Speech and language disorders can affect the way children talk,
understand, analyze or process information. Speech disorders include
the clarity, voice quality, and fluency of a child's spoken words.
Language disorders include a child's ability to hold meaningful
conversations, understand others, problem solve, read and
comprehend, and express thoughts through spoken or written words.
Speech disorders refer to difficulties producing speech sounds or
problems with voice quality. They might be characterized by an
interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as stuttering,
which is called dysfluency. People with
voice disorders may have trouble with the way their voices sound.
Speech disorders may be problems with
the way sounds are formed, called articulation or phonological
disorders, or they may be difficulties with the pitch, volume or
quality of the voice. They may say
"see" when they mean "ski" or they may have trouble using other
sounds like "l" or "r". Listeners may have trouble understanding
what someone with a speech disorder is trying to say.
A language disorder is an impairment in the ability to understand
and/or use words in context, both verbally and nonverbally. Some
characteristics of language disorders include improper use of words
and their meanings, inability to express ideas, inappropriate
grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and inability to follow
directions. One or a combination of these characteristics may occur
in children who are affected by language learning disabilities or
developmental language delay. Children may hear or see a word but
not be able to understand its meaning. They may have trouble getting
others to understand what they are trying to communicate.
San Diego and La Jolla speech therapy -- CALL (619) 840-7872 -- for children and adults speech therapy, accent reduction, language and speaking training
-- speech therapist located in La Jolla.
