Speech & Language Problems

Speech Therapy addresses motor problems involving the oral structures (lips, tongue, teeth, palate, nasal cavity, breathing mechanism), where the child is unable to produce speech sounds or cannot produce them clearly.

A. Stuttering

What is stuttering / stammering?

Stuttering is a disruption in the forward flow of speech that is typically accompanied by physical tension, secondary behaviors, avoidance of communication, and/or negative reactions on the part of the speaker.

B. What is a speech sound disorder?

A speech sound disorder occurs when a person has difficulty producing speech sounds correctly beyond the age when we would expect him or her to have learned those sounds. A person speaking with a severe speech disorder can be difficult to understand. Most speech errors fall into one of 3 categories:

Omissions (e.g., “poon” for spoon), Substitutions (e.g., “tup” for cup) and Distortions (e.g., a lisp on /s/ sounds)

C. Voice problems

What is a voice disorder?

A voice disorder occurs when the pitch, loudness, or quality of the voice distracts from what the speaker is saying. It is also a problem if the speaker experiences pain or fatigue when speaking or singing. There is also a laryngeal based respiratory disorder called vocal cord dysfunction (or paradoxical vocal fold motion) that does not always include changes to the voice but often has symptoms of chronic cough or throat clearing, odor sensitivities, and shortness of breath. Some of the Voice problems like

Vocal fold nodules, Vocal fold cysts, Vocal cord paresis, Spasmodic dysphonia, Puberphonia

D) Acquired Neurological Problems

Changes in communication and swallowing abilities are common as a result of stroke, brain trauma, or a variety of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. Problems like

Aphasia, Dysarthria, Apraxia of speech, Dysphagia

Language Problems

Language Therapy addresses cognitive (thinking) problems involving listening, paying attention, understanding, memory, organizing thought etc., where the child can speak but not in sentences, makes grammatical mistakes, has difficulty learning new words, and reading.

Language disorders can be either receptive or expressive:

1) Receptive disorders refer to difficulties understanding the spoken message in any language.

2) Expressive disorders include difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way. Some of the problems like

Autism spectrum disorder

Intellectual disability / Mental retardation

Learning disability/Dyslexia

Cerebral palsy

Hearing impairments / Hearing Loss

Birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate

Developmental delays in speech and understanding

Weak oral muscles

Pervasive developmental disorder

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder

Childhood neurogenic disorder (Microcephaly)

Who can help?

A speech-language pathologist certified by the Indian Speech & Hearing Association (ISHA) can treat language disorders.