Speech impediments can be caused by congenital or acquired conditions, such as neurological disorders, vocal cord malformations, or physical injuries. The most common impairments are aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, and stuttering, which can be treated with therapy. In severe cases, alternative communication options may be used.
Any speech disorder or condition that makes it difficult or impossible for a person to speak is considered a speech impediment. The causes of these problems can be congenital or acquired and can manifest themselves in different ways. The most common impairments are aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, and stuttering; once any applicable underlying issues have been addressed, the speech impediment is typically treated with therapy.
A speech disorder can be caused by a neurological disorder, malformation of the vocal cords, or problems with the face or facial muscles. These health problems can be present at birth, mostly as a birth defect, or they can be caused by metabolic problems, cancer, infection, or physical injury. In some cases, malformations or damage to the nerves that send messages between the brain and the muscles in the face can cause speech impediment.
Aphasia, a speech impediment, almost always results in a speech impairment. This medical problem makes it difficult or impossible for a person to understand language in any form, whether spoken or written. This is often caused by a neurological disorder; while it may be congenital, it is a common side effect of a stroke. Due to the inability to understand language, it is nearly impossible for the person to communicate effectively, resulting in speech impediment.
Apraxia, also common among stroke victims, is caused by a neurological disorder that disrupts signals between the brain and the muscles used for speech, thus preventing someone from saying what they mean. This often manifests itself as garbled and nonsensical speech, even though the patient knows what he is trying to communicate. Often caused by a lack of blood flow to a certain part of the brain, apraxia may resolve on its own once blood flow is restored, although permanent damage is possible.
Dysarthria occurs when a person has difficulty pronouncing certain words or sounds. Common among young children, those with dysarthria often have trouble with sounds associated with “s,” “r,” and “l,” although it’s not limited to these sounds. Another common infant speech impediment is stuttering, defined as repeating a sound or phrase against the will. While dysarthria and stuttering can often be controlled with speech therapy, recovery from these speech disorders depends largely on their severity and underlying cause; in some cases, these speech impairments can last into adulthood.
Speech therapy is the most common treatment for a speech disorder. Therapeutic tools depend on the type of speech impediment a person is experiencing. In many cases, it is best to address the underlying cause of the impediment, if it is treatable, before therapy. Those with severe ailments may need to undergo therapy several times a week. In cases where the impairment cannot be improved enough for a person to communicate with others, an alternative communication option may be used, the most common being computers or sign language.
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