Communication Disorders:
Prevalence:
Speech Disorders
10-15% of preschool children
5-6% of school aged children
More common in boys
Articulation disorders are the most common
Account for 75% of all speech disorders
Language Disorders
2-3% of preschool children
1% of school aged children
More common in boys (67%)
Speech Disorders:
Phonological/Articulation Disorders – problems producing the sounds of language
Resonance/Voice Disorders – problems in the tone, volume, or quality of the voice
Fluency Disorders – problems with the flow of sounds, syllables, words
Stuttering – involves an interruption in the rhythm of speech characterized by hesitations, repetition or prolongation of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases
Cluttering – involves excessive breaks in the normal flow of speech
Associated Conditions:
Disturbed Muscle Control
Dysarthria – a speech disorder that is due to a weakness or incoordination of the speech muscles
Apraxia – a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently
Developmental Consequences:
Cognitive difficulties – rigidity in thinking
Academics – poor performance in language-based learning areas; problems learning to read
Higher rates of behavioural problems in children with articulation or language problems, cleft palates
Deficits in esteem, frustration for children who stutter
Language Disorders:
Language problems – problems that can interfere with communication and the cognition of language.
Receptive Problem – When a person cannot understand the language code.
Expressive Problem – If a person does not know enough language rules to share thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
Associated Conditions:
Aphasia – language problems resulting from damage to speech or language areas of the brain
Broca’s Aphasia – understands speech; has difficulty producing speech
Wernicke’s Aphasia – receptive aphasia; “word salad” phenomena
Characteristics of Children With Language Disorders:
- Failure to understand or pay attention to rules or conversation
- Difficulty using needs of the listener or situation.
- Incorrect use of grammar.
- Poor or limited vocabulary.
- Difficulty requesting further information to aid understanding.
- Tendency to ask questions that are too general
- Class clown behaviour
- Tendency to agree rather than to voice opposition.
- Indirect and ambiguous statements.
- Extreme forgetfulness.
- Withdrawal or exclusion from group activities.
- Difficulty with non-verbal behaviors, finding words, jokes and slang, instructions, multiple meanings, sequencing, expressing thoughts, organizing information.
Diagnosing Communication Disorders:
- DSM-IV diagnoses exist for four Communication Disorders:
- Expressive Language Disorder
- Phonological Disorder
- Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
- Stuttering
- Sound, syllable, or word repetitions; prolongations; interjections; pauses within words or speech; word substitutions
- Mutism
Intervention/ speech and language aids:
- Medical
- To correct structural deficits
- Speech-language Therapy
- Technical Aids
- Speech-synthesized voice
- Educational Intervention
- Recognized “Exceptionalities of Language and Speech in Ontario”