SPEECH & LANGUAGE DISORDERS

Delay v.s. Disorder

Most children follow a typical pattern of development. However when children develop skills at a slower pace, but are following the same pattern of development, that is considered a developmental delay.

A speech and language disorder is when a child is not following the typical developmental pattern for speech and language. These children usually present with gaps in their acquisition of speech and language skills. Skills that should be present for their chronological age are not present or they are producing unusual speech sounds or using unusual forms of language.

This list is provided to give basic information on some communication disorders.

Cerebral Palsy-
Cerebral palsy is a broad term which refers to many different disorders of movement and posture. All children with cerebral palsy have damage to the area of the brain that controls muscle tone. As a result, they may have increased muscle tone, reduced muscle tone, or a combination of the two.

Autism-
A complex developmental disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, affecting the areas of social interaction and communication skills.

Autism affects kids in different ways. There are different levels of autism regarding level of severity, communication skills and their ability to interact in a social environment. Children with autism do not present with any difference in their physical appearance from that of a “typically” developing child. It’s important to note that, because kids develop at different rates, the disorder can be difficult to recognize.

Children who are diagnosed with autism usually follow the typical developmental pattern in the first year or two of life, and then begin to regress in the areas of communication and socialization. Children with autism may prefer to play alone, not acknowledge other kids that are playing around them, arrange objects in straight lines and sort items by color, and have difficulty establishing and maintaining eye contact with people.

Children with autism also present with communication problems, which may include delays in developing speech and language, repeating words, and speaking in a monotone that lacks pitch, inflection, or rhythm. They also engage in repetitive behavior and interests, and display unusual behaviors, such as spinning or flapping their hands.

Down Syndrome-
Results from an abnormality on chromosome #21. Major characteristics include low tone, open-mouth posture with tongue protrusion, flat facial profile, mental retardation or developmental delay.

Children diagnosed with Down syndrome usually present with mild to moderate mental retardation, speech and language delays or disorders, or slow mental growth. Some babies with Down syndrome also have heart problems, intestinal problems, vision trouble or hearing loss. Many of these problems can be treated either with surgery or therapy depending on the presenting problem.

Feeding babies with Down syndrome usually take longer because of their low muscle tone of the oral musculature. A speech language pathologist should be consulted on ways to increase muscle strength through performing oral motor exercises. Mothers breast-feeding infants with Down syndrome should seek advice from an expert on breast feeding to ensure that the baby’s nutritional needs are being met.

A child with Down syndrome is often slow to turn over, sit, stand, and respond. This may be related to the child’s poor muscle tone. Development of speech and language abilities may take longer than expected and may not occur as fully as parents would like. However, children with Down syndrome do develop the communication skills they need.

Prader Willi Syndrome-
Characterized by small stature, hypotonic (low tone), obesity, delayed speech, dysarthria, , apraxia, some degree of mental retardation.

Rett's Syndrome-
A neurodevelopmental disorder seen in children characterized by normal early development followed by loss of purposeful use of the hands, unusual hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, gait abnormalities, seizures, and mental retardation. Females are usually affected.

Developmental Apraxia-
When a child has difficulty saying what they want as the brain is not sending the message to the articulators (face, tongue, lips, jaw) to produce a series of sounds or movements to produce speech.

Cerebral Vascular Accident- (also known as Stroke)-
Occurs when blood flow to a portion of the brain is disrupted. A stroke can be caused by a hemorrhage (bleeding on the brain), thrombosis (clot formed in the artery and eventually grows and obstructs blood flow), or an embolism (when a particle is carred through the blood stream and eventually obstructs blood flow).

Meningitis-
Inflammation fo the membranous covering of the brain and spinal cord (menengies). Bacteria or virus can spread thoughout the body thrug the blood stream, and bones of the skull or from a skull fracture.

Encephalitis-
Inflammation of the brain usually caused by viral infection.

Dysphagia-
Swallowing disorder resulting from muscle weakness of the oral musculature.

Fragile X-
Genetically based disorder that occurs when the long arm of the X chromosome is broken or contains a fragile spot. This child presents with autistic-like characteristics, delayed speech and motor skills.

Syndrome-
A collection of many symptoms