10 Most Common Speech-Language Disorders & Impediments
As you get to know more about the field of speech-language pathology you’ll increasingly realize why SLPs are required to earn at least a master’s degree . This stuff is serious – and there’s nothing easy about it.
In 2016 the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reported that 7.7% of American children have been diagnosed with a speech or swallowing disorder. That comes out to nearly one in 12 children, and gets even bigger if you factor in adults.
Whether rooted in psycho-speech behavioral issues, muscular disorders, or brain damage, nearly all the diagnoses SLPs make fall within just 10 common categories…
Types of Speech Disorders & Impediments
Apraxia of speech (aos).
Apraxia of Speech (AOS) happens when the neural pathway between the brain and a person’s speech function (speech muscles) is lost or obscured. 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).
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-to-10-percent of children who do stutter, three-quarters of them will outgrow it. It should not be confused with cluttering.
Most people don’t know that stuttering can also include non-verbal involuntary or semi-voluntary actions like blinking or abdominal tensing (tics). 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.
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.
Because it is a symptom of nerve and/or muscle damage it can be caused by a wide range of phenomena that affect people of all ages. 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.
A lay term, lisping can be recognized by anyone and is very common.
Speech language pathologists provide an extra level of expertise when treating patients with lisping disorders . They can make sure that a lisp is not being confused with another type of disorder such as apraxia, aphasia, impaired development of expressive language, or a speech impediment caused by hearing loss.
SLPs are also important in distinguishing between the five different types of lisps. Most laypersons can usually pick out the most common type, the interdental/dentalised lisp. This is when a speaker makes a “th” sound when trying to make the “s” sound. It is caused by the tongue reaching past or touching the front teeth.
Because lisps are functional speech disorders, SLPs can play a huge role in correcting these with results often being a complete elimination of the lisp. Treatment is particularly effective when implemented early, although adults can also benefit.
Experts recommend professional SLP intervention if a child has reached the age of four and still has an interdental/dentalised lisp. SLP intervention is recommended as soon as possible for all other types of lisps. Treatment includes pronunciation and annunciation coaching, re-teaching how a sound or word is supposed to be pronounced, practice in front of a mirror, and speech-muscle strengthening that can be as simple as drinking out of a straw.
Spasmodic Dysphonia
Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) is a chronic long-term disorder that affects the voice. It is characterized by a spasming of the vocal chords when a person attempts to speak and results in a voice that can be described as shaky, hoarse, groaning, tight, or jittery. It can cause the emphasis of speech to vary considerably. Many SLPs specialize in the treatment of Spasmodic Dysphonia .
SLPs will most often encounter this disorder in adults, with the first symptoms usually occurring between the ages of 30 and 50. It can be caused by a range of things mostly related to aging, such as nervous system changes and muscle tone disorders.
It’s difficult to isolate vocal chord spasms as being responsible for a shaky or trembly voice, so diagnosing SD is a team effort for SLPs that also involves an ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) and a neurologist.
Have you ever heard people talking about how they are smart but also nervous in large groups of people, and then self-diagnose themselves as having Asperger’s? You might have heard a similar lay diagnosis for cluttering. This is an indication of how common this disorder is as well as how crucial SLPs are in making a proper cluttering diagnosis .
A fluency disorder, cluttering is characterized by a person’s speech being too rapid, too jerky, or both. To qualify as cluttering, the person’s speech must also have excessive amounts of “well,” “um,” “like,” “hmm,” or “so,” (speech disfluencies), an excessive exclusion or collapsing of syllables, or abnormal syllable stresses or rhythms.
The first symptoms of this disorder appear in childhood. Like other fluency disorders, SLPs can have a huge impact on improving or eliminating cluttering. Intervention is most effective early on in life, however adults can also benefit from working with an SLP.
Muteness – Selective Mutism
There are different kinds of mutism, and here we are talking about selective mutism. This used to be called elective mutism to emphasize its difference from disorders that caused mutism through damage to, or irregularities in, the speech process.
Selective mutism is when a person does not speak in some or most situations, however that person is physically capable of speaking. It most often occurs in children, and is commonly exemplified by a child speaking at home but not at school.
Selective mutism is related to psychology. It appears in children who are very shy, who have an anxiety disorder, or who are going through a period of social withdrawal or isolation. These psychological factors have their own origins and should be dealt with through counseling or another type of psychological intervention.
Diagnosing selective mutism involves a team of professionals including SLPs, pediatricians, psychologists, and psychiatrists. SLPs play an important role in this process because there are speech language disorders that can have the same effect as selective muteness – stuttering, aphasia, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria – and it’s important to eliminate these as possibilities.
And just because selective mutism is primarily a psychological phenomenon, that doesn’t mean SLPs can’t do anything. Quite the contrary.
The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that one million Americans have some form of aphasia.
Aphasia is a communication disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language capabilities. Aphasia differs from apraxia of speech and dysarthria in that it solely pertains to the brain’s speech and language center.
As such anyone can suffer from aphasia because brain damage can be caused by a number of factors. However SLPs are most likely to encounter aphasia in adults, especially those who have had a stroke. Other common causes of aphasia are brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, and degenerative brain diseases.
