Group 4 Language Blog

This article came from a language journal, Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. This article caught my eye because as a student teacher, I am interested in helping educate children the best way possible. This study examined 2nd grade teachers' perceptions of the academic, social, and behavioral competence of students with speech sound disorders (SSD's). Results of this study showed that a majority of teachers have negative attitudes toward children with articulation disorders. It appears that speech intelligibility influences teachers' perceptions of the academic, social and behavioral competence of students. It has been reported that Teacher's perceptions regarding the behavioral and academic competence of students be the best predictors of teachers' referrals for special education. Improving a student's intelligibility may have an effect on a teacher's referral decision for academic, social and/or behavioral special education services.

I feel that teachers can impair children at a very young age by putting them into special education. By segregating the children, teachers are reinforcing the stereotypes society gives people with SSD’s, which are behavioral problems, academic problems, and social problems. The study showed that some teachers believed that SSDs cause these stereotypical problems. Therefore, there is a need to educate teachers that there is no known direct causal link between SSds and school-based problems. Although children with SSDs face a risk for academic problems, many children with SSD’s experience no school-based problems. Should teachers have to go through special training to counteract society bias concerning children with SSD’s? Also, for the student being segregated in the special education classroom because of a speech impediment, how would this affect him/her, especially if there is no reason for them to be in the room other than a speech impediment?