Common speech and language disorders include:
- Articulation disorders – a category of conditions which the person affected has difficulty making sounds that make it harder for people to understand them
- Aphasia – a condition that results from damage to the language centers in the brain in which the person affected may substitute unintended words, use made-up words or have difficulty forming sentences. In addition, a person with aphasia may also have difficulty understanding what is said to them.
- Apraxia – a condition that in which the messages traveling from the brain to the mouth are disrupted
- Dysarthria – a condition that results from impaired movement of the muscles used for speech production
- Selective mutism – a condition that usually happens during childhood in which the person affected will not speak in certain settings or situations, such as at school, but speaks normally in other settings or situations, such as at home
- Stuttering – a condition that usually begins during childhood in which the person affected will experience disruptions in the production of speech that make it difficult to communicate or perform daily tasks and activities
- Voice disorders – a category of conditions that cause a loss of voice or change in vocal quality such as hoarseness
What causes speech and language disorders?
Speech and language disorders can occur due to a condition that was present at birth or as a result of a medical event, disease or injury. Sometimes there is no known cause. Conditions that can result in speech or language difficulties may include:
- Autism
- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Cerebral palsy
- Cleft lip and palate
- Developmental delay
- Deafness and hearing loss
- Heart attack
- Muscular dystrophy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Premature birth
- Reflux
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Tongue thrust
- Vocal nodules
What are the signs that someone may have a speech or language disorder?
Speech and language disorders can result in a wide range of symptoms, including:
- Difficulty producing certain speech sounds clearly
- Issues involving the voice, such as hoarseness, loss of voice or a nasal tone
- Stuttering or difficulty speaking in a smooth, fluent way
- Difficulty expressing thoughts, which could include problems with finding the right word, problems putting complete sentences together correctly, or problems communicating in writing
- Difficulty understanding what other people say or things that are written
Who can you see for diagnosis and treatment?
At Glencoe Regional Health, providers in our family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, otolaryngology (ENT), and pediatrics departments can provide diagnosis and treatment for conditions that result in speech or language disorders, or refer you to another medical professional as your condition requires. Any of these providers can refer you to one of our speech-language pathologists.
How can speech-language therapy help?
Overall goals for speech-language pathology are to prevent disability and improve your ability to understand and communicate with language. Specific goals will be tailored to your symptoms and underlying medical diagnosis.
What can you expect during evaluation and treatment?
At the first visit, your speech-language pathologist will perform a thorough evaluation to understand your condition and how it affects your ability to understand language and communicate through speech. Next, your therapist will create an individualized treatment plan. She will discuss the treatment plan with you, including the number of treatment sessions and activities that will be included in future therapy sessions to reach your treatment goals. Speech-language therapists use a number of different treatment approaches involving exercises and teaching new ways to communicate.
