Speech disorders, speech defects, and language disorders can occur both congenitally and as a result of disadvantaged and underwhelming language development in children. Typical speech disorders for this are stuttering, lisping and stammering. However, accidents and illnesses can also cause speech and language to regress in the course of life. Typical diseases that have speech disorders as a symptom are stroke and dementia. Speech disorders of this type are also called aphasia.
What are speech disorders?
The earlier therapy for speech disorders and language development disorders begins, the more successful it will be and the sooner the therapy can bear fruit. A speech disorder is defined as an impairment in the communicative use of language. On the one hand, there may be a partial or complete loss of language after the completion of language acquisition, in which words cannot be understood or formed (sensory or motor aphasia). This also includes word-finding disorders and disorders of speech production or comprehension (amnestic and global aphasia) and special forms. It should be noted that this is not an indication of mental retardation. On the other hand, language disorders can also arise before the formation of language development. In the case of autism of the Kanner type – a profound developmental and language disorder that usually develops before the age of 3 – in addition to the language disorder, there are usually also severe contact disorders and mental retardation, associated with aggressiveness and self-mutilation. Another form is Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism that can also appear in adulthood. Furthermore, there is a non-age-appropriate formation of language, which is called a language development disorder. This can be divided into dyslalia (stammering due to disorder of phonetic use), dysgrammatism (inability to build sentences correctly grammatically) and language comprehension disorders. Lastly, there is deaf-muteness, an inability to hear while being able to express oneself linguistically. Speech disorders are to be distinguished from, voice disorders or dyslexia.
Causes
A language disorder may be caused by delayed language development, centrally by early childhood brain damage, damage to the language region, or deafness. The language development disorder may be due to hearing or visual impairment, defects of the speech apparatus, and birth trauma, or to genetic, sociocultural, environmental, and psychological or spiritual factors. The causes of autism are not yet clearly explained. Infections during pregnancy, genetic or hereditary factors, other underlying diseases, and brain damage and altered functions in the brain probably play a role. Aphasia is a central language disorder that can result from damage to the language region after strokes, in the case of insufficient blood supply to the brain, craniocerebral trauma, brain tumors, brain atrophy or encephalopathies. Depending on severity and location, language-dependent performance such as reading, writing and/or arithmetic may also be impaired. Motor aphasia (Broca’s aphasia) or sensory aphasia (Wernicke’s aphasia) are most common. The most common cause of aphasia in children is traumatic brain injury resulting from a traffic, sports or play accident. Deaf-muteness is the result of congenital or acquired deafness, in which case the speech apparatus is preserved.
Diseases with this symptom
- Concussion
- Stuttering
- Lisp
- Asperger’s syndrome
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Brain atrophy
- Stroke
- Encephalitis
- Subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy.
- Brain tumor
- Dementia
- Autism
Complications
Speech disorders do not usually lead to specific medical complications that could be life-threatening or hazardous to the patient’s health. In many cases, speech disorders can also be treated, although success depends largely on the severity of the disorder and the patient himself. In this case, the treatment is both psychological and includes speech training. Often, events from the past or certain experiences are the reason for the speech disorders. It is not uncommon for speech disorders to lead to depression or social exclusion.This problem is especially common in children. Talking to psychologists or other people who also suffer from speech disorders can help here. If the speech disorders occur from birth, in most cases no treatment is possible that promises complete success. No complications can occur during treatment. This means that the speech disorders cannot get worse with treatment, they can only get better. Treatment with medication does not usually take place. For people who suffer from depression due to speech disorders, the depression can be treated with medication or with a psychologist.
When should you see a doctor?
It is not always necessary to see a doctor for speech disorders. In many cases, speech disorders occur especially in children who grow up multilingual, and in this case they represent a common symptom. In this case, it is mainly the parents who must take the initiative and give special support to all languages so that speech disorders do not occur. In the case of congenital speech disorders, a doctor can be consulted. As a rule, many speech disorders can be treated by speech therapy exercises. However, there is no promise of success with this treatment. If the speech disorders occur after a traumatic event, a visit to the doctor is also necessary. In the first place, a psychologist can be consulted to find the cause of the disorder. In many cases, it is not the speech disorders themselves that need to be treated, but the causes. In many cases, this leads to a positive course of the disease. Often, those affected feel intimidated and cannot actively participate in social life due to the speech disorders. In these cases, a visit to a doctor is also necessary.
Treatment and prevention
The earlier therapy for speech disorders and language development disorders begins, the more successful it will be and the sooner the therapy can bear fruit. Taking into account the individual cause, logopedic and speech therapy treatment should be provided. Preventive changes are effective in the case of socioculturally and environmentally associated or psychologically caused speech development disorders. The stimuli can be reduced by avoiding them, increasing family support or external stimulation. The difficult treatment of Kanner autism is based on promoting communicative behavior and social integration. Preventive measures tend not to exist. Speech therapy is also indicated for aphasia, which should begin as early as possible and varies according to the type of aphasia. Individual therapies at the beginning are then later extended to group therapies to improve everyday communication. There is no direct way to protect against aphasia; however, cardiovascular risk factors that promote atherosclerosis can be lowered – for example, cessation of nicotine use. Treatment of deafness is promising. If deafness can be eliminated with hearing aids, targeted speech training can be provided.
Outlook and prognosis
The further course of speech disorders depends very much on their cause and therefore cannot always be predicted. If the speech disorders have been present from an early age, treatment usually does not lead to complete resolution, so the patient must live with remnants of the speech disorders. These can lead to a lowered self-esteem and thus to psychological problems. Especially in children, speech disorders pose major problems, as bullying and social exclusion often occur as a result. Speech disorders often also occur in children who grow up bilingually. They are a common symptom and can be treated well with speech exercises. In general, speech and singing exercises help against speech disorders and can prevent them. If the speech disorders occur due to a psychological problem, they must be treated by a psychologist. The success of this treatment depends on the cause itself and on the patient’s own will. In children, speech disorders often occur after a bad experience. In this case, a psychologist should be consulted as well.
This is what you can do yourself
Self-help is not possible in every case of speech disorders. This is especially true for congenital speech disorders, which can only be treated to a limited extent.If the speech disorders occur in people who grow up bilingual, this is a common symptom. In this case, it helps to train and practice both languages regularly. This includes not only speaking, but also reading and listening. Speech disorders are treated mainly by practice. The patient can read books aloud at home by himself. Since no one is listening in their own home, the patient does not have to be embarrassed if speech disorders occur during this process. Singing helps just as well. Either songs or poems can be used for this. Singing can reduce speech disorders. It is advisable to consult a speech therapist. In a speech therapy treatment sufficient exercises for home can be discussed and explained. In addition to the exercise itself, psychological support is necessary. Talks with friends, family or partner can help. The affected person must realize that the speech disorders are no reason to be ashamed. Even with speech disorders, a self-confident appearance is possible. Stressful situations should be avoided, as these promote the disorders.