A speech disorder is an impairment of voice, articulation of speech
sounds, and/or fluency. These impairments are observed in the transmission
and use of the oral symbol system.
A language disorder is therefore the impairment or deviant development
of comprehension and/or use of a spoken, written, and/or other symbol
system. The disorder may involve: the form of language, the content
of language, and/or the function of language in communication in any
combination.
A communication disorder is an inability to understand or use speech
and language to relate to others in society. This can be divided
into four areas:
Language - this
involves listening, speaking, reading and writing
Articulation
- the pronunciation of sounds and words
Voice
- the sound produced by vibration of the vocal cords
Stuttering
- a disruption in the normal flow or rhythm of speech
Cause:
The brain is extremely
complex and our understanding of how it works is very limited. For
the majority of communication disorders, we do not understand the
cause. However, we do have an understanding of how to help many children
maximize their speech and language development.
Known causes of
communication disorders include:
Hearing Impairment: Full or partial hearing impairment may cause difficulty
in speech and language development. An assessment of hearing
ability is one of the first steps in the investigation of speech and
language problems.
Physical Disability: Cleft lip and palate, or malformations of the
mouth or nose may cause communication disorders. More involved disabilities
such as cerebral palsy may preclude any speech at all and for these
non-verbal children, augmentative communication methods may be used.
Developmental Disability: Some children,not all, with a developmental
disability or Down Syndrome may be
slower to learn to talk and may need extra assistance.
Treatment:
Treatment depends
upon the actual disorder identified and therefore treatment runs the
full gamit of medical and psychological therapies.