In addition to neurologists, speech language pathologists have an important role in diagnosing aphasia. As an SLP you’ll assess factors such as a person’s reading and writing, functional communication, auditory comprehension, and verbal expression.
Speech Delay – Alalia
A speech delay, known to professionals as alalia, refers to the phenomenon when a child is not making normal attempts to verbally communicate. There can be a number of factors causing this to happen, and that’s why it’s critical for a speech language pathologist to be involved.
The are many potential reasons why a child would not be using age-appropriate communication. These can range anywhere from the child being a “late bloomer” – the child just takes a bit longer than average to speak – to the child having brain damage. It is the role of an SLP to go through a process of elimination, evaluating each possibility that could cause a speech delay, until an explanation is found.
Approaching a child with a speech delay starts by distinguishing among the two main categories an SLP will evaluate: speech and language.
Speech has a lot to do with the organs of speech – the tongue, mouth, and vocal chords – as well as the muscles and nerves that connect them with the brain. Disorders like apraxia of speech and dysarthria are two examples that affect the nerve connections and organs of speech. Other examples in this category could include a cleft palette or even hearing loss.
The other major category SLPs will evaluate is language. This relates more to the brain and can be affected by brain damage or developmental disorders like autism. There are many different types of brain damage that each manifest themselves differently, as well as developmental disorders, and the SLP will make evaluations for everything.
Issues Related to Autism
While the autism spectrum itself isn’t a speech disorder, it makes this list because the two go hand-in-hand more often than not.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one out of every 68 children in our country have an autism spectrum disorder. And by definition, all children who have autism also have social communication problems.
Speech-language pathologists are often a critical voice on a team of professionals – also including pediatricians, occupational therapists, neurologists, developmental specialists, and physical therapists – who make an autism spectrum diagnosis .
In fact, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association reports that problems with communication are the first detectable signs of autism. That is why language disorders – specifically disordered verbal and nonverbal communication – are one of the primary diagnostic criteria for autism.
So what kinds of SLP disorders are you likely to encounter with someone on the autism spectrum?
A big one is apraxia of speech. A study that came out of Penn State in 2015 found that 64 percent of children who were diagnosed with autism also had childhood apraxia of speech.
This basic primer on the most common speech disorders offers little more than an interesting glimpse into the kind of issues that SLPs work with patients to resolve. But even knowing everything there is to know about communication science and speech disorders doesn’t tell the whole story of what this profession is all about. With every client in every therapy session, the goal is always to have the folks that come to you for help leave with a little more confidence than when they walked in the door that day. As a trusted SLP, you will build on those gains with every session, helping clients experience the joy and freedom that comes with the ability to express themselves freely. At the end of the day, this is what being an SLP is all about.
Ready to make a difference in speech pathology? Learn how to become a Speech-Language Pathologist today
- Emerson College - Master's in Speech-Language Pathology online - Prepare to become an SLP in as few as 20 months. No GRE required. Scholarships available.
- NYU Steinhardt - NYU Steinhardt's Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders online - ASHA-accredited. Bachelor's degree required. Graduate prepared to pursue licensure.
- Arizona State University - Online - Online Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science - Designed to prepare graduates to work in behavioral health settings or transition to graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology.
DEFECT OF SPEECH
Ipa (us): .
Dictionary entry overview: What does defect of speech mean?
• DEFECT OF SPEECH (noun) The noun DEFECT OF SPEECH has 1 sense:
Familiarity information: DEFECT OF SPEECH used as a noun is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• DEFECT OF SPEECH (noun)
Sense 1
A disorder of oral speech
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
defect of speech; speech defect ; speech disorder
Hypernyms ("defect of speech" is a kind of...):
disorder ; upset (a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "defect of speech"):
anarthria (partial or total loss of articulate speech resulting from lesions of the central nervous system)
aphonia ; voicelessness (a disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss of voice)
cataphasia (a speech disorder in which the same word is repeated several times in succession)
dysarthria (impaired articulatory ability resulting from defects in the peripheral motor nerves or in the speech musculature)
dyslogia (impaired ability to express ideas verbally; usually resulting from difficulties of reasoning (as in feeblemindedness or certain psychoses))
dysphonia (speech disorder attributable to a disorder of phonation)
lallation (defective articulation of the 'l' phoneme or the phoneme 'r' is pronounced as 'l')
lambdacism (speech defect involving excessive use or unusual pronunciation of the phoneme 'l')
lisp (a speech defect that involves pronouncing 's' like voiceless 'th' and 'z' like voiced 'th')
stammer ; stutter (a speech disorder involving hesitations and involuntary repetitions of certain sounds)
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Psychology Discussion
Speech defects in children: meaning, causes and forms.
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In this article we will discuss about ‘Speech Defects in Children’. After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Meaning of Speech Defects 2. Causes of Speech Defects 3. Forms.
Meaning of Speech Defects:
Speech defects and disorders develop more prominently when the baby is just learning to speak. Speech disorders, even baby talks are serious handicaps to social adjustment of the child. Particularly when he grows up, mixes, and communicates with people, he feels inferior, anxious and withdraws from the group, society and friends.
