Speech and Language Therapy
The reasons that children may require speech and language therapy vary greatly. However some of the most common reasons for communication difficulties in young children can arise from:
Cleft lip and cleft palate - A cleft lip or cleft palate results from the incomplete development of the structure of the mouth in the early stages of pregnancy. A cleft lip is a separation of the upper lip and a cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth.
Stammering - Primarily characterised by repetitions, pauses, and prolongations in speech
Dyspraxia - A disorder that affects the child's ability to easily learn the muscle movements required for speech
Autism - A condition that affects the normal development of the brain in areas of social interaction and communication
Down Syndrome - Caused by a chromosomal arrangement that often results in degrees of developmental delay and certain recognisable characteristics
Vocal Problems - A vocal problem, or voice disorder arises often from vocal abuse, and the formation of vocal polyps or nodules on the vocal folds, or chords, creating a harsh, raspy and sometimes strangled sounding voice.
Articulation Delays/Disorder - A speech impairment characterized by a persons inability to produce speech sounds correctly, such as lisping or rhotacism (the inability to pronounce the letter r)
Phonological Delays/Disorder - A speech impairment most commonly found in young children characterized by difficulty following the phonologic rules of their language. For example, a child might leave off all the beginning sounds of words, or always say the k sound instead of the t sound (tea would become key).
The assessment, diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders require a high level of scientific knowledge and clinical skill. A speech and language therapist is a professionally qualified person who works with children and adults of all ages who have difficulty communicating. Most children who work closely with their therapist will find a significant improvement in communication ability through time.