We have listed below five of the most common types of speech impediments in children and a general description of each. Of course, if you suspect your child may have a speech impairment of any kind, we encourage you to visit your pediatrician or hire a Speech Therapist for more information.
We have identified only five of the most common types of speech impediments in children. There are a number of other speech disorders beyond what we have listed. Whether rooted in psycho-speech behavioral issues, muscular disorders, or brain damage, nearly all the diagnoses SLPs make fall within just 10 common categories…. The person knows what they want to say — they can even write what they want to say on paper — however the brain is unable to send the correct messages so that speech muscles can articulate what they want to say, even though the speech muscles themselves work just fine.
Many SLPs specialize in the treatment of Apraxia. There are different levels of severity of AOS, ranging from mostly functional, to speech that is incoherent. And right now we know for certain it can be caused by brain damage, such as in an adult who has a stroke.
This is called Acquired AOS. However the scientific and medical community has been unable to detect brain damage — or even differences — in children who are born with this disorder, making the causes of Childhood AOS somewhat of a mystery.
There is often a correlation present, with close family members suffering from learning or communication disorders, suggesting there may be a genetic link. Mild cases might be harder to diagnose, especially in children where multiple unknown speech disorders may be present.
Symptoms of mild forms of AOS are shared by a range of different speech disorders, and include mispronunciation of words and irregularities in tone, rhythm, or emphasis prosody. Severe cases are more easily diagnosed, with symptoms including inability to articulate words, groping for sound positions, off-target movements that distort sounds, and inconsistency in pronunciation. Stuttering — Stammering Stuttering, also referred to as stammering, is so common that everyone knows what it sounds like and can easily recognize it.
Everyone has probably had moments of stuttering at least once in their life. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that three million Americans stutter, and reports that of the up-topercent of children who do stutter, three-quarters of them will outgrow it. It should not be confused with cluttering. Speech language pathologists are trained to look for all the symptoms of stuttering , especially the non-verbal ones, and that is why an SLP is qualified to make a stuttering diagnosis.
The earliest this fluency disorder can become apparent is when a child is learning to talk. It may also surface later during childhood. Rarely if ever has it developed in adults, although many adults have kept a stutter from childhood.
Stuttering only becomes a problem when it has an impact on daily activities, or when it causes concern to parents or the child suffering from it. In some people, a stutter is triggered by certain events like talking on the phone. When people start to avoid specific activities so as not to trigger their stutter, this is a sure sign that the stutter has reached the level of a speech disorder.
The causes of stuttering are mostly a mystery. There is a correlation with family history indicating a genetic link. Another theory is that a stutter is a form of involuntary or semi-voluntary tic. Most studies of stuttering agree there are many factors involved. Because the causes of stuttering are largely unknown the treatments are mostly behavioral.
Triggers often precede a stuttering episode, and SLPs can help people recognize and cope with these triggers ahead of time. Dysarthria Dysarthria is a symptom of nerve or muscle damage. It manifests itself as slurred speech, slowed speech, limited tongue, jaw, or lip movement, abnormal rhythm and pitch when speaking, changes in voice quality, difficulty articulating, labored speech, and other related symptoms.
It is caused by muscle damage, or nerve damage to the muscles involved in the process of speaking such as the diaphragm, lips, tongue, and vocal chords. This can start during development in the womb or shortly after birth as a result of conditions like muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. In adults some of the most common causes of dysarthria are stroke, tumors, and MS.
Lisping A lay term, lisping can be recognized by anyone and is very common. Depending on your medical history and symptoms, your doctor may order one or more tests, such as:. It may involve an evaluation by a:. In some cases, they may also recommend assistive communication devices. For example, they may advise you to use an electronic device to translate typed messages into verbal communication. Speech therapy is the main treatment for AOS.
This treatment is customized to each individual and typically takes place one-on-one. In severe cases of AOS, learning hand gestures or sign language may be encouraged as alternative forms of communication. Your therapist may prescribe exercises to help improve your breath control and increase your tongue and lip coordination. They need to give you ample time to respond to questions and comments. But your doctor can prescribe treatments to help manage your symptoms. For example, they may prescribe botulinum toxin injections Botox or surgery to your vocal cords.
This may help reduce spasms. They may advise you to avoid caffeine or other drugs that can irritate your vocal cords. In rare cases, you may need surgery or other medical treatments.
Some types and causes of adult speech impairment are impossible to prevent. But you can take steps to lower your risk of developing other types of impaired speech. For example:. If you develop unusual vocal symptoms, seek medical attention. Early diagnosis and treatment may improve your long-term outlook and help prevent complications. Also, keep your emergency contact information in your pocket at all times. This can help you prepare for times when you may not be able to communicate your health condition and needs to others.
Read about hearing and speech impairments, and get information on resources and organizations that can help. If you have a child with developmental expressive language disorder DELD , they might have difficulty remembering vocabulary words or using complex…. Learn more.
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