Speech problems
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Last reviewed: May 2018
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Speech problems in children
Speech problems are common in young children but some speech troubles can indicate a speech or development delay. Find out when to seek further advice.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
Kids' Health - Topics - Speech problems
Talking is something most of us take for granted. We think something in our brains then the brain sends a message to the muscles that control speech. Then the muscles in the mouth, face, tongue and throat work together to form the words.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Language and speech
If your child has a stutter or having other speech problems, this may indicate a sign of a speech disorder. Early detection and treatment is important.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
Stuttering causes and treatment | Raising Children Network
Stuttering in children is a common speech problem. Read key information about stuttering.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Brain Foundation | Friedreichs Ataxia
Friedreich's ataxia is a genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and speech problems to heart disease.
Read more on Brain Foundation website
Stuttering
Children who stutter should see a speech pathologist, preferably before they start school.
Read more on Better Health Channel website
Childhood apraxia of speech - Better Health Channel
Childhood apraxia of speech affects a person?s ability to organise the muscles used in speech.
Read more on Better Health Channel website
Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Stuttering
Stuttering is a problem with the rhythm of speech (fluency) where the person knows exactly what he or she wants to say, but is unable to say it because of involuntary (they cannot control it) repeating of sounds or stopping of sounds. It is fairly common; about 5% of all children stutter at some time in their life and stuttering will last into adult life in about 1% of people. It happens less often as people get older but it can continue into adult life. There are about 3 times more boys and men who stutter than girls and women.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Larynx - Better Health Channel
Prolonged exposure to air pollutants, such as dust, can irritate the larynx and cause chronic laryngitis.
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Angelman syndrome
Angelman syndrome is a genetic condition that is present at birth (congenital). It causes intellectual disability and other features. Other characteristics of Angelman syndrome include distinctive facial features, mental retardation, speech problems and hyperactive behaviour. In most cases, the cause is a missing section (deletion) on the mother’s copy of chromosome 15.
Read more on Better Health Channel website
Top results
Speech and language therapy for speech problems in Parkinson's disease | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Speech and language therapy for speech problems in Parkinsons disease | Cochrane
Many people with Parkinson's disease suffer from disorders of speech. The most frequently reported speech problems are weak, hoarse, nasal or monotonous voice, imprecise articulation, slow or fast speech, difficulty starting speech, impaired stress or rhythm, stuttering and tremor. People with the condition also tend to give fewer non-verbal cues such as using facial expression to convey information. These disabilities tend to increase as the disease progresses and can lead to serious problems with communication.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Speech and language therapy for dysarthria due to non-progressive brain damage | Cochrane
Speech and language therapy treatments for people with dysarthria have not been tested in large clinical trials. Dysarthria is a speech problem which can be caused by a number of brain disorders including conditions such as stroke and head injury. Typical features of dysarthria include slurring of speech and quiet voice volume. Psychological distress is often experienced by people with dysarthria. Speech and language therapists employ a range of treatments to help people with dysarthria. There are no large clinical trials which have tested whether these treatments are effective.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Treatment for speech disorder in Friedreich ataxia and other hereditary ataxia syndromes (inherited disorders of movement co-ordination) | Cochrane
Treatment for speech disorder in Friedreich ataxia and other hereditary ataxia syndromes (inherited disorders of movement co-ordination)
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Speech and language therapy for language problems after a stroke | Cochrane
We reviewed the evidence of the effect of speech and language therapy (SLT) on language problems experienced by people after a stroke (known as aphasia).
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Interventions for preventing voice disorders in adults | Cochrane
People in occupations where voice use is central, such as teachers, are more at risk of developing voice disorders. The definition of voice disorders and their possible causes as well as the best methods for preventing them are still being debated. There is also no consensus on the best method of evaluating the voice, although many consider auditory voice quality assessment (where an expert judge listens to a recording of a participant's voice and makes his or her own judgment of its level of abnormality) as a gold standard measure. Voice training is used to prevent voice disorders. Voice training usually consists of a combination of 'direct' and 'indirect' treatment techniques. Direct techniques focus on the underlying physiological changes needed to improve an individual's technique in using the vocal system and may aim to alter vocal fold closure (adduction), respiratory patterns or resonance, pitch or articulatory tension. In practice this means training about how to achieve correct posture, breathing techniques and making various sounds like humming, singing musical scales or yawning. Indirect techniques, on the other hand, concentrate on contributory and maintenance aspects of the voice disorder and may involve relaxation strategies, counselling, explanation of the normal anatomy and physiology of the vocal tract, explanation of the causal factors of voice disorders and voice care and conservation.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Non-speech oral motor treatment for children with developmental speech sound disorders | Cochrane
We reviewed the evidence on the effects of non-speech oral motor treatment (NSOMT) for treating children with developmental speech sound disorders who have speech errors.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and language delay or disorder | Cochrane
Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and language delay or disorder
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Speech and language therapy for aphasia following stroke | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Urgent need for well-designed studies of childhood apraxia of speech | Cochrane
Children who have childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) find it very difficult to make sounds in the right order, which makes it hard for others to understand them. Communication can thus break down between speaker and listener.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