He becomes imaginative and lives in day dream, suffers from frustration. All these lead to frustration and maladjustment in every child who has speech defects. Though he is talented, he is scared to talk to people in groups, give speeches in meetings and communicates in social gatherings.
Further a child having speech defects deviates significantly from the general standard that other children of his age show and he commits more errors. Commonly defects in speech means defects in pronounciation. But in a wider sense, it may refer to any type of speech that is incorrect.
Speech defects can be divided under three sub types:
(a) Defects in word meaning
(b) Defects in pronounciation
(c) Defects in sentence structure.
Speech disorders refer to serious defect in pronounciation in that they are caused by some defect or malformation of vocal organs or by persistent emotional tensions. Speech disorders cannot be rectified or cured by learning correct pronounciation. The real cause of speech disorder must be diagnosed and removed.
Causes of Speech Defects :
1. Malformation of speech organs, defects due to tongue tied conditions, deformed teeth or lips or jaw may be the physical causes of speech disorders.
2. Slow maturation, inadequate learning, poor environmental conditions, etc. may lead to emotional tensions or other forms of emotional maladjustments which may produce speech defects or difficulty in articulation.
3. Poor and faulty child rearing practices, one or both the parents having neurotic tendencies, poor parent child relationship, lack of congenial and warm relationship between parents, aggressive, dominant, possessive and demanding mother with high aspirations for the child, may lead to speech disorder in the child.
4. Lack of proper adjustment with family, friends and peers because of the above factors may produce speech disorders.
5. Conflict and tension in day to day life, threatening and severe punishment by parents and teachers may also produce speech disorders in children.
6. Dependency, destructiveness and aggressiveness, tempertantrum timidity and allied psychological problems are related to speech disorder.
Thus, it is clear that speech disorders are largely due to adjustmental problems and emotional instabilities because of faulty environmental feed backs.
Forms of Speech Defects and Disorder:
Some of the Common forms of speech defects and disorders are discussed below:
(i) Difficulty in Pronounciation :
Incorrect and unintelligible speech habits may be developed due to inadequate environment stimulations. Childish errors may be caused due to ommission of letters by the child and no one to correct it. Inability to pronounce a word correctly may also be due to malnutrition and physical weakness.
If the small child is exposed to incorrect grammar in the home by family members or baby seaters or neighbours, he may continue to use incorrectly the pronoun forms “I” and ‘me’ or “who” and “whom”.
Baby talk by parents either to get pleasure or because they think the child cannot understand their language leads to faulty pronounciation like when a mother or family member speaks ‘Babbal’ for chappal (shoe) ‘Pai’ for Pani (water) ‘Taibu’ for Khaibu (eating) etc.
The child is encouraged to speak like that and continue it till adulthood. Experience shows that the child is capable enough to say chappal, pani and khaibu or the correct pronounciations if encouraged to say so. Hence it is the fault of the parents and family members and adults for which the child develops wrong pronounciations.
Similarly when a woman in charge of the child constantly speaks “Suibu instead of Soibu (sleep) or Daibi instead of Basibi (sit) the child learns to pronounce the word in the same way. These faulty speech habits developed during preschool years can be rectified by consistent and constant correction in the early stage.
Speech disorders usually develop during preschool year though they may develop at any time during one’s life. During preschool years, the child’s mind is very malleable and he is just learning to speak. Speech habits are yet to be formed.
So what be hears he imitates. Once a set of pronounciations have been clearly and distinctly developed, it is difficult to give it up. At a stage when he is learning to speak, any serious emotional trouble is most likely to disturb this speech habits and pronounciations. Most of the speech disorders therefore develop during the preschool years.
Thus speech errors occur primarily due to faulty learning, baby talk by parents and others. If not corrected in due time they may persist and cause trouble in adjustment during later life. According to Mccarthy (1960) mostly the errors in pronounciation excepting those due to organic causes, occurs due to the neuroticism of parents, unhappy parent-child, father-mother relationship.
(ii) Lisping :
It is the most common defect in the preschool children. The lisper appears to find it difficult to utter certain letters correctly, particularly the letter’s. He pronounces ‘this’ as thilh or simple as thimple.
This disorder may have its origin in baby talks or due to the deformity of teeth, lip or jaw gaps caused by falling of baby tooth may cause lisping. During the beginning stage it may be cured by training. Otherwise the child requires the help of speech specialist; speech therapist for acquiring new and correct speech pattern.
If it is not due to physical defect the child can gradually be trained to overcome it. He can learn to give up baby talks and infantile speech. If adults instead of diswading the child enjoy it he is encouraged and more motivated to continue the same. So adults should be very careful about infantile speech and discourage their children from developing it.
Thus, in lisping due to some reasons stated above, children substitute ‘the’ for’s’ Z, w for ‘r’ etc. Lisping may also disappear or decrease after permanent teeth appears. If still the problem persists, the speech specialist should be consulted.
