Speech and Communication Disorders

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Many disorders can affect our ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being completely unable to speak or understand speech. Causes include:

• Hearing disorders and deafness
• Voice problems, such as dysphonia or those caused by cleft lip or palate
• Speech problems like stuttering
• Developmental disabilities
• Learning disabilities
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Brain injury
• Stroke

Some speech and communication problems may be genetic. Often, no one knows the causes. By first grade, about 5% of children have noticeable speech disorders. Speech and language therapy can help.

NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Start Here

• Speech and Language Impairments (Center for Parent Information and Resources) Also in Spanish
• Voice, Speech, and Language (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Living With

• Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Related Issues

• Speech to Speech Relay Service (Federal Communications Commission)
• Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) (Federal Communications Commission)
• Telecommunications Relay Services (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Specifics

• Aphasia vs. Apraxia (American Stroke Association)
• Apraxia of Speech (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• 22q13.3 deletion syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• 47,XYY syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Epilepsy-aphasia spectrum: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• PURA syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Triple X syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Quick Statistics about Voice, Speech, and Language (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
• Sound Check: Tracking Voice, Speech, and Breathing for Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Communication Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Language Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Speech Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: The effect of two speech and language approaches on speech problems...
• Article: Transition to Adulthood for Individuals With Complex Communication Needs: A Scoping...
• Article: Barriers to care: Caregivers' accounts of raising a child with a...
• Speech and Communication Disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• NIDCD Glossary (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Find an Expert

• Directory of Organizations (Deafness and Communication Disorders) (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Teenagers

• Speech Problems (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Apraxia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dysarthria (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Phonological disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Selective mutism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Speech impairment in adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish