Different Types Of Speech Disorders And Their Characteristics

Verbal language is one of the most powerful tools humans have. However, some people suffer from various types of speech disorders. This is negative, as speech allows people to communicate and transmit information such as feelings and desires and pass on their culture and knowledge.

Many psychologists have analyzed the role of language in human development. One of them was the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who made important contributions.

Having a speech disorder can have all kinds of social, academic and personal consequences. Speech is a part of your daily life, and it allows you to interact, share information and express yourself. But how many types of speech disorders are there? Continue reading to discover the definition, causes and symptoms.

Different types of speech disorders

There are different types of speech disorders, which are impairments in creating or forming speech sounds. These make it difficult for children to speak because they can affect pronunciation and vocabulary formation. Thus, they cannot speak in a way that others can understand.

The following communication disorders are in DSM-5 ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ):

• language disorder
• speech disorder
• childhood disorder
• unspecified communication disorder
• social communication disorder

This article addresses different types of speech disorders, not communication disorders. It will only discuss some of the above, those that influence speech. Continue reading to discover the most important characteristics of each.

Language Disorder – Dysphasia

Language disorder (or dysphasia) involves a number of difficulties in understanding and expressing language. These affect children even when intelligence suits the child’s level of development. In addition, these manifest themselves both orally and in writing, including reading. In other words, it is a fairly extensive disorder.

Depending on the origin, there can be two types of dysphasia:

• Developmental dysphasia is present from the moment a child begins to communicate, and the cause is still unknown, as it is not due to other disorders.
• Acquired dysphasia occurs as a consequence of accidents, head trauma, seizures, etc. The main characteristic is hypo-productivity in language (especially reduced).

In addition, there are two types of dysphasia according to the altered process:

• Receptive dysphasia affects comprehension.
• Expressive dysphasia affects expression.

Finally, there is a special type of acquired epilepticus known as Landau-Kleffner syndrome. This is a receptive-expressive disorder that manifests itself with several changes in the patient’s EEG (electroencephalography). It is caused by an epileptic seizure, and the typical outbreak is between three and seven years. In addition, it usually appears abruptly.

Phonological disorders – Dyslali

This is a phonological disorder, also referred to as a phonetic disorder. Dyslali involves difficulty in articulating words. The most common are replacement of sounds, distortion of sounds and lack (omission) or addition (insertion) of sounds. The reason is functional. In other words, no organic lesion justifies it (the etiology is still unknown).

This speech disorder is one of the most common in childhood. Estimates suggest that between two and three percent of children between the ages of six and seven have a moderate or severe form of dyslali. The prevalence increases in mild cases. To diagnose it, the mistakes a given child makes when they speak must be insufficient in terms of the level of development they are at, and disrupt the child’s social and professional function.

Stuttering or dysphemia is one of the most common types of speech disorders

Also referred to as “lack of fluency” in the DSM-5, this is one of the most common speech disorders.

Dysphemia affects flow and speech rhythm. When speaking, a person with this condition emits one or more spasms, as well as blockages at the beginning of or during the speech. This results in a disruption in the normal rhythm of communication.

This disorder usually begins between the ages of three and eight. This is because normal speech patterns begin to develop at this age. There are different types of dysfunctions depending on the duration:

• Congenital dysphemia lasts a few months.
• Benign dysphemia lasts a few years.
• Persistent dysphemia is chronic and usually manifests itself in adults.

Strangely enough, people with this condition do not originate when they sing, recite a learned text or when they are alone or talking to pets. This suggests that it is a disorder affected by social anxiety.

According to a study by Ramos (2019) who collected other studies, music and its components (such as rhythm) can help those who originate to control speech speed, reduce facial tensions, improve coordination on phonetic breathing and reduce speech irregularities.

Types of speech disorders: Dysglossia

This speech disorder causes significant problems in articulating sounds that contain speech. It appears to be a consequence of changes in the buccal phonatory organs (for example, congenital malformations of the lips, teeth or tongue). Thus, the cause is organic.

Dysarthria

This disorder is caused by changes in neuromotor control (damage to the nervous system). This translates into difficulties in articulating words, which stem from neurological problems that change the muscle tone of the mouth. It prevents a person from pronouncing words properly. Like dyslali, dysarthria is one of the most common speech disorders.

Types of speech disorders: Aphasia

There are many classifications of aphasia. According to the classical neuropsychological model, it is quite severe, in contrast to dysphasia, which is less severe. What instead distinguishes dysphasia from aphasia is that the latter is acquired (dysphasia is congenital). At least according to the cognitive model.

However, other authors suggest that what distinguishes aphasia from dysphasia is that it manifests itself in adults and not in children. Regardless of classification, it is clear that aphasia involves the loss or change of language. It occurs as a consequence of a brain change or injury (for example, a stroke or a blow to the head).

The different types of aphasia manifest themselves through different symptoms, depending on the location of the injury. This article contains more information about them.