Speech Disorders – Find a Doctor and Get Information

Depending on the type, speech disorders have various underlying causes. Speech development disorders are often caused by hearing impairments. For example, prolonged middle ear infections or persistent hearing loss between the ages of two and three can hinder speech development. Since those affected cannot perceive spoken language auditorily, they do not learn to speak.

Genetic, psychological, and social factors also impair language development. Language decline often occurs in various forms of dementia.

Other conditions, such as epilepsy, can also be associated with speech disorders. Disorders of written language, such as dyslexia or dysgraphia, are primarily caused by a lack of reading and writing practice. However, they can also result from brain damage following a traumatic brain injury or stroke. The same applies to disorders of language comprehension and aphasia.

The most common causes of aphasia are trauma-related brain damage or brain tumors. Mental and physical developmental delays can also lead to delayed language development or the absence of language. Developmental delays include intellectual disabilities, birth trauma, or psychological trauma in early childhood.

There are various types of language disorders:

• Aphasia
• Dysphasia
• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Verbal deafness, lack of auditory perception
• Dysgrammatism

Depending on their severity, aphasias affect speech structure, word meanings, vocabulary, sentence formation, or speech sounds. These disorders occur either alone or in combination. 

Experts also refer to the mild form of aphasia as dysphasia. People with aphasia cannot express their thoughts and feelings properly. They often do not realize that the words they choose do not match their thoughts. They do not fully grasp the meaning of what they hear or read.

Dyslexia, on the other hand, refers to the inability to read or to understand what has been read. Neither hearing nor vision is affected in this condition. People with dyslexia cannot read or can read only very slowly. They are unable to read aloud fluently. They often lose their place on the line or mix up letters.

The inability to write words and texts is called dysgraphia. Those affected have difficulty writing, even though they are intellectually and motorically capable of doing so. People with dysgrammatism are unable to form grammatically correct sentences appropriate for their age.

For example, people with dysgrammatism lack an understanding that verbs are conjugated depending on the subject. Instead of saying “du stehst” in a sentence, they might say “du stehe.” They also form the plural of words incorrectly or place the verb in the wrong position in the sentence. “Ich möchte ein Eis.” (I’d like an ice cream) becomes “Ich Eis möchte.”

Word deafness is not deafness in the literal sense. Although those affected perceive speech sounds and can distinguish between them, they cannot understand them as such. “Internal language”—and thus the ability to write or read—is hardly impaired.

It is particularly difficult to diagnose language disorders in childhood. Language development varies from child to child. Many abnormalities resolve themselves in the first few years of life. 

Doctors have various tests and screenings at their disposal to assess whether a child’s language development is age-appropriate. These tests focus on different areas of language, such as vocabulary or grammar. Video recordings can also be used for a detailed analysis of language skills.

 Children’s language tests help assess various aspects of language development @ ChasingMagic/peopleimages.com /AdobeStock

If the child’s developmental level appears abnormal, hearing tests are usually conducted to rule out hearing loss. Various tests are also available for diagnosing speech disorders in adults. 

For example, if aphasia is suspected, the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT) is used. This test makes it possible to diagnose the various forms of language disorders and their respective severity levels.

Regardless of the underlying causes of the speech disorder, treatment usually consists of speech therapy. This is carried out by speech-language pathologists or specially trained speech therapists.

Speech development disorders in children are treated in a playful manner. Affected children are given special exercises designed to encourage them to speak correctly.

It is recommended to begin speech therapy as early as age 2, as this is when the first signs of speech development disorders typically become apparent @ Africa Studio /AdobeStock

However, treatment should not take place exclusively in a speech therapy practice. In everyday life, the people who interact with the child should make sure the child speaks correctly. They should also actively encourage the child to speak. Singing or reading together also promotes speech development. Since speech development and motor skills are closely linked, occupational therapy can be a useful complementary treatment.

For adults with speech disorders, the focus is on (re)activating speech. Speech-language pathologists take advantage of the brain’s remarkable capacity for learning. 

This enables the patient to regain lost abilities. If this is not possible, therapists teach other verbal and nonverbal communication strategies so that the patient can express themselves even without spoken language.

The prognosis depends on the type and cause of the disorder. Speech-language development disorders in children can be effectively treated with early intervention.

In contrast, speech ability in patients with dementia often continues to decline steadily despite therapeutic support. As a general rule, an early diagnosis followed by prompt speech-language therapy significantly improves the prognosis.