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Societal Condemnation of Communication Disorders among College Students

By: Annika R. Tolson

Introduction

Throughout the history of humanity, communication has been at the center of our growth. It functions and flourishes off of the collaboration of society, making effective communication a desirable trait in the adult world. Yet often neglected by this world are the few who encounter speech or language issues in their lifetime. An estimated 80% of children with an articulation disorder are expected to recover within a twelve-month period (Kalinowski et al., 2005). And while another 19.3% of elderly develop a language disorder in later years, the population of young adults experiencing these communication disorders are left with the short end of the stick (Nathalia Avila Dimer et al., 2021). In my time as a college student, I have witnessed fellow classmates and companions struggle with their execution of speech, and as a result the social and emotional aspects of their lives have been hindered. Following this, I have had the favorable occasion to investigate how college students with past or present communication disorders are affected by the circumstances fostered by societal preconception.

The combination of a review of existing literature as well as the implementation of interview responses has assisted in my synthesis of the current state of communication complications in society and the root behind university students experiencing rather negative circumstances as a result. The structure of society stimulates great independence and self-reliance, yet speech and language flawed individuals of all ages may need temporary or permanent intervention in order to communicate with the world around them. Whether affected by a neurological disorder or cross-cultural situations, there are many factors that prevent an individual from performing in the way that society requires them to. Thus, it may be beneficial to further examine society’s restrictive nature and research why populations experiencing disabilities and complications are often overlooked.

Review of Literature

Collegiate Communication Issues

While communication disorders are most prevalent among children ages three through ten years and elderly persons 65 years and older, the forgotten percent of young adults who either failed to receive remedial speech-language therapy as a child or obtained a disorder in later years have a stigma associated with their impairment. This stigma deems adults affected by a speech or language complication as incompetent or ill-suited which puts college students at risk of receiving inadequate grades or being unethically condemned at career-related opportunities.

Assisting Adults with Autism

Fortunately, we are entering an era in which our medical institutions have extensive research and palpable information that allow professionals to diagnose certain disorders earlier in a person’s life. This has issued significant improvements in regard to providing accessible assistance for individuals with autism, but it is important to recognize that adults with autism have a diverse range of needs and one format or arrangement may not be sufficient for all. Researchers at Deakin University conducted a study in order to explore the communication needs of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Complex Communication Needs (CCN). The researchers formed a qualitative case study by interviewing four communication partners that are either professionals in the medical field or share a familial relationship with an autistic individual. The interviewees all highlighted the diverse range of needs and preferences that adults with ASD and CCN require; the recurring responses called for communication partners to become adaptable, practice a continuous sense of determination and resourcefulness, 4 and have flexibility (Denney et. al. 2022, p. 8).

A separate study organized by a group of researchers from University College London as well as the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London collected data based on over a thousand young people who had previously attended a clinic for social communication disorders in order to identify and distinguish Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD) from ASD. The two disorders share distinct areas of overlap in terms of response to and experience of social situations, but are separated by severity (Mandy et al. 2017, p. 1172-1173). The results of these studies concluded that there are many diverse ways in which individuals with these disorders can be assisted, and one format simply cannot envelope each of their needs. These circumstances highlight the importance of communication support for adults, especially upon entering college and throughout academic attendance. Although the societal expectation is that adults must render an independence upon this phase of life, this standard is unfeasible for a portion of the SPCD, CCN, and ASD population. Regrettably, an equivalent lack of discretion exists among students with speech-language disorders.   

College Environment and Population

When speech-language therapy is successful, the average person will not be able to distinguish a previously impaired individual from one with no history of a complication. This is the ultimate goal for speech pathologists and their clients, but when past speech impediments resurface or have not been fully treated, both academic and social aspects of life can be negatively influenced. Christine Buchheit with Duquesne University constructed a thesis in 2003 regarding previously speech-impaired college students. She created an experiment consisting of 16 college students with a history of articulation issues and 16 control subjects with no reported history of a speech-language disorder. All 32 subjects were brought in individually for a series of 5 tests in the span of an hour, consisting of word-spelling, syllabification, and repetition tasks in order to conclude whether or not college students with previous articulation disorders perform at a worse level, same level, or better level than students with no history of speech issues. 2 of the 16 students under the category of previous articulation errors occasionally struggled with the spelling tests and repetition tasks (Buchheit, 2003, p. 14).

In a different approach, Emily R. Allard and Dale F. Williams at Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of Florida Atlantic University coordinated a study regarding the perception and stereotypes of individuals with speech-language disorders. 445 college students listened to five different audio tape recordings, with one of the recordings displaying a speaker without a disorder and the other four recordings depicting speakers with a prevalent speech or language disorder. Despite the participants only having knowledge of the speakers based on their execution of speech, the sample speaker without a disorder was rated highest in self-esteem and employability while the sample speakers with portrayed speech-language disorders were ranked lowest in reliability and decision-making (Allard and Williams, 2008, p. 108-123).

