Yoga for Speech-Language Development

Yoga for Different Stages of Speech-Language Development 49

are important across different environments including home,
school, and community (American Psychiatric Association
2013). All individuals in this population have a speech-
language-communication impairment that is secondary to
their intellectual disability (Pence Turnbull and Justice 2017).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(2016), 12 in 1000 children exhibit mild to severe intellectual
disability. This indicates that intellectual disability occurs in
approximately 1 percent of the general population (American
Psychiatric Association 2013).

Autism spectrum disorder. ASD refers to a broad category
of neurodevelopmental disabilities defined by two
core characteristics, namely 1) impairments in social
communication and social interaction and 2) the presence
of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and
activities (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Deficits in
both of these areas must be present in order for an individual to
be diagnosed with ASD. Although the onset of the condition
must occur in the early developmental period, usually before
three years, symptoms might not be manifest until somewhat
later when the demands of social communication exceed
the child’s capacities. ASD has increased in prevalence over the
past two decades, perhaps due to a widening of the spectrum
to include milder cases, increased awareness of the early signs
of the disability, a combination of the two, or some other
factor. Current estimates of the prevalence of ASD are 1 in 68
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016).

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Attention deficit/
hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) refers to a persistent pattern
of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that interferes
with an individual’s functioning or development (American
Psychiatric Association 2013). Challenges manifest in areas