English for Speech Language Pathology: Essential Vocabulary

"speech-language evaluation"

A comprehensive assessment of a person's communication abilities, including articulation, language, fluency, voice, and swallowing, used to identify disorders and plan treatment

"The speech-language evaluation revealed that the four-year-old had significant delays in expressive language alongside age-appropriate receptive vocabulary."

"standardised language test"

A formal assessment tool with fixed procedures, scoring criteria, and normative data that allows a clinician to compare a client's performance against same-age peers

"The SLP administered a standardised language test to determine whether the child's language scores fell within the expected range for her chronological age."

"speech sound disorder"

A condition characterised by difficulty producing speech sounds correctly or consistently, encompassing articulation disorders and phonological disorders

"The child's speech sound disorder affected intelligibility to unfamiliar listeners, prompting referral for a full articulation and phonological assessment."

"language sample analysis"

A qualitative and quantitative method of analysing a recorded speech sample to examine vocabulary diversity, sentence complexity, and narrative organisation

"Language sample analysis revealed that the student used shorter utterances and fewer complex sentence structures than expected for a child his age."

"differential diagnosis"

The process of distinguishing between two or more conditions with similar presenting features to arrive at the most accurate clinical diagnosis

"Differential diagnosis was essential in determining whether the client's communication difficulties reflected a language disorder, autism spectrum disorder, or hearing loss."

"dynamic assessment"

An evaluation approach that tests a client's responsiveness to cues and instruction within the assessment itself to distinguish true disorder from limited language exposure

"Dynamic assessment was chosen for the bilingual child to determine whether her language difficulties reflected a disorder or were related to the process of learning two languages simultaneously."

"case history"

A structured collection of background information about a client's developmental, medical, educational, and family history that informs the evaluation and treatment planning process

"The case history revealed a family history of late talking and prior ear infections, both of which were relevant to the child's current speech and language difficulties."

"intelligibility rating"

A measure of how much of a speaker's speech can be understood by a listener, often expressed as a percentage and used to track treatment progress

"At the start of therapy the child had an intelligibility rating of 40% with unfamiliar listeners, which improved to 85% following six months of articulation intervention."

"expressive language"

The ability to communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas through spoken words, written language, or alternative means such as signs or symbols

"The toddler's expressive language was limited to single words at age two, while his ability to understand what was said to him appeared to be developing within normal limits."

"receptive language"

The ability to understand and process spoken or written language, including following directions, comprehending vocabulary, and interpreting sentences

"Despite strong expressive language skills, the student struggled with receptive language, particularly when instructions involved multiple steps or complex sentence structures."

"pragmatic language"

The social use of language, including the ability to use language for different purposes, adapt communication to context, and follow conversational rules

"Pragmatic language difficulties were evident when the child interrupted conversations, failed to take turns, and did not adapt her speech register for different listeners."

"developmental language disorder"

A persistent condition in which a child has significant difficulties learning and using language that cannot be explained by intellectual disability, hearing loss, or another condition

"The diagnosis of developmental language disorder explained the student's persistent difficulties with grammar and narrative despite normal non-verbal intelligence and adequate schooling."

"aphasia"

An acquired language disorder caused by brain damage, typically stroke, that affects the ability to speak, understand, read, and write, while leaving intelligence intact

"Following a left-hemisphere stroke, the patient was diagnosed with Broca's aphasia, characterised by effortful speech with relatively preserved comprehension."

"mean length of utterance"

A measure of language development calculated as the average number of morphemes per spoken utterance, commonly abbreviated as MLU and used as a developmental index

"The child's mean length of utterance was 2.1 morphemes at age three, significantly below the expected range of 3.0 to 4.0 for children her age."

"word retrieval difficulty"

A condition in which a person has difficulty accessing and producing the correct word despite knowing its meaning, commonly described as a tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

"The client frequently paused mid-sentence due to word retrieval difficulty, often substituting related words or circumlocuting to convey the intended meaning."

"narrative discourse"

The ability to organise and produce a connected sequence of events or ideas in a coherent and cohesive story structure, including story grammar elements such as setting, problem, and resolution

"Assessment of narrative discourse revealed that the school-age child could describe individual events but could not sequence them into a logical story with a clear beginning, problem, and resolution."

"stuttering"

A fluency disorder characterised by involuntary disruptions in the flow of speech, including repetitions, prolongations, and blocks, often accompanied by secondary behaviours

"The school-age boy's stuttering was most severe when speaking in front of the class, and he had begun avoiding answering questions as a result."