These experiments highlight the importance of differentiating complete speech recovery and illusory recovery so that consistent articulation errors do not remain prevalent in adulthood, while also acknowledging the negative bias surrounding individuals with these communication disorders. College students with continued speech difficulties may suffer as a result of the assumptions and indiscretions of those around them.

Support for CALD Adults

The United States has brought in students from around the world to attend universities on scholarships or in search of beneficial opportunities. This emphasizes an even more distinct 6 category of college students under the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) class of adults who may need assistance regarding a communication or language disorder. Based on existing reports and research, researchers from Griffith University in Australia synthesized quantitative literature regarding the challenges that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and CALD adults face managing language barriers. Following this, ten studies were found that met their criteria, half of them being conducted in Australia and with monolingual female SLPs. The difficulties reported occurred between the SLPs and interpreters; concerns arose in regard to whether or not the interpreter was communicating the SLPs’ suggestions and assignments in the exact manner of intention (Huang et al. 2019, p. 691). The researchers emphasize that migration and culture collision are prominent at this time which are why concerns have been brought forward regarding the ability for CALD adults to receive equitable services. There is no doubt that existing language barriers on top of these communication disorders create even more challenges for CALD and international students. At universities where the student body is composed of diverse individuals, speech-language therapy and communication support are important services that should be available in order to create successful opportunities for all, and, yet, they may face biased treatment for having such difficulties.

Methods

 In the conduct of my own study, I decided to take the interview route in order to retain specific details of my participants that may explain why they have had certain perspectives and experiences. In preparation for this, I assembled 18 questions that assisted in the identification of the communities they associated with, addressed their history of a speech-language disorder, and inquired about their experiences as college students. These questions are significant as they 7 distinguish certain areas of overlap between the interviewees that may not have been prevalent beforehand or based solely on direct issued-related inquiries. The interviews were conducted in places where the participants felt comfortable and in privacy so they could express themselves freely. Each interview lasted approximately 10 to 15 minutes with a majority of the questions allowing the interviewees to elaborate so that their responses may be portrayed as accurately as possible. Questions regarding extracurricular activities and comfort socializing in class guided the interview toward exploring their communal involvement. The outcome of these questions funneled into the specifics of their difficulties with effective communication, in which there was a link between social interaction and a fear of being judged.

Results

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2024), about one in twelve children in the United States have some type of speech, language, or swallowing disorder, yet only 55% are receiving some kind of professional intervention. In my research, I have found that there is a stigma against those with a prevalent speech disorder, and language-impaired college students are suffering as a result. The opportunity to interview two college students has allowed me to explore how these students are affected by their history or continued presence of a speech-language disorder and the inherent societal prejudice against communication inefficiency.

The Origin of the Issue

 Both of my interviewees are freshmen college students with a record of academic success in high school; one being a male and the other a female. In order to delve deeper into their 8 responses without putting their identities at risk, I will be referring to the male as Walter and the female as Sharon. Both Walter and Sharon share a history of articulate and phonological speech-sound disorders and have participated in speech therapy in elementary school. Neither of these two individuals recall what type of articulation disorder they had, which would not be a great concern if their speech issues had not continued throughout high school and into the university level. Having this lack of awareness can make it difficult to recognize when errors occur and then identify a solution to avoid or correct them. For a majority of children receiving speech therapy, their errors are permanently corrected and thus it is common to neglect previous knowledge regarding their specific disorder. Yet these students entering the adult world are missing crucial details about the manner in which they interact not only affects them cognitively and academically, but also socially and emotionally.

Walter

Walter is a current freshman at 91ÖÆƬ³§ working towards obtaining a business degree. He is from the Chicagoland area, but lives on campus as a resident. Walter has proven to be extremely successful both in high school and college, having been inducted into the National Spanish Honors Society with a current grade point average of 3.73. Upon being interviewed, Walter expressed that he has always connected well with his teachers and professors, and his determined study habits and academic achievements have attributed to a mutual sense of respect. However, while Walter rated his ability to communicate with instructors a firm 9 out of 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, his rating for communicating with other students is lower, an intriguing 6.5 out of 10. When questioned about difficulties with self-expression in class settings or extracurricular activities, he explained that socializing with others is often 9 troublesome. Occasionally, he will accidentally mispronounce a word or certain vowel-consonant combination depending on the situation or setting. Sometimes when he is “too relaxed,” he does not notice if a mistake was made, which leaves the door open for his audience to correct him or even tease him. Walter’s experiences have led to a disinclination for participating in class discussions or asking questions in front of his peers, as in his perspective, “it would be better not to make a mistake in front of the whole class” than to feel involved or receive an answer.

