Causes of incoherent speech in an adult. Why is speech slurred, like “porridge in the mouth”

"What is your name?" - asked one of the members admissions committee Moscow Art Theater Schools. After a pause, a young man named Yuri replied: “Kutsenko. Gosh..."

The reason for the hesitation was the reluctance to demonstrate to the commission the defect of his speech. The applicant understood that an adult who cannot pronounce the sound “r” clearly would be unlikely to be accepted into the studio school. But they took him. Moreover, it was thanks to this speech defect that the actor was born, whom everyone knows as Gosha Kutsenko, even now, when his speech therapy problem is far in the past.

This is a story with a happy ending, but unfortunately there aren't many like it. Most adults are ashamed of their speech disorders and do not even try to change the situation as much as possible. But solving “children’s” problems that do not poison life in a childish way is often easier than it seems, you just need to contact a specialist.

Dislalia

WHAT IS THIS?
TO dyslalia include persistent pronunciation disorders, expressed in distortion of sounds, their replacement or complete absence. A grazing “r” sound, an interdental “s” sound, or pronouncing “v” instead of “l” is all dyslalia.

WHO IS GUILTY?
In adults, the cause of dyslalia may be disturbances in the structure of the articulatory apparatus (short hyoid ligament, malocclusion, high palate) or the general tone of its muscles, as well as incorrect choice articulation.

WHAT TO DO?
The body's compensatory capabilities make it possible to obtain one acoustic effect in different ways. In other words, a speech therapist will help achieve correct sound pronunciation even with an abnormal structure of the speech apparatus. True, in this case you will also need the help of a surgeon and an orthodontist. If there are no organic disturbances in the structure of the speech organs, you will be offered a complex of articulatory gymnastics. It will help you master the movements necessary to correct pronunciation a sound you can't handle. When the skills are formed, the turn of training exercises will come - they teach you how to automate sound and incorporate it into speech. Get ready to make friends with clean tongues and gymnastics for your lips and tongue.

IN ONE BOAT
Alexander Vertinsky, Gosha Kutsenko, Winston Churchill, Joseph Brodsky, Oleg Dal, Sylvester Stallone.

Dyslexia and dysgraphia

WHAT IS THIS?
These two problems - reading and writing disorders - often appear together, or one disorder leads to the other. To denote reading impairment, the terms “alexia” (with a complete lack of reading ability) and “dyslexia” (with a partial disorder of the reading process, which manifests itself in repeated errors) are used; By analogy, a specific and persistent impairment of writing is called dysgraphia, and a complete inability to master it is called agraphia.

WHO IS GUILTY?
People with dyslexia have difficulty recognizing letters. It is difficult for them to correlate the letter and the sound that it conveys in writing, to merge them into syllables, and then into words. Dysgraphics can be recognized by mixtures, omissions or insertions of extra letters and distorted spelling of the latter. In both cases, the phenomenon of “mirroring” is sometimes encountered: reading or writing from right to left.
People suffering from dyslexia and dysgraphia have normally developed intelligence. Moreover, the presence of such disorders in a person is sometimes considered a sign of genius! The reasons for the occurrence of these defects vary depending on the characteristics in the development of the cerebral hemispheres to left-handedness, and only a specialist at the reception will name them exactly.

WHAT TO DO?
Correction of dysgraphia and dyslexia should be entrusted exclusively to a speech therapist. You will be recommended exercises to develop speech hearing and analysis. It is also necessary to undergo examination by a neurologist, otolaryngologist and ophthalmologist.

IN ONE BOAT
Albert Einstein, Keanu Reeves, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Walt Disney, Vladimir Mayakovsky.

Stuttering

WHAT IS THIS?
Stuttering refers to disturbances in the tempo and rhythm of speech that occur due to muscle spasms of the speech apparatus. You get stuck on certain sounds and repeat them involuntarily. Breathing, word stress and intonation are also impaired.

WHO IS GUILTY?
The causes of stuttering can be either mental trauma or neurotic disorders, or organic brain damage. Left-handed people who were diligently retrained in childhood are also at risk for this speech defect. If stuttering is neurotic in nature, then it intensifies when a person is worried.

