What is an Articulation
Disorder?
An articulation disorder occurs when there is a failure to move and coordinate
the articulators (e.g., cheeks, lips, tongue, etc.) to produce some speech
sounds. When these articulators are not working properly, are weak, damaged or
simply out of sync with each other, an articulation disorder may occur. This has
an impact on speech intelligibility.
What is a Phonological
Disorder?
Phonology is rules of the sound system of language. These rules oversee speech
sounds, including the production and combination of these sounds into
intelligible speech. When a rule is broken, it may result in one of many
phonological processes. For example: "fronting" happens when a sounds (like /k/)
that is produced in the back of the mouth "breaks the rules" moves to the front
making "cat" into "tat." Another example is "stopping" which happens when a
sound that only lets a little air escape when following the rules (like /s/)
acts up and stops, becoming /t/ like "tope" for "soap." (Keri Spielvogle,
M.C.D., CCC-SLP)
What is Developmental Apraxia of
Speech?
"Development apraxia of speech (DAS) is a disorder of the nervous system that
affects the ability to sequence and say sounds, syllables, and words. It is not
due to muscular weakness or paralysis. The problem is in the brain's planning to
move the body parts needed for speech (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue). The child knows
what he or she wants to say, but the brain is not sending the correct
instructions to move the body parts of speech the way they need to be moved.
There is no known cause of the disorder. (American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association - ASHA).
What is Language?
"Language is a code that we learn to use in order to communicate ideas and
express our wants and needs. Reading, writing, speaking, and some gesture
systems are all forms or language." (American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association - ASHA).
Several areas make up language:
- Pragmatics: effective use of language in social settings
- Semantics: word and sentence meaning
- Syntax: sentence formation and word order
- Morphology: word parts that indicate grammatical meaning (e.g., -s, -ed,
-ness, -un, -'s, -er, -ing, -ful).
How is Language
Learned?
Children learn language and speech by listening to language around
them and practicing what they hear. In this way, they figure out the rules of
the language code. It is not learned all at once but in stages over time. (ASHA)
Typical Language Development Chart
What Causes a
Language Disorder?
Language disorders can be caused by neurological disorders, hearing impairments,
developmental delays, etc. However, in many cases the cause is unknown.
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by
repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal
stoppages (no sound) of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial
and body movements associated with the effort to speak. Although there is no
certain cause, stuttering is likely caused by a combination of several factors,
including genetics, neurology, language development and family dynamics.
- 1% of Americans stutter
- 4 times more males than females stutter
- Early intervention is key
- Stuttering is often life-long, however tools can be taught to help lessen
disfluencies
Should I be Concerned About My Child's Stuttering?
Many children experience typical or normal disfluencies during periods of high
language development. Normal disfluencies include one or two repetitions (e.g.,
"I -- I want to go") and interjections/fillers (e.g., uh, er, etc.)
Additional Resources
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