Walter’s ability to communicate effectively with his instructors emphasizes that his speech issues are not severe, but rather situational as a result of confidence versus constraint. While he fears being judged as incompetent or unskilled for his speech errors, his academic performance has proven otherwise. Yet Walter among many others who have had similar experiences are hindered by this social stigma and are prevented from reaching their full potential.

Sharon

Sharon is also a freshman college student, currently enrolled at Northern Michigan University with a passion for the criminal justice field. She lives on campus, but originates from a town in Illinois where the rest of her family lives at present. There she attended primary school and worked with a speech therapist to correct a couple of articulation errors from first until fifth grade. Working on these speech issues were difficult and time consuming; Sharon mentioned that by being pulled out of her math classes for speech therapy, she in turn fell behind in regard to the skills they were learning while she was absent. During middle school and high school, Sharon excelled in social studies and science classes, but found herself struggling to understand certain mathematical concepts that were being applied throughout her secondary education.

While her speech issues were improved for the most part, she essentially switched one complication for 10 another. It was not until senior year of high school that she felt comfortable with algebraic calculations and concepts. Aside from this, Sharon took advanced classes and has a grade point average of 4.00. She is responsible when it comes to managing assignments and studying for exams, but her in-class participation is not as strong as she would like it to be. For her rating of communication abilities, she scored both interactions with instructors and classmates a 7 out of 10. She rated these scores because she is not very social in class and lacks the motivation to contribute to conversations. Outside of class, Sharon feels more comfortable socializing, and though she still struggles to pronounce certain syllables or consonants, she does not mind if it is noticeable or if an acquaintance acknowledges the mistake.

Spotting the Similarities

 While Walter and Sharon have separate experiences regarding their speech therapy, academic history, and social mannerisms, they both share a similar struggle in the realm of community participation. Among their peers, socializing and conversing is an activity typically avoided in the classroom setting or reserved for family or close affiliates. Although they are both academically successful and intelligent, the concern that others may misinterpret their speech impediments reigns over them and restricts them from reaching a sense of contentment and fulfillment as a new college student. Their responses have altered my research question from how speech therapy has impacted the ability for college students to communicate, to how society’s expectations have impacted their ability to communicate. For additional research, retrieving more participants that are willing to share their experiences will further solidify these inferences and shed light on the difficulties previously or currently speech-impaired students encounter.

Conclusion

Rather than simply enforcing procedures to clarify speech recovery in children or recommending communication support for speech and language-complicated adults, there is an accommodating role that society must partake in to ensure a more sound solution. Communication issues are more common than the average person considers, so if these prejudices can be reversed and our communities taught to be more accepting of those who struggle with executing their speech, then college students with these issues will not feel the need to restrain themselves and can promptly invest themselves in their academics and companionships. Conducting additional interviews in order to highlight the diverse experiences of this population will certainly uncover several specific matters to bring into discussion.

Works Cited

Allard, E. R., & Williams, D. F. (2008). Listeners' perceptions of speech and language disorders.

Journal of communication disorders, 41(2), 108–123.

Buchheit, C. (2003). Follow-Up of College Students with a History of Developmental Speech Disorders (Master's thesis).

                     

Denney, K. E., Anderson, K. L., & Watson, J. M. (2022). Exploring the communication needs and challenges of adults with autism spectrum disorders: Communication partners’ perspectives. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 24(6), 607–615. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2027520 

Dimer, N. A., Rech, R. S., Chiari, B. M., & Goulart, B. N. G. (2021). Prevalence of speech-language and hearing disorders in elderly and younger adults according to sex and age: a population survey. Prevalência de distúrbios fonoaudiológicos em adultos e idosos, segundo sexo e faixa etária: um estudo populacional. CoDAS, 33(3), e20200080.

 

 Huang, A. J. R., Siyambalapitiya, S., & Cornwell, P. (2019). Speech pathologists and professional interpreters managing culturally and linguistically diverse adults with communication disorders: a systematic review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(5), 689–704.

  Kalinowski, J., Saltuklaroglu, T., Dayalu, V. N., & Guntupalli, V. (2005). Is it possible for speech 13 therapy to improve upon natural recovery rates in children who stutter?. International journal of language & communication disorders, 40(3), 349–358.  

Mandy, W., Wang, A., Lee, I., & Skuse, D. (2017). Evaluating social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1166–1175.  

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024, March 4). Voice, Speech, Language, and Swallowing. Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language.