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Home » Consumer Information » Children with Disabilities

Speech & Language Disabilities

Speech and language disabilities are defined as communication disorders related to oral motor functions. Problems can range from improper pronunciation to the complete lack of ability to utilize language to communicate. Although the cause of such a disability is often unknown, it could be the result of any of the following:

  • Hearing loss
  • Nervous system disorders
  • Brain trauma
  • Mental retardation
  • Drug abuse
  • Physical abnormalities (e.g., cleft palate)
  • Vocal strain

More than a million students enrolled in special education classes in our nation's public school system during the '00-'01 academic year were diagnosed with a speech or language disability. However, this number excludes students who have a speaking disorder due to a condition such as deafness. Other conditions that can contribute to speech irregularities include autism and cerebral palsy. Studies have shown that roughly ten percent of the population is affected by communicative disabilities.

A child's communication ability is deemed delayed when the rate of improvement of their speech or language skills is considerably slower than that of others in their age group. Some children demonstrate a greater capacity to understand what is being communicated to them rather than verbally expressing their thoughts to someone else, but this is not always true.

Speech disability

A speech disability involves the problems associated with producing sounds used to construct words or voice quality. When someone's speech pattern sounds interrupted or jerky (e.g., stuttering), it is considered a dysfluency. Children may also have difficulty articulating sounds or problems with vocal pitch, volume, or quality. Sometimes, people display a multitude of simultaneous speech defects. A child with a speech disability might not be able to pronounce certain sounds, which may be the result of a delay. For instance, the sound "see" may come out when they meant to say "ski," or they can struggle with letters such as "L" and "R." Someone who is listening to a person with a speech disability may find it hard to understand what they are saying.

Language disability

A language disability involves the inability to construct logical meaning out of words verbally and nonverbally. Traits relative to a language disability include using words out of context, poor expression of thoughts, incorrect grammatical structure, rudimentary vocabulary, and the incapacity to follow instructions. At least one of these attributes may be present in a child consumed by a language learning disorder or developmental language delay. Children with a language disability may not be able to link the sight and sound of a word with a meaning, and like those with a speech disability, others may not be able to distinguish the exact message they are trying to relay.

Speech and language disabilities can require expensive, long-term therapy sessions to help improve the condition. If you would like to know whether you qualify for more money to compensate you for these services, get in touch with a Florida social security disability attorney.