Altered white matter network topology is associated with more profound language impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Speech and language disorders (SLDs) are communication-related conditions that affect individuals’ ability to understand, produce, and use spoken language effectively. These difficulties may involve speech production, fluency, voice, resonance, and language comprehension or expression, potentially influencing academic achievement, social participation, and overall quality of life. Early identification and accurate assessment are therefore critical for timely intervention and educational planning. Assessment of SLDs involves a comprehensive process of collecting information from multiple sources to determine the nature and severity of communication difficulties and to guide intervention planning. Contemporary assessment approaches emphasize the integration of standardized tests, clinical observations, developmental history, language sampling, and reports from parents and teachers to obtain a comprehensive understanding of a child’s communication functioning In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on functional and participation-based assessment approaches that consider the impact of communication difficulties on academic achievement, social participation, and everyday functioning. Internationally, the assessment of SLDs is increasingly guided by evidence-based practices and is often supported by collaboration among speech-language therapists (SLTs), families, educators, and other professionals when appropriate. SLTs possess the expertise necessary to independently assess and diagnose many SLDs, including speech sound disorders, fluency disorders, and developmental language disorder. Multidisciplinary collaboration may be particularly beneficial in cases involving co-occurring developmental, educational, behavioral, or medical conditions that require broader assessment and intervention planning. Assessment, identification, and diagnosis denote related but conceptually distinct processes within speech and language services. Clinical diagnosis involves determining the presence and nature of a communication disorder through comprehensive assessment conducted by qualified healthcare professionals, including SLTs. In contrast, educational assessment and identification focus on identifying a student’s functional performance, educational needs, and support requirements within educational settings. Educational identification, as used within the Turkish special education system, refers to the process of determining eligibility for special education services and developing appropriate educational recommendations based on multiple sources of information, including educational assessments, developmental history, school reports, and medical documentation. In Türkiye, SLTs are authorized to provide assessment, therapy, and rehabilitation services within their professional scope of practice. According to national regulations, SLTs may independently provide therapy and rehabilitation for certain conditions, including developmental speech and language disorders, stuttering, cluttering, hypernasality, and hyponasality. However, for other speech, language, voice, and swallowing disorders, assessment, therapy, and rehabilitation services are provided following diagnosis and referral by a specialist physician. Furthermore, access to publicly funded special education and rehabilitation services generally requires official medical documentation obtained through the healthcare system. Following the educational eligibility decision issued by the Special Education Assessment Board within the Guidance and Research Centers (GRC), individuals become eligible to receive publicly funded speech and language therapy services in special education and rehabilitation centers. Consequently, clinical diagnosis and medical reports play an important role in the educational identification process of children with SLDs.