Speech Disorders

A speech disorder refers to any condition that affects a person’s ability to produce sounds that create words. Speech is one of the main ways in which people communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. The act of speaking requires the precise coordination of multiple body parts, including  head, neck, chest and abdomen.

In this article, we explore what speech disorders are and the different types. We also talk about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and how to overcome any speech disorder.

What is speech disorder?

Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorder where ‘normal’ speech is disrupted. This can be stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered as mute. Other speech disorders include apraxia and dysarthria.

⦁ Apraxia is a motor speech disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain related to speaking.

⦁ Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder in which muscles of the mouth ,face, or respiratory system may become weak or have difficulty moving.

What are the symptoms by which you get to know about it?

The symptoms of speech disorders vary widely depending on the cause and severity of the disorder. People can develop multiple speech disorders with different symptoms.

For eg:

⦁ Repeating or prolonging sounds

⦁ Distorting sounds

⦁ Adding sounds or syllables to words

⦁ Having difficulty pronouncing words

⦁ Struggling to say the correct word or sound

What causes speech disorders?

Speech disorders affect the vocal cords, muscles, nerves, and other structures within the throat.

Causes may include:

⦁ Vocal cord damage

⦁ Brain damage

⦁ Muscle weakness

⦁ Strokes

⦁ Respiratory weakness

⦁ Polyps or nodules on the vocal cords

Speech disorders may be hereditary, and they can develop over time.

How are speech disorders diagnosed?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a healthcare professional who specializes in speech and language disorders. An SLP will review a person’s medical and family history. They will also examine how a person moves their lips, jaw, and tongue and may inspect the muscles of the mouth and throat.

Other methods of evaluating speech disorders include:

⦁ Denver articulation screening examination. This test evaluates the clarity of a person’s pronunciation.

⦁ Prosody-voice screening profile. SLPs use this test to examine multiple aspects of a person’s speech, including pitch, phrasing, speech patterns, and speaking volume.

⦁ Dynamic evaluation of motor speech skills (DEMSS) manual. The DEMSS is a comprehensive guide for helping SLPs diagnose speech disorders.

 

 How we can overcome speech disorders?

The type of treatment will typically depend on the severity of the speech disorder and its underlying cause.

Treatment options can include:

⦁ speech therapy exercises that focus on building familiarity with certain words or sounds

⦁ physical exercises that focus on strengthening the muscles that produce speech sounds

Some of the other treatment options:

Target selection

Target selection involves a person practicing specific sounds or words to familiarize themselves with particular speech patterns. Examples of therapy targets may include difficult words or sounds that trigger speech disruptions.

Medication

Some speech disorders can cause people to develop anxiety disorders. Stressful situations can trigger anxiety, resulting in more pronounced speech disorder symptoms. Anxiety medications may help reduce symptoms of speech disorders in some people.

In the end I just want to add that if you have any speech disorder, it doesn’t mean that you are sick or you are lesser than anyone ,‘NO’. Take it as your strength, your uniqueness and always remember this quote:

” When you undervalue yourself , the world will undervalue who you are.”