Assessing and Treating Children with Speech Sound Disorders: Collaboration between Speech-language Therapists and Teachers in Malaysia

Abstract

Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are one of the most prevalent communication disorders diagnosed in the preschool and school age populations. Due to the lack of speech therapy services in the public schools in Malaysia, teachers are required to work collaboratively with speech-language therapists to ensure that children with SSDs benefit from early speech intervention. The purpose of this study is to disseminate pertinent knowledge to Malaysian teachers about the assessment and treatment of children with SSDs. The description of a real case study will highlight the speech characteristics of a child with SSD and the types of remedial activities for teachers’ reference. It is hoped that Malaysian teachers would then be better able to provide information and support in the assessment and treatment process of children with SSDs. A 7 year-old Malaysian Chinese boy who was suspected of having SSD was the subject of the case study. A case study was explicated to demonstrate how a child with SSD was assessed and treated using the speech therapy approach. The study reports the assessment and treatment process in speech therapy for a child with SSD. The process included case history taking and interview, initial speech evaluation, diagnostic impression making, recommendation, and treatment. The rationale for each of the procedures was given. This paper offers insights to Malaysian teachers on the assessment and treatment processes of a child with SSD. Additionally, this paper also provides information for Malaysian teachers about how they can help to identify children with SSDs and work collaboratively with speech-language therapists to provide information during the assessment process and facilitate the speech therapy intervention in the classroom.