9 Speech Disorders To Be Aware Of

9 Speech Disorders To Be Aware Of

Do you think your child needs to go for speech therapy? As a parent, it’s up to you to create an environment where your child can develop on all levels. Still, when you start to notice they’re struggling in a particular area, like with speech and language, there’s only so much you can do before you need to take them to see a professional. 

If anything concerns you about your child’s ability to speak and communicate, don’t hold off; go to speech therapy sooner rather than later, as there are many different conditions that may affect your child. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of different conditions that can be treated with the help of a speech pathologist (otherwise known as an SLP or speech therapist). 

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy is a type of treatment that focuses on improving your ability to communicate through speech and other language skills. Attending sessions with a speech pathologist, you’ll be given treatments and exercises according to your individual needs to help you express yourself and gain an understanding of what others are saying to you. Speech therapy may also have the added benefit of improving your problem-solving skills and memory. 

What conditions does a speech pathologist treat?

Speech pathologists work with anyone with a communication disorder, which may also pertain to people with hearing and swallowing conditions. Here are some of the conditions that speech therapists treat: 

1. Aphasia

Aphasia is a condition where people may have difficulty with reading, writing, speaking or understanding language. It typically develops after a person has experienced a stroke or an injury that has damaged the part of the brain that processes language and comprehension, but is classified according to the specific area that is damaged: 

• Broca aphasia (expressive aphasia) – the front part of the language-dominant side of the brain is damaged
• Global aphasia – a large part of the brain that controls language is damaged
• Wernicke aphasia (receptive aphasia) – the side of the language-dominant part of the brain is damaged

Aphasia is diagnosed by a speech therapist using a range of language tests but may also require the assistance of imaging procedures, including PET, CT and MRI scans, to confirm the diagnosis. 

2. Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Apraxia is a rare neurodevelopmental condition where people know what they want to say, but their condition makes it difficult to formulate the words. People with apraxia may have difficulty reading, writing, swallowing, and other motor skills. Apraxia does not improve with age and requires working with a speech pathologist to help children learn and use correct speech patterns. 

An indicator that your child is suffering from apraxia is if they struggle to pronounce the words they want to use, if you struggle to understand them if there is an inconsistency in their speech, or if they are speaking robotically. 

3. Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a condition where people may experience slow or slurred speech. This condition occurs when the breathing and speech muscles weaken and can be caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), a stroke or a number of other nervous system disorders. Symptoms of Dysarthria generally include: 

• Inability to pronounce words correctly
• Inability to speak at a normal volume
• Inability to control speaking quality, intonation, and pace 

4. Articulation disorders

When people have articulation disorders, they are unable to produce certain word sounds. This may include errors such as substitutions, omissions, distortions, or additions.  

5. Fluency disorders

People with fluency disorders experience a disruption in the speed, flow and rhythm of their speech. Two of the most common fluency disorders are stuttering and cluttering. Stuttering is when your speech is interrupted or blocked, and cluttering is when speech is super fast and merges together. 

6. Cognitive-communication disorders

With a cognitive communication disorder, you may find it difficult to listen, speak, remember and solve problems. These disorders are caused when the area of the brain that controls your thinking ability is damaged. 

7. Resonance disorders

Resonance disorders affect the structure of your oral and nasal cavities (like swollen tonsils, cleft palate, and other health conditions) and block your airflow, altering the vibrations that help you hear different sounds. 

8. Receptive disorders

Those with receptive disorders will have difficulty processing what other people are saying. In general, they may seem quite disinterested in conversation, have a very limited vocabulary, and have difficulty following directions. 

9. Expressive disorders

Expressive disorders are typically characterised by difficulty in conveying and expressing thoughts and getting them into words. Expressive disorders are closely linked to hearing loss, developmental delays, strokes and other neurological events. 

Final Thoughts

Being aware of the different types of speech disorders and their symptoms can help you be on the lookout for any problems with your child’s development and speech and know when they need to go and see a speech therapist.