(iii) Slurring :
When the child is not able to pronounce any word clearly it is called slurring. Thus, slurring results from running words together, sometimes in the form of mumbling jorgon and indistinctiveness, slurring usually occurs in the preschool age. Slurring may occur due to several reasons.
Due to inactivity of lips, paralysis of vocal cords, fear, excitement, stage frightness, fear for strangers, the speech of the child becomes indistinct. A shy, introvert, withdrawal type of child may feel very nervous and tongue tied in the presence of strangers. He might be very interested to talk, he might be knowing the correct reply but he finds difficult to say whatever he wants to say, so he speaks rapidly.
Rapidity of speech interferes with clear and distinct pronunciation as he cannot give adequate time and space to all the letters. A normal child may slur when emotionally upset, excited or anxious. Because when the tries to rush through the letters/words, they loose their clarity.
Unless it is due to paralysis of the vocal cord or any other physical reason, slurring can be managed to be corrected by asking the child to open his mouth and give emphasis to each word he utters, to speak slowly but distinctly. It the child opens his mouth while speaking so that sounds can came out, slurring can be rectified by means so speech therapy and continuous practice to speak slowly, but distinctly.
Unless there is any organic difficulty, slurring can also be removed if the children learn to control the slurring tendency by perseverance and determination. Parents should take extra care to speak clearly, slowly and fluently and they should also advise the child to imitate them.
(iv) Stuttering and Stammering :
Among all the speech disorders stuttering and stammering are most serious type. Stuttering is a type of hesitant repetitive speech, defects in articulation caused by emotional problems anxiety, frustration, fear for authority, insecurity, fear for failure, over protection, during early childhood. Stuttering and stammering occur because of failure of coordination of speech muscles, spasms of throat muscles and disphragme.
In stammering there is a check in speech, then no speech, then sudden speech and then again no speech. It creates the inability to produce sound. Between age 22 to 3 years stuttering may occur due to talk of coordination between thought and language. He has a lot to speak, but has not the capacity for the same. So he tries to speak as fast as possible and suffers from stuttering.
While stuttering the child is under serious mental and emotional strain. Parents should not give over attention to it and consider it a serious problem so that it would disappear automatically.
But if parents make it an issue and try to correct him when he stutters or rebuke and ridicule him it may aggravate stuttering. By suitable social and home adjustment stuttering also decreases. Sometimes stuttering is accompanied by a dead locking of speech and temporary inability to produce sound.
Stammering is also a type of stuttering. When the opening letter of a word is prolonged it refers to stammering like eeee—error-c-c-c-cat. Stammering occurs when a child cannot get a word out. There appears difficulty in producing any spcech sound.
The stammerer gasps, hesitates, gasps again and then mouths the word with spasmodic movements and facial grimaces efforts to articulate. Some children stammer only with certain consonants and not others. Stuttering and stammering may differ from place to place in the same person and also from person to person.
In one situation he may stutter & stammer while in another situation he may not. He may stammer while trying to utter some and not in others.
However, for the cure of stuttering and stammering the underlying emotional causes are to be brought to the sources and released, although stammering does not cause any handicap for use of intellectual capacities and many stammerers have reached high position in life. Studies show that primitive uncivilized people do not stutter.
Some say the causes are hereditary and run in families. Stammering and stuttering may also occur because of defective speech muscles. In a study, West and others examined 204 stammers and 204 normal children (without stammering) and found lat this disorder may be due to hereditary factors. Johnson opined that children start stammering when they are called stammerer.
Moncur found that if parents overprotect their children, criticise them, take excessive care and have high aspirations about their children, put a lot of pressure on them to excel in every sphere from early childhood, they stammer.
Psychoanalysts opine that fixation of the libidinal energy in the oral stage of psychosexual development lead to stammering and stuttering. Davis was of view that when a small child is not able to integrate his speech properly, he starts stuttering. When he becomes habituated in speaking it disappears. Hence the stammer should speak as much as possible.
Sometimes when the child becomes conscious while speaking, becomes highly excited after observing his own behaviour and tries to catch attention of others, he starts stammering. Most people say that stammering is a learned behaviour psychological in origin resulting from environmental pressures.
Nervousness, emotional instability, anxiety, confusion, fearfulness, over-protection, anxiety, are common causes. Perfectionistic, dominating, over anxious parents pressure on the child to learn two languages at a time leading to stuttering. Besides other techniques and precautions mentioned above, stutters and stammers should be treated by specialists and speech therapists for all the best.
(v) Cluttering :
Cluttering is otherwise known as rapid, jumpled, mistaken and confused type speech. Cluttering is caused due to delayed motor control and speech developments. Children whose speech development is delayed they usually show this speech disorder. Cluttering is more or less similar to stuttering.
It creates more errors in speech. Speech errors made by normal people are exaggerated by the clutterers in their speech. The speech of clutterers can be improved by concentration, attention and by becoming cautious and aware before speaking. Sufficient love and understanding, warm relationship with the child can prevent their speech disorders and defects.
Almost all speech defects and disorders are due to emotional disturbances excepting those having I physical causes. Proper handling of the child by parents and due attention during his language development period is extremely urgent to avoid future complication in language development.
