Some students have difficulty communicating through speech. This may be the inability to articulate sounds, or a problem with understanding or putting thoughts into spoken or written words (dysphasia). The difficulty may not be immediately obvious as some people have quite good language in understanding or talking about concrete issues, but have major problems with abstract matters.  For others the difficulty will be immediately obvious, for example, if the student has a severe stutter. The causes of communication difficulties may not be known, or may be associated with such conditions as cerebral palsy which can affect any muscle groups including those of the face.

Since learning normally involves considerable amounts of communication, usually through speech, any difficulty in this area can be considerably isolating and stressful.

Etiquette:

• Be patient; allow the person time to complete what they wish to say.
• Some appreciate help to complete their sentences - check the student’s preference.
• Some may wish to communicate via computer with a speech synthesiser.
• Those with receptive language difficulties may have trouble understanding questions or the demands of a task - be patient, allow plenty of time for information to be assimilated.

Enabling strategies:

• Recognise the student’s potential - they have a speech problem not necessarily a low IQ.
• Students with such difficulties may find individual tutorials and other group work more challenging than other students and may need time to gain confidence. Tutors can help by asking questions initially that only require brief answers.
• Stress often exacerbates the problem. Give lots of encouragement and support.
• Listening to someone struggling with speech can often feel embarrassing. Keep calm and watch the person’s lips.
• Assessments based on verbal input or discussion may need to be modified.
• Check with the student whether or not they would like you to discuss with the other students the particular ways in which they can be helpful in group sessions. The student may wish to do this themselves, but this should be clarified beforehand.

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