Speech disorders - children

       
A speech disorder is a condition in which a person has problems creating or forming the speech
sounds needed to communicate with others. This can make the child's speech difficult to
understand.

Common speech disorders are:

 Articulation disorders

 Phonological disorders
 Disfluency

 Voice disorders or resonance disorders

Speech disorders are different from language disorders in children. Language disorders refer to
someone having difficulty with:
 Getting their meaning or message across to others (expressive language)

 Understanding the message coming from others (receptive language)

Causes
Speech is one of the main ways in which we communicate with those around us. It develops
naturally, along with other signs of normal growth and development. Disorders of speech and
language are common in preschool age children.
Disfluencies are disorders in which a person repeats a sound, word, or phrase. Stuttering may be
the most serious disfluency. It may be caused by:
 Genetic abnormalities

 Emotional stress

 Any trauma to brain or infection

Articulation and phonological disorders may occur in other family members. Other causes
include:

 Problems or changes in the structure or shape of the muscles and bones used to make
speech sounds. These changes may include cleft palate and tooth problems.
 Damage to parts of the brain or the nerves (such as from cerebral palsy) that control how
the muscles work together to create speech.
 Hearing loss.

Voice disorders are caused by problems when air passes from the lungs, through the vocal cords,
and then through the throat, nose, mouth, and lips. A voice disorder may be due to:

 Acid from the stomach moving upward (GERD)

 Cancer of the throat
 Cleft palate or other problems with the palate

 Conditions that damage the nerves that supply the muscles of the vocal cords
 Laryngeal webs or clefts (a birth defect in which a thin layer of tissue is between the
vocal cords)

 Noncancerous growths (polyps, nodules, cysts, granulomas, papillomas, or ulcers) on the

vocal cords

 Overuse of the vocal cords from screaming, constantly clearing the throat, or singing

 Hearing loss