5 Commonly Diagnosed Speech Impairments in Children | Everyone is excited about their child’s first words, but if your child develops a speech or language disorder, they may struggle to communicate properly. It can be difficult to tell if your child is struggling to speak, especially early on.
What are some common speech impairments and language disorders to be aware of?
If you’re worried that your child isn’t speaking properly, you aren’t alone. Here are some of the most common childhood speech impairments to watch out for.
- Apraxia of Speech (AOS)
Apraxia of speech, or AOS, is a common speech disorder that results from some form of brain damage. It causes the individual to be incapable of saying the things they want to say. The damaged neural pathways cause the individual to be incapable of creating certain sounds; the severity of the damage affects the severity of this speech disorder.
Improper child development can also cause Childhood Apraxia of Speech, which is a subset of AOS. The disorder is neurological, making it difficult to treat. However, patients have seen success with language rehabilitation following a traumatic brain injury.
- Stuttering
Stuttering is a very common speech disorder, especially in young kids. There are a few varieties of stuttering, all relating to repeating certain sounds or phrases.
Children often grow out of their stuffer, and speech services can be used to help children stop stuttering. Many speech therapy specialists offer solutions for childhood stuttering.
- Lisping
Lisping is another common speech disorder that you’ve likely heard of before. Just like stuttering, there are a few forms of lisping, each relating to the mispronunciation of words. One common example is pronouncing words with -th as an -s sound.
Speech therapy can also be used to treat lisps, and children often grow out of the habit.
- Autism and Speech Disorders
Autism commonly coincides with speech-language disorders; it can cause children to be unable to understand the meaning of words, have difficulty understanding communication cues, and have difficulties socializing with others.
With proper care, autistic children can be taught proper communication techniques to help them improve their socializing skills. Speech therapists often involve the parents or guardians of the child to join therapy sessions to further help the child.
- Aphasia
Aphasia is similar to AOS, as it directly affects the brain’s ability to produce and process speech. It is often the result of a traumatic brain injury or underdevelopment. It makes speaking and understanding speech extremely difficult.
Fortunately, there are treatments that can be used for aphasia. Rehabilitation to relearn speech is often needed to help reduce the effects of aphasia.
Help Your Child Through Their Speech Impairments Today
If your child is struggling to speak properly, you don’t have to be worried. There are many treatment options available to help your child overcome their speech impairments and communicate more effectively!
Are you or someone you love struggling with a child who has language difficulties?
You’re not alone. Make sure you share this article to inform your friends and family members and continue reading our blog for more helpful information today!
