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Speech & Language
Disorder
Presented by :
Chadli Abdelhadi Ahmed
Introduction :
 Speech and language disorders can affect a
person’s ability to talk, understand, read, and
write.
 Children may develop speech or language
disorders due to conditions that affect brain
development before, during, or after birth. Adults
may develop speech or language disorders due
to stroke, traumatic brain injury, or brain tumors.
Many people with these disorders can benefit
from treatment.
 This reference summary discusses speech and
language disorders. It includes information about
the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment
of speech and language disorders.
Definition :
 Speech and language disorders can affect
your ability to talk, understand, read, and write.
There are several kinds of speech disorders.
Similarly, there are many different kinds of
language disorders. Speech and language are
two separate things. Speech is the verbal
means of communication. It has to do with the
production of sounds.
 Language refers to the rules about the
meaning of words, how words are made, and
how words are put together. These rules are
socially agreed upon.
 Language also refers to the ability to use or
understand spoken or written words. A person
with a language disorder may have problems
expressing his or her needs or ideas. He or she
Speech Disorders :
 The symptoms of speech and language disorders will vary
depending on the type of impairment. Not all of the symptoms
associated with speech and language disorders are included
here. The symptoms of speech disorders are grouped
according to the parts of speech they affect.
 A person with a speech disorder may have difficulty with one
or more of the following:
 • Fluency
 • Articulation
 • Voice
 Fluency refers to the flow of speech. A person with a speech
disorder may have their speech disrupted by sounds,
syllables, and words that are repeated, prolonged, or
avoided.
 Stuttering is an example of fluency impairment. Stuttering is a
speech impairment in which a person continually and
involuntarily repeats sounds, particularly consonants. The
letters “p” and “t” are examples of consonants.
 Articulation refers to the way a person produces
sounds. A person with a speech disorder may have
trouble producing sounds correctly. For example, a
person may have a lisp. People who speak with a lisp
use "th" for the "s" sound.
 Voice refers to the sound a person produces. A person
with a speech disorder may use a voice that is louder or
softer than is considered normal. A speech disorder can
also cause the voice to have a strange pitch.
 Some common symptoms of fluency impairment
include:
 • Adding extra sounds or words to sentences, like the
word “uh”
 • Rapid eye-blinking or head jerking while talking
 • Repetition of sounds, words, or parts of words
(stuttering)
 Some common symptoms of articulation
disorders include:
 • Sounds are changed, or distorted, such as
saying “tup” for “cup”
 • Sounds are left off, added, changed, or
substituted, such as saying “boken” for “broken”
 • Speech errors, such as making a “w” sound for
an “r” sound
 Some common symptoms of voice disorders
include:
 • A raspy or hoarse voice
 • Pitch of the voice changes suddenly
 • Voice is too loud or soft
Language Disorders :
 Language disorders are categorized as either
receptive or expressive. A person with
receptive language disorder has difficulty
understanding language. A person with
expressive language disorder has difficulty
using language.
 Receptive language disorders affect a
person’s ability to understand what he or she
hears. Some common symptoms include:
 • Difficulty understanding what other people
say
 • Hard time following spoken directions
 • Trouble organizing thoughts
 Expressive language disorders affect a
person’s ability to express himself or herself
with words. Some common symptoms
include:
 • Difficulty putting words together to form
sentences
 • Leaving words out of sentences
 • Trouble finding the right word when talking,
which
 results in filler words, like “uh”
 Some people have symptoms of both
receptive and expressive language disorders.
Causes

 Often, the cause of speech and
language disorders is unknown. There
are, however, some conditions that
are commonly associated with speech
and language disorders.
 For children and adults, speech disorders may be
caused by:
 • Cancer of the throat
 • Cleft palate
 • Conditions that damage the nerves, such as cerebral
palsy
 • Noncancerous growths on the vocal cords
 • Tooth problems
 Children with a cleft palate are born with a split in the
roof of their mouth. It is often treated with surgery.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can affect
movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.
 Language disorders in children may be caused by:
 • Autism spectrum disorders
 • Brain injury
 • Damage to the spinal cord
 • Hearing loss
 • Learning disabilities
 Autism spectrum disorders are a group
of brain disorders. These disorders
cause problems with social interactions
and communication. They also may
cause repetitive behaviors and interests,
as well as mental delays.
 Sometimes problems with speech and
language are not caused by a language
disorder. Some children experience
delayed language. Delayed language
means the child develops speech and
language the same as other children, but
later.
 Adults may develop language disorders
due to stroke, traumatic brain injury, or
brain tumors.
Diagnosis :
 Speech and language disorders are
usually diagnosed by a speech-
language pathologist. This healthcare
professional is trained to test and treat
individuals with voice, speech, and
language disorders.
Treatment :
 Sometimes mild forms of speech disorders
disappear on their own. When they do not,
speech and language therapy may be an
effective treatment.
 Treating the underlying problem may help.
For example, taking a nodule off the vocal
cords may help some speech problems.
 Treatment for speech and language disorders
is handled by a speech-language pathologist.
This is a therapist who specializes in
problems with communication. The speech-
language pathologist can determine if
treatment is needed.
 Speech and language therapy may help
improve more severe speech and
language problems. During speech
therapy, the speech-language pathologist
works with a patient to help him or her
create certain sounds.
 Speech and language therapy often
takes place several times a week for as
many sessions as it takes to correct or
improve a problem. Your healthcare
provider can give you more information
about speech and language therapy. He
or she may refer you to a speech-
language pathologist to learn more.
 In some cases, psychological therapy
may be recommended to treat speech
and language disorders. This is
especially true if a healthcare provider
suspects that the disorder is related to
a behavioral or emotional problem.
 People who cannot speak at all might
benefit from using speech generating
devices. These devices allow you to
press letters or pictures and the
devices produce speech for you.
Summary :
 Speech and language disorders can affect a
person’s ability to talk, understand, read, and
write. The symptoms of speech and language
disorders will vary depending on the type of
impairment. These disorders can cause
symptoms related to fluency, articulation,
voice, and language.
 Children may develop speech or language
disorders due to conditions that affect brain
development before, during, or after birth.
Adults may develop speech or language
disorders due to stroke, traumatic brain injury,
or brain tumors.
 There are many forms of treatment for
speech and language disorders.
Treating the underlying cause may
help. Other treatments include speech
and language therapy, psychological
therapy, and speech generating
devices. Many people with speech
and language disorders can benefit
from treatment. Your healthcare
provider can provide you with more
information.