Speech and language disorders both cause communication problems, but the difference is that language deals with meaning and speech deals with sounds. There are two types of speech disorders: receptive and expressive. Speech disorders include articulation, fluency, and voice issues, and can also involve eating or swallowing problems. Causes vary and treatment options are available.
Speech and language disorders are similar in that they both cause communication problems, but there is a distinction between the two conditions. The difference between speech and language disorders is that language deals with meaning and speech deals with sounds. A person with a speech disorder has difficulty understanding what other people are saying or has difficulty expressing themselves. With a speech disorder, a person has difficulty producing or pronouncing sounds correctly or fluently.
There are two types of speech disorders: receptive and expressive. A person with receptive disorder cannot easily process what others are saying. For example, it may be difficult for him to follow directions or he may confuse the meaning of a statement by applying the wrong definition to a word that has multiple meanings. A person with an expressive disorder cannot articulate what he means to say, which causes others to misunderstand him. For example, he may have a smaller vocabulary and speak in short sentences, or he may have difficulty putting words together into an understandable structure.
Speech disorders revolve around how a person uses their voice. Factors to consider in speech include articulation, fluency, and voice issues. Articulation refers to how well a person pronounces his words or sounds. For example, a person with articulation problems might make a “w” sound when she should make an “r” sound. Fluency refers to how well a person’s speech flows; stuttering is an example of a fluency problem. Finally, speech problems refer to the actual sound quality of a person’s voice; a nasal or hoarse voice that makes it difficult for others to understand what a person is saying is an example of vocal problems.
Other problems that can be seen as a speech disorder, or at least related to it, are those involving eating or swallowing problems. An eating disorder occurs when a person fails to retrieve food in preparation for swallowing. For example, he may not be able to pick up food or he may not be able to keep food in his mouth. A swallowing disorder occurs when a person has difficulty swallowing food, whether it is chewing food and moving it to the back of the throat or starting and ending the actual swallowing process in the throat.
The causes of speech and language impairments vary from medical problems to the unknown. The disorders can be mild to severe, and it is possible for a person to have both conditions. Additionally, speech and language impairments affect both children and adults. If a person experiences or shows signs of one or both of these disorders, there are treatment options available that could help them achieve better communication with others, such as speech therapy.
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