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Home / Blog
Speech Impediment Guide: Definition, Causes, and Resources
December 8, 2020
Tables of Contents
What Is a Speech Impediment?
Types of speech disorders, speech impediment causes, how to fix a speech impediment, making a difference in speech disorders.
Communication is a cornerstone of human relationships. When an individual struggles to verbalize information, thoughts, and feelings, it can cause major barriers in personal, learning, and business interactions.
Speech impediments, or speech disorders, can lead to feelings of insecurity and frustration. They can also cause worry for family members and friends who don’t know how to help their loved ones express themselves.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways that speech disorders can be treated, and in many cases, cured. Health professionals in fields including speech-language pathology and audiology can work with patients to overcome communication disorders, and individuals and families can learn techniques to help.
Commonly referred to as a speech disorder, a speech impediment is a condition that impacts an individual’s ability to speak fluently, correctly, or with clear resonance or tone. Individuals with speech disorders have problems creating understandable sounds or forming words, leading to communication difficulties.
Some 7.7% of U.S. children — or 1 in 12 youths between the ages of 3 and 17 — have speech, voice, language, or swallowing disorders, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). About 70 million people worldwide, including some 3 million Americans, experience stuttering difficulties, according to the Stuttering Foundation.
Common signs of a speech disorder
There are several symptoms and indicators that can point to a speech disorder.
- Unintelligible speech — A speech disorder may be present when others have difficulty understanding a person’s verbalizations.
- Omitted sounds — This symptom can include the omission of part of a word, such as saying “bo” instead of “boat,” and may include omission of consonants or syllables.
- Added sounds — This can involve adding extra sounds in a word, such as “buhlack” instead of “black,” or repeating sounds like “b-b-b-ball.”
- Substituted sounds — When sounds are substituted or distorted, such as saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit,” it may indicate a speech disorder.
- Use of gestures — When individuals use gestures to communicate instead of words, a speech impediment may be the cause.
- Inappropriate pitch — This symptom is characterized by speaking with a strange pitch or volume.
In children, signs might also include a lack of babbling or making limited sounds. Symptoms may also include the incorrect use of specific sounds in words, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This may include the sounds p, m, b, w, and h among children aged 1-2, and k, f, g, d, n, and t for children aged 2-3.
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Categories of Speech Impediments
Speech impediments can range from speech sound disorders (articulation and phonological disorders) to voice disorders. Speech sound disorders may be organic — resulting from a motor or sensory cause — or may be functional with no known cause. Voice disorders deal with physical problems that limit speech. The main categories of speech impediments include the following:
Fluency disorders occur when a patient has trouble with speech timing or rhythms. This can lead to hesitations, repetitions, or prolonged sounds. Fluency disorders include stuttering (repetition of sounds) or (rapid or irregular rate of speech).
Resonance disorders are related to voice quality that is impacted by the shape of the nose, throat, and/or mouth. Examples of resonance disorders include hyponasality and cul-de-sac resonance.
Articulation disorders occur when a patient has difficulty producing speech sounds. These disorders may stem from physical or anatomical limitations such as muscular, neuromuscular, or skeletal support. Examples of articulation speech impairments include sound omissions, substitutions, and distortions.
Phonological disorders result in the misuse of certain speech sounds to form words. Conditions include fronting, stopping, and the omission of final consonants.
Voice disorders are the result of problems in the larynx that harm the quality or use of an individual’s voice. This can impact pitch, resonance, and loudness.
Impact of Speech Disorders
Some speech disorders have little impact on socialization and daily activities, but other conditions can make some tasks difficult for individuals. Following are a few of the impacts of speech impediments.
- Poor communication — Children may be unable to participate in certain learning activities, such as answering questions or reading out loud, due to communication difficulties. Adults may avoid work or social activities such as giving speeches or attending parties.
- Mental health and confidence — Speech disorders may cause children or adults to feel different from peers, leading to a lack of self-confidence and, potentially, self-isolation.
Resources on Speech Disorders
The following resources may help those who are seeking more information about speech impediments.
Health Information : Information and statistics on common voice and speech disorders from the NIDCD
Speech Disorders : Information on childhood speech disorders from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Speech, Language, and Swallowing : Resources about speech and language development from the ASHA
Children and adults can suffer from a variety of speech impairments that may have mild to severe impacts on their ability to communicate. The following 10 conditions are examples of specific types of speech disorders and voice disorders.
1. Stuttering
This condition is one of the most common speech disorders. Stuttering is the repetition of syllables or words, interruptions in speech, or prolonged use of a sound.
This organic speech disorder is a result of damage to the neural pathways that connect the brain to speech-producing muscles. This results in a person knowing what they want to say, but being unable to speak the words.
This consists of the lost ability to speak, understand, or write languages. It is common in stroke, brain tumor, or traumatic brain injury patients.
4. Dysarthria
This condition is an organic speech sound disorder that involves difficulty expressing certain noises. This may involve slurring, or poor pronunciation, and rhythm differences related to nerve or brain disorders.
The condition of lisping is the replacing of sounds in words, including “th” for “s.” Lisping is a functional speech impediment.
