Concept
Speech and language impairment are basic categories that might be drawn in issues of communication involve hearing, speech, language, and fluency. A speech impairment is characterized by difficulty in articulation of words. Examples include stuttering or problems producing particular sounds. Articulation refers to the sounds, syllables, and phonology produced by the individual. Voice, however, may refer to the characteristics of the sounds produced—specifically, the pitch, quality, and intensity of the sound. Often, fluency will also be considered a category under speech, encompassing the characteristics of rhythm, rate, and emphasis of the sound produced. A language impairment is a specific impairment in understanding and sharing thoughts and ideas, i.e. a disorder that involves the processing of linguistic information. Problems that may be experienced can involve the form of language, including grammar, morphology, syntax; and the functional aspects of language, including semantics and pragmatics. An individual can have one or both types of impairment. These impairments/disorders are identified by a speech and language pathologist. Speech disorder The following are brief definitions of several of the more prominent speech disorders: Apraxia of speech Apraxia of speech is the acquired form of motor speech disorder caused by brain injury, stroke or dementia. Developmental verbal dyspraxia Developmental verbal dyspraxia refers specifically to a motor speech disorder. This is a neurological disorder. Individuals with developmental verbal apraxia encounter difficulty saying sounds, syllables, and words. The difficulties are not due to weakness of muscles, but rather on coordination between the brain and the specific parts of the body. Apraxia of speech is the acquired form of this disorder caused by brain injury, stroke or dementia. Interventions are more effective when they occur individually at first, and between three and five times per week. With improvements, children with apraxia may be transitioned into group therapy settings.