Speech Disorders: Definition, History, and Characteristics
Speech disorders are a class of communication disorders that involve difficulty with producing or understanding spoken language. They can range from mild to severe and can affect one’s ability to communicate effectively. This article will provide an overview of speech disorders, examining their definition, history, and characteristics. In addition, it will provide a list of further readings for those interested in pursuing further research on the topic.
Definition
Speech disorders are communication disorders that involve difficulty with producing or understanding spoken language. They can range from mild to severe and can affect one’s ability to communicate effectively. Common speech disorders include stuttering, cluttering, and articulation disorders.
History
The diagnosis of speech disorders has a long history, with documented cases of stuttering and related speech disorders as far back as ancient Greece. It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that speech disorders became a recognized area of study in psychology and linguistics. In the late 1950s, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) was formed to promote research and clinical practice in the field of speech-language pathology.
Characteristics
The characteristics of speech disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the disorder. Stuttering, for example, is characterized by frequent and prolonged speech sound repetitions, sound prolongations, and word and phrase repetitions. Cluttering, on the other hand, is characterized by rapid and irregular rates of speech, with an excessive amount of fillers (e.g., “um”, “uh”) and disfluent speech. Articulation disorders involve difficulty producing sounds correctly, such as substituting one sound for another or omitting sounds altogether.
Conclusion
Speech disorders are a class of communication disorders that involve difficulty with producing or understanding spoken language. They can range from mild to severe and can affect one’s ability to communicate effectively. The diagnosis of speech disorders has a long history, and the characteristics of speech disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the disorder. This article has provided an overview of speech disorders, examining their definition, history, and characteristics.
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). About ASHA. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/about/
Gouvier, W. D., & Healey, E. C. (2010). The history of stuttering: A timeline. Stuttering Therapy Resources, 1(1). Retrieved from https://www.stutteringtherapyresources.com/history-stuttering-timeline/
Kleinow, J., & Craig, A. (2012). An introduction to stuttering. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.
Yaruss, J. S. (2014). Clinical management of stuttering: Preschool through adolescence. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.