Making communication a right for U.S. children with communication disorders

What is it about?

Every child should be able to express themselves, be understood, participate in school, and have a say in decisions affecting their life. Yet children with communication disorders often face delays in assessment and treatment, limited access to communication supports, and school environments that do not meet their needs. This article explains how international children's rights principles can help address these problems in the United States, even though the U.S. has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The article uses a recent report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to show how communication can be treated as a fundamental right rather than simply a clinical or educational service.

Why is it important?

A child's ability to communicate affects nearly every part of life, including learning, relationships, health, safety, independence, and participation in the community. When evaluations, therapy, or communication tools are delayed or denied, children may also be prevented from exercising these wider rights. This article offers a timely and distinctive way to connect international human rights standards with existing U.S. disability and education laws. The article translates broad principles into practical expectations for schools, clinicians, policymakers and advocates. These expectations include providing timely evaluations and services, assessing multilingual children appropriately, designing more accessible classrooms, and ensuring that children receive effective communication supports without unnecessary delay. The framework could help shift practice from basic legal compliance toward meaningful inclusion, participation, and accountability.