several classification systems associated with SSD. SSD may be due to a genetically based linguistic processing deficit (60% of children with SSD); fluctuating conductive hearing loss/ ‘glue ear’ (30% of children with SSD); or a genetically transmitted deficit in speech motor control (10% of children with SSD). There is overlap between these areas (e.g., a child might have glue ear and a linguistic processing deficit).

Speech Sound System 

Speech sound system is another name for the phonological system. It is a system of sound contrasts.

Speech-Language Pathology Services 

Related service; includes identification and diagnosis of speech or language impairments, speech or language therapy, counseling and guidance.

Speech-Language Therapist (SLT or SALT) 

A specialist who is able to assess and treat speech and language difficulties.

Speech-Language Therapist Assistant (SLTA or SP) 

A trained professional who works alongside a SLT.

Speech-Language Therapy 

A planned program to improve and correct speech and/or language or communication problems. In the schools, an adverse effect must be identified either academically or socially in order for the child to be eligible for services.

Speech-Language Assistant 

This practitioner holds a Associates Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and operates under the state licensure of a certified speech-language pathologist. He/She is support personnel who, following academic and/or on-the-job training, perform tasks prescribed, directed, and supervised by ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists. The scope of a speech-language pathology assistant is limited, but primarily he/she may not perform diagnostic tests, evaluations, or clinical interpretation of test or therapy performance results. A speech-language pathology assistant may assist with documentation (without interpretation), assist with hearing or speech-language screenings, and follow treatment plans as described by the supervising speech-language pathologist.

Speech-Language Impairment 

One or more of the following communication impairments which adversely affects educational performance: An inability to articulate words correctly, including omissions, substitutions, or distortions of sound, beyond the age when they might normally be expected; Voice impairment, including abnormal rate of speaking, speech interruptions, and repetition of sounds, words, phrases, or sentences, which interferes with effective communication; One or more other language impairments, as determined both by informal use of language and by at least two standardized tests or subtests which indicate inappropriate language functioning for the child’s age.

Speech-Language Pathologist 

A professionals who is educated to assess speech and language development, treat language and speech disorders, and help people with swallowing disorders. Requires at least a Master’s Degree, state, and national credentials.

Speech-Language Pathology 

The study of human communication and its disorders and the assessment and treatment of those disorders.

Speechreading 

The interpretation of lip and mouth movements, facial expressions, gestures, elements of sound, structural characteristics of language, and topical and contextual clues. Sometimes referred to as lip reading.

Spontaneous Recovery 

A. In aphasia, the return, complete or incomplete, of impaired abilities, such as speech, intellectual functions, motor functions; may occur with or without therapeutic intervention, usually within a period of three months. B. In stuttering, the remission of stuttering without formal therapy.

Stammering 

Disorder of fluency, rhythm, and rate; often refers to involuntary speech stoppages. In the U.S., this term is not specifically differentiated from stuttering. See Stuttering. There are some features which are typically characteristic of stammering:

Standardized 

This term is often used interchangeably with norm-referenced. It involves a process of assessing a sample population in order to establish general evaluative criteria. A standardized test evaluates a child using consistent criteria, administration, and scoring.

Standardized Tests 

A test given to a group of students under uniform conditions (the same instructions, time limits, etc.) Tests that are administered in a specifically described standard way, scored in a particular way, and then compared with the performance of a standard group.

Standard Deviation (SD) 

This is a value which the test developer establishes during test construction. It represents the degree to which a given test score is expected to differ from the mean or average score. Fifteen points above or below the mean score of 100 on an IQ test is considered one standard deviation, so a score of 85 indicates that the child is considered one standard deviation below the mean. One standard deviation below is often considered a cut-off for a typical performance. Therefore a child who receives a score greater than 85 is within normal range (and over 115 gets into the above average performance range) and a performance score of below 85 is considered below average and evidence of atypical or delayed development.

