Research shows there has been an increase in the number of children who have pediatric speech delays. Children who experience a speech disorder, have issues producing speech sounds or certain words. This is different from language disorders, where children have trouble understanding language, expressing their thoughts through language, or both.
According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, the speech disorders commonly seen in children include:
Phonological disorder: Predictable, rule-based sound substitutions. Children with phonological impairment may replace one sound with another (for instance, “wook” instead of “look”) or delete a sound (for instance, “bo” instead of “boat” or “tuck” instead of “truck”).
Dysarthria: A motor speech disorder caused by muscle weakness that affects the tone, strength, and coordination of the muscles used for speech.
Childhood apraxia of speech: A motor speech disorder that affects the planning and coordination of the muscles used for speech despite adequate strength and tone.
Fluency disorder (stuttering): A disruption in the flow of speech characterized by repetitions, prolongations, or blocks.
Voice disorders: Unusual vocal quality, pitch, or volume due to injury, infection, vocal misuse, or growths on the vocal cords.
Resonance disorders: A speech impairment that affects the way air and sound move through a child’s mouth and nose, giving speech a nasal quality.
Speech and language development is vital for academic success and social situations. Helping a child starts with understanding the underlying issues involved.
First Words Speech Therapy provides diagnostic evaluation and speech – language therapy.
A professional evaluation with a pathologists will help identify your child’s areas of need and their strengths. Our pathologists make therapy an enjoyable experience for children with interactive and engaging materials