6. Hyponasality
This condition is a resonance disorder related to limited sound coming through the nose, causing a “stopped up” quality to speech.
7. Cul-de-sac resonance
This speech disorder is the result of blockage in the mouth, throat, or nose that results in quiet or muffled speech.
8. Orofacial myofunctional disorders
These conditions involve abnormal patterns of mouth and face movement. Conditions include tongue thrusting (fronting), where individuals push out their tongue while eating or talking.
9. Spasmodic Dysphonia
This condition is a voice disorder in which spasms in the vocal cords produce speech that is hoarse, strained, or jittery.
10. Other voice disorders
These conditions can include having a voice that sounds breathy, hoarse, or scratchy. Some disorders deal with vocal folds closing when they should open (paradoxical vocal fold movement) or the presence of polyps or nodules in the vocal folds.
Speech Disorders vs. Language Disorders
Speech disorders deal with difficulty in creating sounds due to articulation, fluency, phonology, and voice problems. These problems are typically related to physical, motor, sensory, neurological, or mental health issues.
Language disorders, on the other hand, occur when individuals have difficulty communicating the meaning of what they want to express. Common in children, these disorders may result in low vocabulary and difficulty saying complex sentences. Such a disorder may reflect difficulty in comprehending school lessons or adopting new words, or it may be related to a learning disability such as dyslexia. Language disorders can also involve receptive language difficulties, where individuals have trouble understanding the messages that others are trying to convey.
Resources on Types of Speech Disorders
The following resources may provide additional information on the types of speech impediments.
Common Speech Disorders: A guide to the most common speech impediments from GreatSpeech
Speech impairment in adults: Descriptions of common adult speech issues from MedlinePlus
Stuttering Facts: Information on stuttering indications and causes from the Stuttering Foundation
Speech disorders may be caused by a variety of factors related to physical features, neurological ailments, or mental health conditions. In children, they may be related to developmental issues or unknown causes and may go away naturally over time.
Physical and neurological issues. Speech impediment causes related to physical characteristics may include:
- Brain damage
- Nervous system damage
- Respiratory system damage
- Hearing difficulties
- Cancerous or noncancerous growths
- Muscle and bone problems such as dental issues or cleft palate
Mental health issues. Some speech disorders are related to clinical conditions such as:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Down syndrome or other genetic syndromes
- Cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
Some speech impairments may also have to do with family history, such as when parents or siblings have experienced language or speech difficulties. Other causes may include premature birth, pregnancy complications, or delivery difficulties. Voice overuse and chronic coughs can also cause speech issues.
The most common way that speech disorders are treated involves seeking professional help. If patients and families feel that symptoms warrant therapy, health professionals can help determine how to fix a speech impediment. Early treatment is best to curb speech disorders, but impairments can also be treated later in life.
Professionals in the speech therapy field include speech-language pathologists (SLPs) . These practitioners assess, diagnose, and treat communication disorders including speech, language, social, cognitive, and swallowing disorders in both adults and children. They may have an SLP assistant to help with diagnostic and therapy activities.
Speech-language pathologists may also share a practice with audiologists and audiology assistants. Audiologists help identify and treat hearing, balance, and other auditory disorders.
How Are Speech Disorders Diagnosed?
Typically, a pediatrician, social worker, teacher, or other concerned party will recognize the symptoms of a speech disorder in children. These individuals, who frequently deal with speech and language conditions and are more familiar with symptoms, will recommend that parents have their child evaluated. Adults who struggle with speech problems may seek direct guidance from a physician or speech evaluation specialist.
When evaluating a patient for a potential speech impediment, a physician will:
- Conduct hearing and vision tests
- Evaluate patient records
- Observe patient symptoms
A speech-language pathologist will conduct an initial screening that might include:
- An evaluation of speech sounds in words and sentences
- An evaluation of oral motor function
- An orofacial examination
- An assessment of language comprehension
The initial screening might result in no action if speech symptoms are determined to be developmentally appropriate. If a disorder is suspected, the initial screening might result in a referral for a comprehensive speech sound assessment, comprehensive language assessment, audiology evaluation, or other medical services.
Initial assessments and more in-depth screenings might occur in a private speech therapy practice, rehabilitation center, school, childcare program, or early intervention center. For older adults, skilled nursing centers and nursing homes may assess patients for speech, hearing, and language disorders.
How Are Speech Impediments Treated?
Once an evaluation determines precisely what type of speech sound disorder is present, patients can begin treatment. Speech-language pathologists use a combination of therapy, exercise, and assistive devices to treat speech disorders.
Speech therapy might focus on motor production (articulation) or linguistic (phonological or language-based) elements of speech, according to ASHA. There are various types of speech therapy available to patients.
Contextual Utilization — This therapeutic approach teaches methods for producing sounds consistently in different syllable-based contexts, such as phonemic or phonetic contexts. These methods are helpful for patients who produce sounds inconsistently.
Phonological Contrast — This approach focuses on improving speech through emphasis of phonemic contrasts that serve to differentiate words. Examples might include minimal opposition words (pot vs. spot) or maximal oppositions (mall vs. call). These therapy methods can help patients who use phonological error patterns.