Standard Score 

A standard score is developed for most tests and represents the score that is expected for an individual of a specific age. For many tests, the expected standard score is 100, and plus or minus 15 (the SDs) establishes the range of “typical” performance scores. Therefore if a child receives a standard score of 105, this will be interpreted as average performance on the test, because that score is within 15 points above 100.

Starter 

A word or phrase used frequently and inappropriately to start phonation and/or avoid the moment of stuttering. For example:

State Performance Plan (SPP) 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) requires each state to have in place a State Performance Plan (SPP) that evaluates its efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of Part B of IDEA and describes how the state will improve such implementation. The SPP, submitted every six years, includes measurable and rigorous targets for the 20 indicators established under three monitoring priority areas:

Stereotyped Behaviors 

Abnormal or excessive repetition of actions.

Stereotyped Language 

Abnormal or excessive repetition of words or phrases.

Stickler Syndrome 

A disorder that causes problems with vision, hearing and joints. People with this syndrome have very prominent facial features and it has a high comorbidity with Pierre Robin sequence.

Stimming 

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as stimming and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, or repetitive movement of objects common in individuals with developmental disabilities, but most prevalent in people with autistic spectrum disorders. It is considered a way which people with autism calm and stimulate themselves. Therapists view this behavior as a protective response to being overly sensitive to stimuli, with which the individual blocks less predictable environmental stimuli. Sensory processing disorder is also given as a reason by some therapists for the condition. Another theory is that stimming is a way to relieve anxiety, and other emotions.

Stimulability 

The extent to which a misarticulated sound can be produced correctly by imitation or other cues. Traditionally, ‘stimulable’ has meant that a consonant or vowel can be produced in isolation by a child, in direct imitation of an auditory and visual model with or without instructions, cues, imagery, feedback and encouragement. We know that if a child is not stimulable for a sound there is poor probability of short-term progress with that sound. That is, the sound is unlikely to ‘spontaneously correct’ or magically ‘become stimulable’. Since the late 1990s the child phonology literature has encouraged clinicians to target non-stimulable sounds, because if a non-stimulable sound is made stimulable to two syllable positions, using our unique clinical skills, it is likely to be added to the child’s inventory, even without direct treatment (Miccio, Elbert & Forrest, 1999). The stimulability of a sound to two syllable positions is sometimes referred to as ‘true stimulability’.

Stimuli 

Materials used to demonstrate or teach skills. Examples:

Stimulus 

A. Something that elicits an action or response; B. An object that is recognized by the senses.

Stop(s) 

Speech sounds made by complete constriction of the vocal tract; usually followed by an abrupt release of air that produces a noise burst. (such as /d/, /t/, /k/, etc.). The terms ‘plosive’ or ‘plosive consonant’ are synonyms.
The place-voice-manner (PVM) chart below shows four voiceless stops (bilabial, alveolar, velar and glottal) and three voiced stops bilabial, alveolar and velar).

Stopping 

When long sounds come out as short ones e.g. ‘sand’ comes out as ‘dand’ or ‘socks’ come out as ‘docks.’ Stopping is a phonological process (phonological pattern) in which a fricative is replaced by a stop (e.g., ‘sea’ pronounced as ‘tea’) or an affricate is replaced by a stop (e.g., ‘jig’ pronounced as ‘dig’).

Stress 

An increase in pitch, loudness or duration used to give emphasis to a syllable or word.

Stroke (or Cerebrovascular Accident, CVA) 

A stroke is caused by a blockage of an artery which causes a disruption of blood to the brain. Strokes are caused in a variety of ways, including hemorrhage (an artery bursts or leaks), thrombosis (a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain) and embolism (foreign material flows in blood stream and obstructs the flow of blood to the brain). Strokes range in severity and frequently cause neurological problems that can be mild to severe. A group of brain disorders involving loss of brain functions that occur when the blood supply to any part of the brain is interrupted. This results in difficulty using and understanding language and muscle weakness.

Structural Processes 

See Syllable Structure Process.

