SPEECH PROBLEMS

Speech problems refer to difficulty getting our thoughts out into words because of some interruption somewhere along the line and some part of the process doesn’t work.

It could be something to do with:

• Articulationwhere the sound doesn’t come out right eg. saying ‘d’ instead of ‘th’, or ‘l’ instead of ‘r’.
• Fluency, where someone has problems getting the word out and stutters, eg. ‘st-st-st-stop.’
• Resonance or voice disorders, e.g. someone whose voice is very quiet so that others cannot hear what he or she is saying. Sometimes the person may sound like they have a bad cold all the time.

Some medical conditions cause kids to have problems with speech:

• Hearing Impairment (not being able to hear).
• A Cleft Lip or Palate.
• Breathing problems.
• Nodules or lumps on the vocal chords.
• Weak muscles around the mouth.

Stuttering

Stuttering is also called disfluency. It seems in part to be genetic. Someone else in the family may have a problem with stuttering. There are about 3 times more males than females who stutter.

We call it stuttering when someone:

• Repeats parts of words eg. ‘tay-tay-tay-table’
• Seems to get stuck on the sound at the beginning of a word (sssssun)
• Is silent before, during or after a word.
• Shows muscle tension or tremors in lips, jaw and neck, or may blink or turn their head from side to side when trying to get the word out.

People who stutter do not have a problem with understanding. People almost never stutter when singing, whispering or when they can’t hear their own voice, eg. singing or reciting with a group.

Stress can make it harder for them to talk fluently but doesn’t cause stuttering. Practicing can help, like when you have to give a talk to your class.

What you can do to help a friend

• Be patient.
• Wait quietly until they have managed to finish the word or sentence by themselves.
• If it’s still unclear, try telling the person what you think they said and ask, “Is that right?”
• If your friend is being teased, then tell whoever is being mean that your friend has a speech problem and they are being very unkind.
• You may even help your friend by quietly singing, “What did you say?” so your friend can sing the answer back to you.

Treatment

People who have speech defect are often sent to a speech therapist. A speech therapist will listen to you and may also send you for a hearing test. You will work together in therapy sessions, but will also need to practice what you have learned at home so that your speech will improve more quickly.