BRCC Disability Services Handbook: Speech Impairment

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Blue Ridge Community College Disability Services: Faculty Handbook, College Drive - Flat Rock, N.C. 28731-9624 - www.blueridge.edu

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Students with Speech Impairments

Speech impairments may be developmental or be the result of illness or injury. They may be found alone or in combination with other disabilities. Impairments range from problems with articulation or vocal quality to being totally non-verbal. They may include stuttering, chronic hoarseness, difficulty in evoking an appropriate word or term, and esophageal speech (resulting from a laryngectomy). Students with speech impairments may require some minor adaptations in courses that rely on class discussions, questions/answer sessions, or student presentations.

Typical accommodations for a student with a speech impairment may include:

Increased writing, decreased speaking tasks.
Use of a voice output computer or other speech generated technology.
Provision of individual sessions to allow the student to clarify information presented in lecture, since the student may be reluctant to speak in class.

Suggestions for working with students with speech impairments:

Many students with speech impairments will be hesitant about participating in activities that require speaking. Even if the student has adjusted well to speech impairment, new situations may aggravate old anxieties.

Allow the student time to express him or herself so that confidence can be gained.
Accept and respond to all appropriate attempts at communication.
Resist the temptation to complete words or phrases for persons with speech impairments.

Possible accommodations by area of disability for students who have a speech impairment:

Area of disability	Available accommodation
Limited speaking ability.	Augmentative devices such as: Picture communication displays. Computer with synthesized or digitized speech. Electronic communication aids: Alternative input methods; switch scanning, alternate keyboards, mouse, joystick, touch screen and/or headpointer. Encoding methods; pictures, abbreviation expansion, and/or word prediction. Output methods; print, synthesized and/or digitized speech.
Limited loudness level.	Voice amplification device.
Inability to use telephone.	Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD). Relay services for placing calls.

Area of disability

Available accommodation

Limited speaking ability.

Augmentative devices such as:

Picture communication displays.
Computer with synthesized or digitized speech.
Electronic communication aids:
- Alternative input methods; switch scanning, alternate keyboards, mouse, joystick, touch screen and/or headpointer.
- Encoding methods; pictures, abbreviation expansion, and/or word prediction.
- Output methods; print, synthesized and/or digitized speech.

Limited loudness level.

Voice amplification device.

Inability to use telephone.

Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).
Relay services for placing calls.

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