"cluttering"

A fluency disorder characterised by an excessively fast or irregular speech rate, impaired speech clarity, and reduced awareness of the disorder by the speaker

"Unlike stuttering, cluttering was associated with rapid bursts of speech and irregular pauses that made the teenager's narrative difficult for listeners to follow."

"easy onset"

A stuttering modification technique in which the speaker begins a feared word with a smooth, relaxed initiation of airflow and voice to reduce tension and prevent blocking

"The SLP taught the client to use easy onset on feared words, beginning each with gentle breath flow before engaging the vocal folds."

"vocal nodules"

Benign, callous-like growths on both vocal folds caused by vocal overuse or abuse, resulting in hoarseness, reduced pitch range, and voice fatigue

"The teacher was referred for voice therapy after laryngoscopy confirmed bilateral vocal nodules resulting from years of vocal strain in large, noisy classrooms."

"resonance disorder"

A voice quality problem caused by inappropriate coupling of the oral and nasal cavities, resulting in hypernasality, hyponasality, or mixed resonance

"The child's resonance disorder, characterised by hypernasality, was attributed to velopharyngeal insufficiency following repair of a cleft palate."

"vocal hygiene"

A set of behavioural recommendations and lifestyle changes designed to reduce vocal abuse and misuse, protect the vocal folds, and maintain healthy voice production

"As part of voice therapy, the SLP provided a vocal hygiene programme that included adequate hydration, reducing shouting, and avoiding excessive throat clearing."

"avoidance behaviour"

A coping strategy used by people who stutter in which feared words, sounds, or speaking situations are avoided to prevent stuttering, often increasing anxiety over time

"The client's avoidance behaviour had escalated to the point where he declined to make telephone calls and refused to give his name in social situations."

"laryngoscopy"

A medical procedure using a laryngoscope to visualise the larynx and vocal folds, providing direct information about structural and functional voice disorders

"Laryngoscopy performed by the otolaryngologist confirmed unilateral vocal fold paralysis, which was subsequently addressed through a combined surgical and voice therapy programme."

"dysphagia"

Difficulty swallowing, which may occur at the oral, pharyngeal, or oesophageal stage, and which can result in aspiration, malnutrition, dehydration, and reduced quality of life

"Dysphagia was identified in the patient following his stroke, with clinical bedside assessment indicating impaired oral phase control and suspected pharyngeal delay."

"aspiration"

The entry of food, liquid, or secretions into the larynx and lower airway below the true vocal folds, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia

"Silent aspiration was confirmed on videofluoroscopy, meaning the patient was inhaling thin liquids without any cough reflex or other clinical sign."

"videofluoroscopic swallow study"

An instrumental assessment using real-time X-ray imaging to visualise all phases of swallowing, identify aspiration, and evaluate the effects of posture and diet modifications

"The videofluoroscopic swallow study revealed that the patient aspirated thin liquids but managed mildly thick fluids safely with a chin tuck posture."

"fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing"

An instrumental swallowing assessment in which a flexible endoscope is passed through the nose to provide direct visualisation of the pharynx and larynx during swallowing

"Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing was chosen for the patient who could not tolerate the radiation exposure required for a videofluoroscopic study."

"texture-modified diet"

A diet in which food and liquids are modified in consistency to reduce aspiration risk for individuals with dysphagia, classified according to the IDDSI framework levels

"Following the swallow assessment, the dietitian and SLP recommended a texture-modified diet at IDDSI Level 5 (minced and moist) to reduce the patient's aspiration risk."

"compensatory strategy"

A technique or postural adjustment used during swallowing to improve safety and efficiency without necessarily changing the underlying physiology of the swallow

"The chin tuck compensatory strategy was effective in preventing aspiration by directing the bolus away from the open airway during the pharyngeal phase."

"oral phase"

The first stage of swallowing during which food or liquid is manipulated and prepared in the oral cavity into a cohesive bolus before being propelled into the pharynx

"The patient's oral phase was significantly impaired following facial nerve damage, with poor lip seal and reduced tongue lateralisation affecting bolus formation."

"Mendelsohn manoeuvre"

A swallowing exercise in which the patient consciously holds the larynx at its highest point during swallowing to prolong opening of the upper oesophageal sphincter

"The SLP taught the Mendelsohn manoeuvre to improve laryngeal elevation and cricopharyngeal opening, which had been reduced following the patient's radiotherapy treatment."

