Speech disorder--causes symptoms treatment

1. Speech Disorder- Causes/ Symptoms/ Diagnosis/ Treatment Speech Therapy

2. What is speech disorder ? Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorder where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stammer, stutter, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute. Such things may lead to low self-esteem but as development of depression.

3. Some Common Speech Disorders • Apraxia of Speech (AOS) • Stuttering – Stammering • Dysarthria • Lisping • Muteness – Selective Mutism • Aphasia

4. Apraxia Of Speech (AOS) Apraxia of Speech (AOS) happens when the neural pathway between the brain and a person’s speech function (speech muscles) is lost or obscured. The person knows what they want to say – they can even write what they want to say on paper – however the brain is unable to send the correct messages so that speech muscles can articulate what they want to say, even though the speech muscles themselves work just fine.

5. Stuttering - Stammering Stuttering, also referred to as stammering, is so common that everyone knows what it sounds like and can easily recognize it. Everyone has probably had moments of stuttering at least once in their life. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that three million Americans stutter, and reports that of the up-to-10-percent of children who do stutter, three-quarters of them will outgrow it. It should not be confused with cluttering.

6. Dysarthria Dysarthria is a symptom of nerve or muscle damage. It manifests itself as slurred speech, slowed speech, limited tongue, jaw, or lip movement, abnormal rhythm and pitch when speaking. Speech-Language pathologists helps in understanding the speech of the affected person.

7. Lisping A lay term, lisping can be recognized by anyone and is very common. Speech language pathologists provide an extra level of expertise and can make sure that a lisp is not being confused with another type of disorder such as apraxia, aphasia, impaired development of expressive language, or a speech impediment caused by hearing loss.

8. Muteness - Selective Mutism There are different kinds of mutism, and here we are talking about selective mutism. This used to be called elective mutism to emphasize its difference from disorders that caused mutism through damage to, or irregularities in, the speech process. Selective mutism is when a person does not speak in some or most situations, however that person is physically capable of speaking. It most often occurs in children, and is commonly exemplified by a child speaking at home but not at school.

9. Aphasia The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that one million Americans have some form of aphasia. Aphasia is a communication disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language capabilities. Aphasia differs from apraxia of speech and dysarthria in that it solely pertains to the brain’s speech and language center.

10. Causes Of Speech Disorder Speech disorders affect the vocal cords, muscles, nerves, and other structures within the throat. Causes may include: • Vocal cord damage • Brain damage • Muscle Weakness • Respiratory Weakness • Strokes • Polyps or nodules on the vocal cords.

11. Symptoms of Speech Disorders Depending on the cause of the speech disorder, several symptom may be presented. Common symptoms experienced by people with speech disorders are : • Repeating sound, which is often seen in people who stutter. • Adding extra sound and words. • Taking frequent pauses when talking. • Visible frustration when trying to communicate. • Hoarseness, or speaking with a raspy or gravelly sounding voice. • Making jerking movements while talking, usually involving the head.

12. Treatment Of Speech Disorder Many of these types of disorders can be treated by speech therapy, but others require medical attention by a doctor in phoniatrics. Other treatments include correction of organic conditions and psychotherapy. A speech therapist will help you in muscle-strengthening exercises for the face as well as throat. You’ll learn to control your breathing while speaking. Muscle-strengthening exercises along with controlled breathing help to improve the way words sound. This helps to learn the ways to practice smoother, and fluent speech.Muscle-strengthening exercises and controlled breathing help improve the way your words sound. You’ll also learn ways to practice smoother, more fluent speech.