Distinctive Feature — In this category of therapy, SLPs focus on elements that are missing in speech, such as articulation or nasality. This helps patients who substitute sounds by teaching them to distinguish target sounds from substituted sounds.
Core Vocabulary — This therapeutic approach involves practicing whole words that are commonly used in a specific patient’s communications. It is effective for patients with inconsistent sound production.
Metaphon — In this type of therapy, patients are taught to identify phonological language structures. The technique focuses on contrasting sound elements, such as loud vs. quiet, and helps patients with unintelligible speech issues.
Oral-Motor — This approach uses non-speech exercises to supplement sound therapies. This helps patients gain oral-motor strength and control to improve articulation.
Other methods professionals may use to help fix speech impediments include relaxation, breathing, muscle strengthening, and voice exercises. They may also recommend assistive devices, which may include:
- Radio transmission systems
- Personal amplifiers
- Picture boards
- Touch screens
- Text displays
- Speech-generating devices
- Hearing aids
- Cochlear implants
Resources for Professionals on How to Fix a Speech Impediment
The following resources provide information for speech therapists and other health professionals.
Assistive Devices: Information on hearing and speech aids from the NIDCD
Information for Audiologists: Publications, news, and practice aids for audiologists from ASHA
Information for Speech-Language Pathologists: Publications, news, and practice aids for SLPs from ASHA
Speech Disorder Tips for Families
For parents who are concerned that their child might have a speech disorder — or who want to prevent the development of a disorder — there are a number of activities that can help. The following are tasks that parents can engage in on a regular basis to develop literacy and speech skills.
- Introducing new vocabulary words
- Reading picture and story books with various sounds and patterns
- Talking to children about objects and events
- Answering children’s questions during routine activities
- Encouraging drawing and scribbling
- Pointing to words while reading books
- Pointing out words and sentences in objects and signs
Parents can take the following steps to make sure that potential speech impediments are identified early on.
- Discussing concerns with physicians
- Asking for hearing, vision, and speech screenings from doctors
- Requesting special education assessments from school officials
- Requesting a referral to a speech-language pathologist, audiologist, or other specialist
When a child is engaged in speech therapy, speech-language pathologists will typically establish collaborative relationships with families, sharing information and encouraging parents to participate in therapy decisions and practices.
SLPs will work with patients and their families to set goals for therapy outcomes. In addition to therapy sessions, they may develop activities and exercises for families to work on at home. It is important that caregivers are encouraging and patient with children during therapy.
Resources for Parents on How to Fix a Speech Impediment
The following resources provide additional information on treatment options for speech disorders.
Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders Groups: Listing of self-help groups from ASHA
ProFind: Search tool for finding certified SLPs and audiologists from ASHA
Baby’s Hearing and Communication Development Checklist: Listing of milestones that children should meet by certain ages from the NIDCD
If identified during childhood, speech disorders can be corrected efficiently, giving children greater communication opportunities. If left untreated, speech impediments can cause a variety of problems in adulthood, and may be more difficult to diagnose and treat.
Parents, teachers, doctors, speech and language professionals, and other concerned parties all have unique responsibilities in recognizing and treating speech disorders. Through professional therapy, family engagement, positive encouragement and a strong support network, individuals with speech impediments can overcome their challenges and develop essential communication skills.
Additional Sources
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Speech Sound Disorders
Identify the Signs, Signs of Speech and Language Disorders
Intermountain Healthcare, Phonological Disorders
MedlinePlus, Speech disorders – children
National Institutes of Health, National Institutes on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language”
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Scientists have identified a drug that, in mice, fixes the genetic defect behind Angelman syndrome, which robs victims of speech and leaves them with intellectual disabilities, movement and balance problems.
The three patients had moderate intellectual disability (IQ of
It provides effective closure of the resulting maxillary defect restoring speech and swallowing functions and also establishing a high-quality fixed dental rehabilitation in a rapid timescale, thus facilitating a more timely return to function and restored facial appearance.
The best known example of these defects is Angelman syndrome characterised by intellectual disability, absence of speech , motor dysfunction and seizures (MIM 105830) caused by loss of function of the imprinted gene UBE3A (ubiquitin protein ligase E3A) [ 10, 11].
Service activity focused on physical dysfunction; splinting or corrective therapy for birth defects; counselling; and what was referred to as "speech therapy" in the absence of speech and language therapists.
It's freedom of speech .
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Thesaurus for Speech defect
Related terms for speech defect - synonyms, antonyms and sentences with speech defect, similar meaning.
- speech disorder
- speech impediment
- defect of speech
- bone in the neck
- bone in the throat
- impediment in one's speech
- hesitant speech
- misarticulation
- language impairment
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- nasalization
Opposite meaning
- gift of the gab
- art of oratory
- gift of speech
- silver tongue
- speak confidently
- speak easily
- gift of gab
- felicity of phrase
- speech-making
- way with words
Common usage
- commercial speech
- explosive speech
- speech spectrum
- figures of speech
- indirect speech
- phatic speech
- reported speech
- speech organ
- visible speech
- speech pattern
- speech rhythm
- colloquial speech
- direct speech
- figurative speech
- figure of speech
- freedom of speech
- hate speech
- infantile speech
- keynote speech
- liberty of speech
- maiden speech
- nominating speech
- non-standard speech
Sentence Examples
Proper usage in context.
