Originally Posted by shel90

This is a great checklist to ensure that Deaf children are ready for oral-only educational programs or children already in oral-only programs to see if the programs are meeting their needs.

However, a section of it explains the difference between language and speech.

Language vs. Speech
Ø Language and speech are not synonymous.
Ø Language is a rule-governed set of arbitrary symbols that is socially shared
among people within a culture or community. Language can be encoded through
vocal/spoken words, through symbolic and meaningful visual/manual signs, and
through written form.
o Receptive language refers to how an individual understands language
(e.g. comprehends questions, statements, stories, etc.).
o Expressive language refers to how an individual uses language (e.g.
communicates needs, shares ideas, requests information, asks
questions, expresses thoughts or feelings, etc.).
Ø Speech involves articulate utterance of vocal sounds to produce distinctive
words. It requires the coordination

http://www.childrenshospital.org/cli...transition.pdf

So many people out there have this misconception that good speech equates to having good language skills. As it is stated, they are not the same thing.

That's why deaf children learning ASL and having a strong foundation in ASL do have language even though some of them dont have speech skills.