Overview of the Disorder
Communication disorders include speech, language, voice, fluency, hearing and cognitive-communicative disorders.
A speech-language pathologist may provide help for the following examples of communication problems:
· A child may be slow to talk
· A child may have difficulty understanding what is said (comprehension or receptive language difficulty)
· A child may have difficulty putting a sentence together (expressive language difficulty)
· A child may not be understood easily, even though he/she can talk in full sentences (phonological or articulation problem)
· A child or adult may be stuttering (dysfluency)
· A child or adult may have a chronically hoarse voice or "lose" their voice for periods of time
· A child or adult may be hard-of-hearing or may be deaf
· An adult may have difficulty understanding and producing speech following a stroke or other brain injury (examples of particular communication disorders include aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia, etc.)
· An adult may lose their ability to communicate verbally due to a progressive neurological disease.
· Sometimes an augmentative or alternative means of communication can be provided. An adult may need to see a speech-language pathologist to consider voice restoration methods following laryngectomy surgery (removal of the larynx due to cancer).
These are examples only. If you have concerns about your child's, a family member's or your own communication, you may contact a speech-language pathologist in your community. The College can assist you in finding a speech-language pathologist in your geographic area.
What are swallowing problems?
Swallowing difficulty, or dysphagia, includes difficulty with chewing and swallowing food and/or liquid. Speech-language pathologists assess, manage and treat the oral motor dysfunction underlying the swallowing problems and work with other members of the health care team to ensure all facets of the swallowing difficulty are addressed.