Rule 6A-6.03012, F.A.C., specifies that a speech impairment interferes with communication, adversely affects a student’s performance and/or functioning in the educational environment, and results in the need for ESE. A speech impairment is not primarily the result of factors related to age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency. Three types of speech impairment are a speech sound disorder, voice disorder, and fluency disorder:

Speech Sound Disorder – A speech sound disorder is a phonological or articulation disorder that is evidenced by the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, distortions, additions, or omissions that interfere with intelligibility. A speech sound disorder is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency. • Phonological disorder – A phonological disorder is an impairment in the system of phonemes and phoneme patterns within the context of spoken language. • Articulation disorder – An articulation disorder is characterized by difficulty in the articulation of speech sounds that may be due to a motoric or structural problem.

Fluency Disorder – A fluency disorder is characterized by deviations in continuity, smoothness, rhythm, or effort in spoken communication. It may be accompanied by excessive tension and secondary behaviors, such as struggle and avoidance. A fluency disorder is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency.

Voice Disorder – A voice disorder is characterized by the atypical production or absence of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, or duration of phonation that is not primarily the result of factors related to chronological age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or limited English proficiency. Parents of children not yet attending school may contact Child Find if there are concerns with hearing, speech or language development.