Speech and Language Disorders
Diagnosing Speech and Language Disorders
About Speech Sound Disorders
Children with a speech sound disorder are unable to say all of the speech sounds in words, which can make them difficult to understand. They may become frustrated when people do not understand them in everyday situations. For most children, the cause of the speech sound disorder is unknown. Other speech sound disorders, however, can be caused from a physical disorder, such as a cleft palate, problems with the teeth, hearing loss, or difficulty controlling the movements of the mouth. When to Be Concerned
If you think your child may have a speech sound disorder, please talk about your concerns with your child’s primary care provider and consider a speech-language evaluation.
About Voice DisordersMost people have had problems with their voice at some time. For example, you may have “lost” your voice after cheering too much at a swim meet, or when you had a bad cold. As a result, your voice may have sounded harsh, raspy, cut in and out, or had sudden changes in pitch. A voice disorder describes a problem with pitch, volume, tone, and other qualities of your voice. For normal speech, your vocal cords need to touch together smoothly. Anything that interferes with that movement or contact can cause a voice disorder. There are many factors that can cause a voice disorder, including vocal nodules, cysts, papillomas, paralysis, or weakness of the vocal folds. In some cases, however, the cause of the voice disorder is unknown. When to be Concerned
If you think your child may have a voice disorder, please talk about your concerns with your child’s primary care provider and consider a speech-language evaluation.
About Resonance DisordersResonance refers to the overall quality of the voice. A resonance disorder is when the quality of the voice changes as it travels through the different-shaped spaces of the throat, nose, and mouth. The most common cause is cleft palate, but children with a submucous cleft palate, childhood apraxia of speech, enlarged adenoids and/or neurological disorders may also have a resonance disorder. Resonance disorders include the following: Hyponasality: This is when not enough sound comes through the nose, making the child sound “stopped up.” Commonly, this results from a blockage in the nose or allergies. Hypernasality: This happens when the movable, soft part of the palate does not completely close off the nose from the back of the throat during speech. As a result, too much sound escapes through the nose. Possible causes for this include a history of cleft palate, a submucous cleft, a short palate, or poor movement of the soft palate. Cul-de-sac resonance: This occurs when sound resonates in a cavity (oral, nasal, or pharyngeal) but is “trapped” and cannot exit because of an obstruction. When to be Concerned
If you think your child may have a resonance disorder, please talk about your concerns with your child’s primary care provider and consider a speech-language evaluation.
About Fluency DisordersFluency refers to the natural “flow” or forward movement of speech. When a child has a fluency disorder it means the child has trouble speaking in a fluid, or flowing, way. Stuttering, the most common type of fluency disorder, refers to when the normal flow of speech is disrupted. For example, when speaking, a whole word or parts of a word may be said more than once, or there could be an awkward pause between words. The child may also have fast eye blinking or trembling or shaking lips when speaking. Stuttering may make it difficult for a child to communicate with others. Cluttering, another common fluency disorder, is when child has a rapid and/or irregular speech rate that merges some words together or cuts off parts of them. This is often described as sounding like slurring or mumbling. When to be Concerned
If you think your child may have a fluency disorder, please talk about your concerns with your child’s primary care provider and consider a speech-language evaluation. Evaluations
Early Intervention and Diagnosis
Treatment
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At Silver Linings Speech & Language, we use exercises and strategies to help improve the quality of speech. Even if some disorders cannot be cured, different methods can be used to help manage speech on a day-to-day basis We can also help mitigate a child's stress and anxiety with speaking and interacting with peers. The child will also learn strategies for improving the quality and clarity of speech. Depending on the type and severity of the disorder, we may also talk with family and teachers about the disorder and how to help at home and school.
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