The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Addressing Reading Disorders

Literacy, which encompasses the ability to read, write, speak, and listen, serves as a fundamental tool for effective communication and comprehension of the world. It plays a crucial role in a student's academic success and social interactions.

Literacy often takes the center stage for children at school. Kids develop their literacy skills in the classroom with the guidance of their teacher(s) and, when necessary, receive additional support from a reading specialist or speech-language pathologist (SLP). This begs the question - Who is best equipped to assist children with reading disorders?

Why are SLPs the optimal choice for supporting reading disorders?

SLPs possess specialized knowledge and expertise required to identify communication disorders and related needs, especially those pertaining to language and literacy skills. Children facing challenges with acquiring language are at an increased risk of struggling with reading and writing. Here are just a few reasons why SLPs are best equipped to work with children with reading and writing needs:

  1. SLPs are experts in language acquisition and communication disorders. This expertise proves invaluable for preventing, identifying, assessing, and intervening in cases of literacy difficulties, as well as supporting any other language components.

  2. SLPs routinely engage in multidisciplinary, personalized care, a crucial approach when addressing literacy concerns. They collaborate with teachers and parents to provide coaching on how to best assist the child’s specific language and literacy needs to promote academic success.

  3. SLPs specialize in diagnosing and treating children with phonological difficulties, which have a direct impact on literacy. Persistent speech sound errors can hinder a child's ability to distinguish between sounds, disrupting phonological awareness—the foundation for decoding and word recognition in reading. Difficulties associating letters with corresponding sounds affects a child's ability to sound out words during spelling and reading.

  4. Beyond phonology, SLPs have knowledge of morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic systems, which also are crucial for reading comprehension and written expression. “A child who lacks morphological awareness may have trouble learning to spell words that require this insight (e.g., walked, humorous). Children whose spoken stories are not at expected developmental levels will also find it difficult to write stories. SLPs are trained to do fine-grained analyses of children’s strengths and weaknesses at word, sentence, and discourse levels,” (Spracher, 2000).

Reading is a critical academic and life skill for children. If you, or someone working with your child, have concerns regarding your child’s reading abilities, consider seeking an evaluation with a Speech Language Pathologist. At Bellflower Speech Language and Literacy, our therapists possess extensive experience in fostering literacy skills and can help tailor an individualized plan to help your child become a confident and proficient reader. For more information, contact us at Bellflower Speech Language and Literacy.

Resources:

ASHAWire. (2000). Learning About Literacy: SLPs Play Key Role in Reading, Writing. Mary M. Spracher. Leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/leader.SCM.05082000.1

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2001). Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists with respect to reading and writing in children and adolescents. Available from www.asha.org/policy. https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2001-00104/

Hillary Guest