In the United States more than 5 million children have a speech, language or hearing disorder. This May, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) celebrates Better Speech and Hearing Month to provide parents with information about communication disorders. 

Shown, from the left, are the speech pathologists for Roanoke Rapids Schools, Shelley Williams, Julie Youngblood and Jamie Lassiter. Contributed Photo | Daily Herald Advertisement

The Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools District is also celebrating Better Speech and Hearing Month with the goal of informing others about communication disorders and services offered through the school district. RRGSD employs three ASHA-certified speech language pathologists with a combined 24 years of experience. Shelley Williams, lead therapist, is the speech-language pathologist at Clara Hearne Preschool, Chaloner Middle School and Roanoke Rapids High School. Julie Youngblood is the SLP at Belmont Elementary School and Jamie Lassiter is the SLP at Manning Elementary School. Together their goal is to ensure that all children who experience communication difficulties can be successful in school. 

Communication difficulties that affect school-age children include speech sound disorders (difficulty pronouncing sounds), language disorders (slow development of vocabulary, concepts, or grammar), voice disorders, stuttering disorders, and hearing impairment. Speech and language skills are essential to academic success and learning. Learning takes place through the process of communication, and communication with others is essential for a student to succeed at school.  In order for children to receive the support they need, parents, teachers, and the SLP must work cooperatively through the identification and treatment process.

For children in the early elementary grades (K-2), it is essential for optimal language development that parents:

• Talk to your child frequently (about everything)

• Read often and talk with your child about what you have read

• Help your child focus on sound patterns of words, such as rhyming games

• Have your child re-tell stories and talk about the events of the day

• Talk to your child during daily activities and routines;  give directions for your child to follow (ex. Go get your red shoes.)

• Talk about how things are alike and different

And in later elementary grades (3-5), parents can:

• Continue to encourage reading

• Encourage your child to form opinions about what he hears or reads and relate what is read to personal experiences

• Talk aloud as you help your child understand and solve problems

• Help your child recognize spelling patterns

• Encourage your child to write (letters, lists, etc.)

In the RRGSD, we employ the practice of screening all preschool and kindergarten children for communication problems. Parents and teachers can also make referrals for speech-language screenings.  If you have questions or concerns related to your child’s speech-language development, contact the RRGSD’s Exceptional Children’s Department at (252) 519-7100.