Speech Disorders

A collaborative, evidence-based approach to treating communication difficulties.

About Speech Disorders

A speech sound disorder is when a person has difficulty producing speech sounds, affecting their ability to effectively communicate. Children often make mistakes as their vocabulary grows; speech sound disorders occur past the age at which they are expected to know how to make the correct sounds. Speech sound disorders can also occur in adults, usually following a stroke or traumatic head injury.

Types of Speech Disorders

There are two main types of speech disorders: articulation disorders and phonological disorders.

Articulation disorders involve problems making sounds. Common problems include substituting the letter “r” with “w” (“wabbit” for “rabbit”), shortening words, or speaking with a lisp.

Phonological disorders involve patterns of sound errors. For example, sounds made in the back of the mouth may be substituted with sounds made in the front of the mouth, e.g. substituting the letter “d” for “g” (“got” for “dot”).

Causes and Treatment

There can be many causes of speech sound disorders, but sometimes the cause can be unknown. Children may not learn how to correctly pronounce certain sounds which can carry into adulthood. Sometimes the cause can be physical in nature or it can be the result of developmental disorders, genetic syndromes, neurological disorders, hearing loss, or other illness.

At Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic, our speech-language pathologists will thoroughly evaluate a patient to determine the cause of the disorder and recommend a tailored treatment plan. Our approach to treatment involves:

Partnership: We will work closely with patients, parents, and families so they have the best understanding of the patient’s communication difficulties.
Collaboration: Our unique therapy model consists of developing customized treatment plans for our patients using a collaborative approach with physicians, occupational therapists, psychologists, and school speech pathologists who are involved in the care of our patients.
Intensive: Our clinicians will recommend two or more sessions a week for most programs offered. With intensive therapy, patients demonstrate steady growth toward their individualized goals.
Evidence Based: Our team works diligently to implement therapy programs based on current research findings to meet each patient’s individual needs.
Continuing Education: Our clinicians maintain national certification through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensure in the state of Washington as well as continuing education opportunities.

Treatment for speech disorders can also involve the use of computer-based training programs.

Articulation Disorders

An articulation disorder is a developmental disorder or delay caused by structural differences of the speech-sound articulators (jaw, tongue, lips, teeth, palate, soft palate) or by misuse of these structures when producing speech sounds. As children mature and gain control over the fine motors’ movements required for speech, articulation will typically improve. However, when a child is unable to correctly articulate sounds, intervention is required. Sometimes articulation disorders can persist into adulthood or be acquired later in life.

Treatment for Articulation Disorders

Treatment of an articulation disorder includes the development of goals to target remediation of speech sound errors in age-appropriate and functional practice contexts. Treatment approaches are based on the principles of motor learning and developmental expectations. Home practice is imperative for optimal progress and to aid in the patient’s ability to use new skills outside of the clinic environment.

Phonology

A phonological disorder is the persistent use of error patterns in speech that extend beyond the timeframe expected for typical development. Most children use error patterns in early childhood while they develop, but these errors are expected to fade. Examples of phonological processes include cluster reduction (“poon” for “spoon”), final consonant deletion (“be” for “bed”), and gliding (“wed” for “red”).

Treatment for a phonological disorder may be offered in blocks (eight weeks of therapy with an eight week break to follow). Blocked therapy allows the child to receive intensive therapy that is then followed by parent’s guidance at home.

Fluency

A fluency disorder – stuttering, stammering, or cluttering – is a disruption to the functional flow of speech. Stuttering can be characterized by frequent repetitions of speech sounds, syllables, words, prolongations of speech sounds, and blocks.

A speech-language pathologist will need to diagnose a fluency disorder in order to recommend the correct treatment option. Treatment approaches vary based on the patient’s age and maturity level. For younger children who stutter, treatment may include working with parents to facilitate fluency in the home environment. For older patients who have better awareness of their stuttering, treatment may include strategies for achieving and maintaining fluency. A personalized program is developed to address affective, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of stuttering.

Locations

Bellevue Clinic

Kirkland Clinic

Redmond Clinic

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