- He had shoulder length brown hair, a speech defect and a chinful of pimples on the verge of bursting Dermot Bolger
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COMMENTS
defect of speech: 1 n a disorder of oral speech Synonyms: speech defect , speech disorder Types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... anarthria partial or total loss of articulate speech resulting from lesions of the central nervous system aphonia , voicelessness a disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss of voice cataphasia a speech ...
Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) is a chronic long-term disorder that affects the voice. It is characterized by a spasming of the vocal chords when a person attempts to speak and results in a voice that can be described as shaky, hoarse, groaning, tight, or jittery. It can cause the emphasis of speech to vary considerably.
Dysarthria occurs when damage to the brain causes muscle weakness in a person's face, lips, tongue, throat, or chest. Muscle weakness in these parts of the body can make speaking very difficult ...
Speech disorders affect roughly 11.5% of the US population, and 5% of the primary school population. Speech is a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve and muscle control, and as a result is susceptible to impairments. A person who has a stroke, an accident or birth defect may have speech and language problems.
speech defect: [noun] a defect in oral speech (such as lisping or stuttering).
A disorder of speech.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.
Define defect of speech. defect of speech synonyms, defect of speech pronunciation, defect of speech translation, English dictionary definition of defect of speech. ... English dictionary definition of defect of speech. Noun 1. defect of speech - a disorder of oral speech speech defect, speech disorder disorder, upset - a physical condition in ...
Hypernyms ("defect of speech" is a kind of...): disorder; upset (a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning). Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "defect of speech"): anarthria (partial or total loss of articulate speech resulting from lesions of the central nervous system). aphonia; voicelessness (a disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss ...
Learn the definition of 'defect of speech'. Check out the pronunciation, synonyms and grammar. Browse the use examples 'defect of speech' in the great English corpus.
Causes of Speech Defects: 1. Malformation of speech organs, defects due to tongue tied conditions, deformed teeth or lips or jaw may be the physical causes of speech disorders. 2. Slow maturation, inadequate learning, poor environmental conditions, etc. may lead to emotional tensions or other forms of emotional maladjustments which may produce ...
Commonly referred to as a speech disorder, a speech impediment is a condition that impacts an individual's ability to speak fluently, correctly, or with clear resonance or tone. Individuals with speech disorders have problems creating understandable sounds or forming words, leading to communication difficulties.
Meaning of defect of speech. What does defect of speech mean? Information and translations of defect of speech in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Login . The STANDS4 Network. ABBREVIATIONS; ANAGRAMS; BIOGRAPHIES; CALCULATORS; CONVERSIONS; DEFINITIONS; GRAMMAR; LITERATURE; LYRICS; PHRASES; POETRY; QUOTES;
High quality example sentences with "defect of speech" in context from reliable sources - Ludwig is the linguistic search engine that helps you to write better in English ... Sentence examples similar to defect of speech from inspiring English sources. AI Feedback. Is your sentence correct in English? Login and get your AI feedback from Ludwig.
speech defect in British English (spiːtʃ ˈdiːfɛkt ) noun. a disorder of speech She has a speech defect that causes her to slur her words slightly. ... Definition of speech defect from the Collins English Dictionary. Read about the team of authors behind Collins Dictionaries. New from Collins Quick word challenge.
What's the definition of Speech defect in thesaurus? Most related words/phrases with sentence examples define Speech defect meaning and usage.
The meaning of defect. Definition of defect. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels. ... The cars were found to have defects in their fuel systems. ... part of speech: intransitive verb: pronunciation: dih fekt: inflections: defects, defecting ...
Definition of speech defect in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of speech defect. Information and translations of speech defect in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
defect: [noun] an imperfection that impairs worth or utility : shortcoming. an imperfection (such as a vacancy or an unlike atom) in a crystal lattice (see lattice 2).
Define speech defect. speech defect synonyms, speech defect pronunciation, speech defect translation, English dictionary definition of speech defect. ... English dictionary definition of speech defect. Noun 1. speech defect - a disorder of oral speech defect of speech, speech disorder disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a ...
speech defect: 1 n a disorder of oral speech Synonyms: defect of speech , speech disorder Types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... anarthria partial or total loss of articulate speech resulting from lesions of the central nervous system aphonia , voicelessness a disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss of voice cataphasia a speech ...
The word 'defect' is both a noun, meaning an imperfection, and a verb, meaning to abandon one's cause or country. It has related forms like 'defectiveness' (noun) and 'defected' (verb). In usage, 'defect' can describe a noun or denote an action, depending on its part of speech. Explanation:
John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, has urged Nigel Farage to "get a grip" of Reform UK after a racism row involving the prime minister. It comes as a Reform UK canvasser who used a racial ...