Sample Page Title

HomeSample Page
type here...
Choose your content:
Thought leadership
Early childhood
School

Sample Page Title

HomeSample Page
Home School resources Speech and language differences

Speech and language differences

Some students may learn to comprehend and express meaning through language differently to their peers, and require additional support to develop these skills.

The terms speech, language, and communication are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Language refers to the comprehension and use of words and sentences to convey meaning, and can be written, spoken, or signed. Speech refers to the production of vocal sounds and involves both motor and linguistic skills. It is possible to have impaired speech but intact language.

Communication encompasses both language and speech, and includes both verbal and nonverbal means of expression. Difficulties with speech, language, and communication may be due to neurological differences, or the result of an accident or pre-existing medical condition such as sensorineural hearing loss. 

Language learning difficulties and language impairments are very common, and can have a significant impact on students’ ability to succeed at school and beyond. Students who experience difficulty understanding and/or expressing themselves through language may struggle with understanding words, following instructions, answering questions, remembering what someone has said, and paying attention. They are highly likely to struggle with learning to read and write. One of the most common forms of language-based learning difference is Developmental Language Disorder, a neuro-developmental condition, and it is estimated that up to 14% of people may have DLD.

The complex nature of language means that the identification and definition of language-based learning difficulties has not been straightforward, and there has been a lack of agreement on how to identify and classify these differences. However, there is a growing body of evidence on how to effectively support students with a range of speech and language difficulties.

It is important for teachers and schools to be attentive to difficulties students may be experiencing in understanding and expressing themselves verbally and non-verbally through language. Often language-based difficulties may be mis-identified as poor behaviour or a lack of attention. Many students may require specific support, and it is important for teachers to work with specialists such as speech language therapists. There are also many ways that teachers can support these students as part of their regular practice, such as effectively teaching new vocabulary, using multi-modal ways of presenting information and instructions, and attending to students’ cognitive load demands.  

  • How can I use a range of visual tools to support students’ understanding of verbal information and instructions?
  • How can I effectively support students’ learning of new and discipline-specific vocabulary?
  • Can I provide students with opportunities to express their learning in a range of modes?
  • How can I work with specialists to support students with speech and language-based learning differences?

Understanding Developmental Language Disorder and how it can affect learning
School resources

Understanding Developmental Language Disorder and how it can affect learning

Sally Nash -
0
The illusion of inclusion
Neurodiversity

The illusion of inclusion

Nina Hood -
0
Supporting neurodivergent students in the classroom
Autism

Supporting neurodivergent students in the classroom

Nina Hood -
0
The neurodiversity paradigm
ADHD

The neurodiversity paradigm

Amanda Howley-Rouse -
0
Developmental Language Disorder in secondary school
Speech and language differences

Developmental Language Disorder in secondary school

Amanda Howley-Rouse -
0
Developmental Language Disorder in primary school
Speech and language differences

Developmental Language Disorder in primary school

Amanda Howley-Rouse -
0
An introduction to Developmental Language Disorder
Speech and language differences

An introduction to Developmental Language Disorder

Amanda Howley-Rouse -
0
Removing barriers to success for neurodivergent students
ADHD

Removing barriers to success for neurodivergent students

Amanda Howley-Rouse -
0
Dr Chiara Horlin
ADHD

Neurodiversity in education

Nina Hood -
0

Get unlimited access to all our webinars

Buy a webinar subscription for yourself, your school or centre and enjoy savings of up to 25%

The Education Hub webinars provide high-quality research-based content for teachers. A webinar subscription costs just NZ$60+GST per person (with discounts of up to 25% available for groups) and provides access to all our live webinars for 12 months, plus all the recordings in our archive.
Find out more

12-MONTH WEBINAR SUBSCRIPTION

NZ$ 60 per person +GST
  • All live webinars for 12 months
  • Access to our library of over 100 webinars
  • Personalised certificates
  • Group savings of up to 25%
Buy now

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2025 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from The Education Hub Choose how you stay up to date

Early childhood education
School

Your details:

Already have an account? Login here

* Required fields

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. The data you provide on this form will be used to keep you informed about our latest news, updates, and promotional offers. Rest assured, your information will be handled in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be stored securely, and you have the right to access, correct, or delete your information at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.