"augmentative and alternative communication"

Any method or tool that supplements or replaces natural speech and writing for individuals with severe communication disorders, ranging from picture boards to speech-generating devices

"Augmentative and alternative communication was introduced for the non-speaking child with cerebral palsy, beginning with a low-tech symbol board and progressing to a tablet-based speech device."

"speech-generating device"

An electronic augmentative communication device that produces synthesised or digitised speech output when the user activates symbols, text, or pre-programmed phrases

"With her speech-generating device, the teenager was able to participate in classroom discussions independently for the first time, selecting symbols to construct sentences."

"core vocabulary"

A small set of high-frequency, versatile words that account for the majority of what people say in everyday communication and that form the foundation of AAC system vocabulary

"The AAC specialist programmed the core vocabulary words such as "want", "more", "stop", and "go" onto the most accessible buttons of the child's communication device."

"aided language stimulation"

An AAC modelling technique in which a communication partner simultaneously speaks and points to symbols on the user's AAC system to demonstrate functional use of the device

"The teacher used aided language stimulation throughout the school day, touching relevant symbols on the child's device whenever she spoke to him to model how communication aids are used."

"autism spectrum disorder"

A neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in social communication and interaction, and by restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities

"The SLP worked with the child with autism spectrum disorder to develop functional communication and to expand joint attention and turn-taking skills in structured play contexts."

"joint attention"

The shared focus of two individuals on an object or event, coordinated through eye gaze and gesture, considered a critical precursor to language development

"Building joint attention was the first goal in the intervention plan, as the child rarely looked toward objects that caregivers pointed to or referenced verbally."

"total communication"

An approach to communication that uses every available modality — speech, sign, gesture, pictures, and technology — to maximise communicative success for individuals with complex needs

"The team adopted a total communication approach for the student, combining spoken language with key word signing and a visual schedule to support understanding and expression."

"social story"

A brief, individualised narrative that describes a social situation, explains expected behaviours, and clarifies social cues to help autistic individuals navigate specific interactions

"The SLP wrote a social story about asking for help during class so that the student would understand when and how to raise her hand without becoming anxious."

"dysarthria"

A motor speech disorder caused by neurological damage that impairs the strength, speed, range, or coordination of the speech muscles, affecting speech intelligibility

"The patient's dysarthria following Parkinson's disease progressed gradually, with reduced vocal loudness and imprecise consonant production becoming the primary communication barriers."

"apraxia of speech"

A motor speech disorder characterised by difficulty planning and sequencing the movements required for voluntary speech production, with variable error patterns and groping behaviours

"Childhood apraxia of speech was suspected when the three-year-old produced inconsistent errors on the same words and struggled more with longer, more complex utterances."

"traumatic brain injury"

An acquired brain injury caused by external mechanical force to the head that can result in a range of communication, cognitive, behavioural, and physical sequelae

"Following traumatic brain injury, the young adult presented with cognitive-communication difficulties including impaired memory, reduced initiation, and problems with social communication."

"cognitive-communication disorder"

A communication disorder that results from underlying cognitive deficits such as impaired attention, memory, reasoning, or executive function following neurological injury

"The SLP's cognitive-communication disorder assessment identified that the patient's conversational difficulties stemmed from reduced working memory and difficulty maintaining topic relevance."

"early intervention"

The provision of specialised therapeutic services to infants, toddlers, and young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays, delivered as early as possible for maximum benefit

"Early intervention was recommended for the eighteen-month-old who had not yet said any first words, as research consistently shows that earlier therapy leads to better long-term outcomes."

"late talker"

A young child, typically between eighteen and thirty months, with age-appropriate comprehension and development in other areas but a limited expressive vocabulary relative to peers

"The paediatrician referred the two-year-old as a late talker because she had fewer than fifty words and was not yet combining two words to form simple phrases."

"PROMPT technique"

A tactile-kinaesthetic approach to motor speech therapy in which the SLP uses structured touch cues on the client's face and jaw to shape and sequence the movements needed for speech production

"The PROMPT technique was used intensively with the child with childhood apraxia of speech, with the therapist providing tactile cues to guide jaw, lip, and tongue placement for target sounds."

"PECS"

Picture Exchange Communication System — an AAC approach in which individuals learn to initiate communication by handing a picture card to a communication partner in exchange for a desired item or activity

"PECS was introduced for the minimally verbal child with autism, beginning with a single picture of a preferred snack and progressing toward multi-symbol sentence strips."