A speech disorder is a condition in which a person cannot utter words to communicate with others. Whereas language disorder is a condition in which an individual feels difficulty learning new words or understanding what others say to him.
Speech is one of the most common ways to express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas to others. Proper coordination between different body organs like head, neck, abdomen and chest is necessary for a person to speak.
Most common speech disorders
Different types of speech disorders include:
- Stuttering
Stuttering is a speech disorder which affects a person's flow of speech. People who suffer from this disorder may face repetition while speaking.
Such recurrence of sounds or words usually occurs involuntarily. Some people face blockage while speaking, although they know what to say but feels difficulty in making the necessary sound.
Some people face prolongation during speech. Prolongation means stretching or drawing out of particular sound or words.
- Apraxia
Apraxia is a broad word for a brain disease that affects a person's motor skills and can affect any portion of the body.
Apraxia of speech, also known as verbal apraxia, is a motor skill deficit that affects a person's ability to appropriately create speech sounds, even when they know what words they wish to pronounce.
- Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a condition which occurs when damage in the brain cause muscle weakness in a person’s face, lips, throat, tongue and chest.
Due to muscle weakness an individual faces difficulty in speaking. People suffering from dysarthria may experience slow or quiet speech, slurred speech, mumbling, speaking too slowly or too quickly and difficulty in moving of mouth or tongue
Symptoms
- Sounds that are repeated or prolonged
- Sound distortion
- Speaking with a raspy or harsh voice
- Adding syllables or sounds to words
- Syllable rearrangement
- Having trouble speaking words properly
- Unable to pronounce the correct word or sound
- Very gently speaking
Causes of speech disorder
Different factors lead to speech disorders like brain damage due to stroke or injury, autism, mouth or throat cancer, down syndrome, damaged vocal cords, muscle weakness, hearing loss and some digestive diseases.
What does the RMI Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation offer?
Rehman Medical Institute has a well-equipped physical therapy and rehabilitation unit where highly experienced consultants along with highly qualified team are always ready to serve.
Speech-language pathologist use different techniques to diagnosis of speech disorder like Denver articulation screening examination, Prosody-voice screening profile, Dynamic evaluation of motor speech skills (DEMSS).
Treatment techniques include; target selection, contextual utilisation, contrast therapy, oral-motor therapy, ear device and medication.
