Speech disorders affect the way people use and understand speech. Speech disorders include: stuttering (a disruption in the flow of speech), articulation (incorrect production or use of sounds), and voice (inappropriate pitch, loudness, or nasality).

Language disorders include difficulty with understanding or using vocabulary, grammar, or the right speech for a particular situation. Reading, writing, gesturing, and speaking can all be forms of language.

Indicators of speech-language disorders

    You should suspect a speech-language disorder if:

• A speaker is difficult to understand.
  
  
• There is concern about one’s speech.
  
  
• There is difficulty expressing thoughts or ideas.
  
  
• A student experiences academic difficulties.
  
  
• Opportunities to communicate with others are avoided.
  
  

Causes of speech-language disorders

Speech-language skills may be affected by an unidentified hearing loss, nerve/muscle disorders such as cerebral palsy, severe head injury, stroke, viral diseases, mental retardation, physical impairments (such as a cleft lip and/or palate), and poor speech-language models. However, many times the precise cause of a speech-language disorder is unknown.

What are hearing disorders?

Hearing disorders interfere with the listener’s ability to hear sounds clearly. Conductive hearing loss refers to disorders that interfere with sounds being conducted through the outer ear or the middle ear (for example, wax blocking the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear space, or a hole in the eardrum). Sensorineural hearing loss refers to damage in the inner ear (for example, due to noise exposure) or the nerve pathways to the brain (for example, due to a tumor). The person may also experience some distortion of the signal and may confuse or misunderstand what was heard. ("Give me a quarter"/"Give me some water.") A mixed hearing loss refers to a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Indicators of hearing disorders

You should suspect a hearing disorder when:

• Ringing or buzzing sensations are present in the ear.
  
  
• There is a failure to respond appropriately to familiar sounds (for example, a telephone ringing).
  
  
• Conversation is misunderstood.
  
  
• Requests for people to repeat what they have said are made frequently.
  
  
• Extra attention is given to the speaker’s face in order to better understand what is being said.
  
  
• Visual clues such as gestures (pointing) are needed to increase understanding.
  
  
• The head is tilted or turned to one side while a person is listening.
  
  
• A person’s voice is too loud, too soft, or unclear.
  
  

Causes of Hearing Disorders

Hearing disorders may be the result of chronic ear infection, heredity, birth defects, ototoxic drugs, viral or bacterial infections (such as rubella or meningitis), exposure to loud noise, or aging. Sometimes the exact cause of a hearing disorder is unknown.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jill Huttenbrauck, Speech-Language Pathologist