{"id":88672,"date":"2019-05-08T13:00:49","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T18:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=88672"},"modified":"2019-05-08T13:08:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T18:08:17","slug":"communication-disorders-among-common-childhood-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/communication-disorders-among-common-childhood-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Communication Disorders among Most Common Childhood Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtney Walden, a UM graduate student in communication sciences and disorders, helps a young client navigate his augmentative communication device. Photo by Sarah Sapp\/School of Applied Sciences<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss \u2013 With 11 percent of children ages 3-6<\/a> having a speech, language, voice or swallowing disorder and almost 15 percent of school-age children<\/a> experiencing some degree of hearing loss, communication disorders are among the most common disabilities in children nationwide.<\/p>\n

During May, which is Better Hearing and Speech Month, Vishakha Rawool, chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of Mississippi<\/a>, urges families to learn the early signs of these disorders and seek an assessment if they have concerns.<\/p>\n

“Communication disorders are treatable, yet all too often, we find parents are waiting longer than we’d like to bring their child in for an evaluation,” Rawool said. “Timely intervention is important, as untreated speech-language and hearing disorders can lead to problems with reading and writing, academic success, social interactions, behavioral problems and more.<\/p>\n

“These disorders are highly treatable and, in some cases, can be reversed or even prevented. So our message to parents is: If you have any concern, don’t wait and see if there is a change. Trust your instincts and get it checked out.”<\/p>\n

Hearing loss is evaluated and treated by audiologists. Speech and language disorders are evaluated and treated by speech-language pathologists. Warning signs<\/a> of these disorders include:<\/p>\n

Language Disorders<\/strong><\/p>\n