Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorder
where ‘normal’ speech is disrupted.
SYMPTOMS
TYPES
Apraxia of speech
Cluttering
Developmental verbal dyspraxia
Dysarthria
Dysprosody
Muteness
speech sound disorders
Stuttering
Voice disorders
PREVENTIONS
Hearing loss is a risk factor for speech disorders. At-risk infants should be referred to an audiologist for a hearing test. Hearing and speech therapy can then be started, if necessary.
As young children begin to speak, some disfluency is common, and most of the time, it goes away without treatment. If you place too much attention on the disfluency, a stuttering pattern may develop. If your child is stuttering, make sure to allow them to finish what they want to say, listen to what they are saying, and then respond in a calm and relaxed way. If the stuttering continues, meet with a speech language pathologist for support.
Treatment
WHEN TO CONTACT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your child’s speech is not developing according to normal milestones.
