Speech is an essential part of communication. If a person has a speech disorder, it can affect how thoughts are communicated. You need to involve your body parts like the neck, chest, abdomen, and head to produce sounds.
With medical technology advancing at breakneck speed, it is now possible to address any speech disorder that may be hampering your quality of life. Speech disorders differ according to age, physiological, and nerve-related issues.
Read about some common types of speech disorders and their therapy.
Stuttering
It is the most common type of speech disorder, wherein the flow of speech is interrupted. Different people experience different stuttering problems, like repetitions, blocks, and continuous speech issues. If you repeat vowels and other sounds constantly, it amounts to stuttering. Additionally, if your words get stuck, it amounts to blocks. Then, some people prolong the usage of certain words and vowels. It is then referred to as prolongations. Some factors affect these: excitement, fear, and frustration. Also, some people find difficulty pronouncing certain words, leading to stuttering.
Stuttering may also cause tension in facial and shoulder muscles, and many people blink as well while stuttering. You will mostly come across two types of stuttering: developmental and neurogenic. The former mainly affects small children, while the latter may be a result of damage to the brain’s nerves. Doctors may suggest speech therapy to help you to slow down your speech. This approach can help you to work up a natural speech therapy pattern. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is another means of psychotherapy that can help you ease the condition. A doctor may also prescribe a small electronic device to correct speech issues.
Misalignment of Teeth
You may also hear the term “malocclusion” being associated with this. The misaligned teeth can lead to several oral complications. This is often a genetic condition. Additionally, it can be caused due to frequent use of pacifiers in toddlers, injuries to the jaw, tumors, and improper dental implants. The result is a change in the appearance of your face, discomfort while biting, and speech changes. You may develop a lisp.
Your dentist may refer you to an orthodontist. Other than that, you can use braces, dental appliances, or capping mechanisms. Also, you can undergo maxillofacial surgery. If the condition is not genetic, you can quickly correct it in children and adults. The earlier you get it treated, the better is the outcome.
Apraxia
Apraxia mainly refers to brain damage that impairs motor skills, affects other body parts, and causes paralysis. It primarily involves the inability to form words correctly. You will find several forms of apraxia. It can be orofacial, in which people are unable to move their facial muscles. Some people are also unable to lick their lips. Apraxia of speech makes it impossible for the patient to move their mouth and tongue in unison. This happens when the person concerned is ready to speak, but muscles fail. Childhood apraxia is a motor speech disorder. It does not require concern comprehension but the inability to express oneself.
Adults can acquire the ailment after an accident or any kind of trauma. The condition is treatable. Whereas, in the case of childhood apraxia, improvement is possible, but not complete revival. Children who suffer from this disease can practice the formation of sounds and words. Moreover, young children can also engage in multisensory approaches. Regular sessions with speech therapists can also help alleviate the problem to a huge extent.
Resonance Disorders
This occurs due to the obstruction of airflow in the nose, mouth, and throat. It may affect the quality of vibrations, which may, in turn, affect the voice quality. The two most important causes of this ailment or disorder are inflamed tonsils and cleft palate. Thus, you can say that it results from too little nasal or sound energy in the speaking signal. Children suffering from apraxia and neurological disorders may also suffer from this disorder. There are various treatment approaches.
They are surgical management, prosthetic management, and behavioral therapy, to name a few. Surgical intervention is the most common approach to treat the issue. The surgeon may work on the pharyngeal flap and connect it to the velum. Another treatment modality is pharyngeal wall augmentation. You might find doctors taking other approaches for this ailment. They include removal of nasal polyps, surgical removal of stenotic nares, and prosthetics.
It is for those who do not want to undergo surgeries. The various instruments or devices used for the purpose are the palatal obturator and speech bulb, to name a few. The former helps to occlude the fistula, while the latter impedes the velopharynx.
These are just a few of the everyday speech disorders and their treatments. You need to get yourself checked and get your treatment started if necessary.