Stuttering / Fluency Disorder 

Stuttering is a communication/fluency disorder that effects speech fluency. It is characterized by breaks in the flow of speech referred to as disfluencies and typically begins in childhood. Everyone experiences disfluencies in their speech. Some disfluencies are totally normal but having too many can actually significantly affect one’s ability to communicate. In stuttering, we most often see the following types of primary behaviors: repetitions, prolongations, interjections, and blocks. We may also see secondary behaviors, typically in more severe cases of stuttering such as tension in the neck, shoulders, face, jaw, chest; eye blinks, nose flaring, other odd facial movements; clenched fists, stomping of feet; jerking or other unusual motor movements in arms, hands, legs, feet. All children who stutter require assessment by a SLP/SLT.

Stuttering Pattern 

Specific behaviors a particular stutterer demonstrates in speech interference; usually becomes predictable and reoccurring.

Substitution Processes 

See Systemic Process.

Substitutions 

A secondary behavior of stuttering that occurs when a person who stutters substitutes a word they really want to say to another word with the same meaning.

Supervision / Standby Support 

The student is able to complete the prescribed activity given cueing, coaxing and prompting.

Supervisory and Coordinator Services 

Includes providing information and explanation regarding state and federal laws, recommended practice, and other topics essential for the delivery of services to learners with disabilities; helping school district personnel evaluate the effectiveness of special education and related services; and providing in-service education to parents and personnel involved in educating children with disabilities.

Supplementary Aids and Services 

Means aids, services, and supports that are provided in regular education classes that enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.

Suprasegmental 

Prosodic feature of a language, including stress, intonation, duration, and juncture.

Surrogate Parent 

Someone who is appointed by the school district to act in the place of the child’s parent, representing the child in all areas of educational matters, if the child’s parent cannot be located.

Suspension 

A suspension is any time that a child is not being provided FAPE due to disciplinary action.

Sustained Attention 

The ability to remain on task for a predetermined amount of time.

Swallowing Disorder 

Problems with eating or swallowing various food consistencies that may cause a child to choke or aspirate.

Syllabification 

The forming or division of words into syllables. A person’s inability to recognize the number of syllables in a word can affect his/her spoken language.

Syllable 

A part of a word that contains a vowel or, in spoken language, a vowel sound (e-vent, news-pa-per).

Syllable Structure Process 

Syllable Structure Processes (also called Structural Processes) are speech simplifications made by children in which the structure of a syllable or word changes.These phonological processes include the developmental processes of Reduplication, Final Consonant Deletion, Cluster Reduction and Weak Syllable Deletion, and the non-developmental patterns of Initial Consonant Deletion, Deletion of Unmarked Cluster Element, and Final Vowel Addition.

Syllable Trees 

There are two ways of representing the contents of a syllable non-linearly:
Onset and rime syllable tree– Onset and rime (rhyme) syllable tree comprising. The onset is the initial consonant if any. The rime is the rest of the syllable which is further divided into (i.) nucleus (the vowel or vowels). (ii.) coda (final consonant if any)



Symbolic Play 

Symbolic, or dramatic, play is when children begin to substitute one object for another. For example, using a hairbrush to represent a microphone. The child may pretend to do something (with or without the object present or with an object representing another object) or be someone. They may also pretend through other inanimate objects (e.g., has a doll pretend to feed another doll). Dramatic play with sequence of pretend acts predominates after 2 years of age.

Syntax 

The arrangement of words to form meaningful sentences; a part of grammar.

Systemic Process 

Systemic Processes (also called Substitution Processes) are speech simplifications made by children in which a consonant is replaced by a different (incorrect) consonant. Systemic processes include the developmental processes of Fronting (a front sound like /t/ replaces a back sound like /k/ so that ‘car’ is pronounced as ‘tar’), Stopping, Context Sensitive Voicing and Gliding, and the non-developmental processes of Backing, Denasalization, Devoicing of Stops, Systematic Sound Preference and Glottal Replacement where it is not dialectal.