WHAT TO DO?
Coping with stuttering on your own is extremely difficult; you need the help of a specialist. Most often, to get rid of this shortcoming speech therapy sessions little, necessary A complex approach: psychotherapy, physiotherapy, drug treatment. As for directly working on speech, the doctor will recommend exercises that will reduce speech convulsions to the maximum, and will also offer classes in speech therapy rhythms and, maybe even singing, because it has long been noticed beneficial influence this type of activity on speech breathing.

IN ONE BOAT
Marilyn Monroe, Lewis Carroll, Gerard Depardieu, Charles Darwin, Robert Rozhdestvensky, Napoleon.

Accent

WHAT IS THIS?
A feature of pronunciation that manifests itself in a deviation from the norm. Of course, this won’t surprise anyone, but you have to admit, it’s not very pleasant to feel like a foreigner if you’ve been living in the country for more than a year.

WHO IS GUILTY?
Each language is specific: for example, in Russian, interdental pronunciation of the sound “z” is considered a reason to go to a speech therapist, and in English you should not even try to read the combination th as a voiced Russian “z”. The same goes for other sounds, including vowels. Naturally, a native speaker develops habitual patterns of articulation, which become more difficult to change the older the person is.

WHAT TO DO?
You don’t have to see a speech therapist to get rid of your accent; you can try to make your speech clear yourself. To begin with, you need to minimize conversations in your native language and focus on the one that is “overshadowed” by the accent. You also need to consciously control your speech at all times. Audio media will help with this - record your voice on them for the purpose of self-control. And don’t forget that the sense of rhythm and clarity of speech are very closely related. Therefore, sing and listen to songs in the language you are learning more.

IN ONE BOAT
Mikhail Gorbachev, Edita Piekha, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Cruz.

Talk the problem out

Articulatory gymnastics is the result of various combinations of basic exercises. But if you just want to give your speech greater clarity and fluency, you can use our tips:
open your mouth slowly, hold it open and close it slowly;
extend your closed lips forward, as if you are preparing to say “u” (this is called “proboscis”), and then open your mouth wide, as if you are pronouncing the sound “a”.
stretch out your lips with a “proboscis”, and then open your mouth wide, as with the sound “and”;
open your mouth, lift your tongue onto your upper lip, and then lower it onto your lower lip;
open your mouth and move your tongue left and right, like a pendulum, trying not to touch your lips;
open your mouth wide, lick the upper and then the lower lip (if a speech therapist works with a child, he asks him to “lick the jam”);
open your mouth wide and touch your tongue alternately to the upper and lower incisors, and then to the palate;
place your relaxed tongue on your lower lip and pat it with your upper lip (speech therapists call this exercise “punish the naughty tongue”; it is incredibly popular both among professionals and among patients. When performing it, you need to give yourself free rein and say “five-five-five” - fun guaranteed).
Articulation gymnastics for general development perform every day for 3-5 minutes. In more difficult cases the number of approaches increases to four, but the frequency of classes is determined by the speech therapist.

Friend and doctor

What to remember when contacting a speech therapist
1. HE WILL NOT LAUGH AT YOU. Believe me, in his practice he probably encountered much more complex and neglected cases than yours.
2. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. You are an adult who wants to improve the quality of not only his speech, but also his life. What's bad about it? Many famous actors and TV presenters, even those who do not have obvious speech problems, work with a speech therapist and do not hesitate to talk about it in interviews.
3. YOU ARE ONE TEAM. The speech therapist is no less interested in the positive outcome of the classes and will do everything in his power to help you. Just don’t forget that you must help him too.
4. YOU HAVE A SECRET WEAPON AND ITS NAME IS AWARENESS. Of course, retraining is always more difficult than teaching something from scratch. But it is often difficult for a child to understand why he is regularly brought into the office of an unfamiliar woman who forces him to cup his tongue or show how his “pussy is angry.” An adult knows perfectly well what result he is striving for.
5. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE YOUR Speech-Language Therapist’s Communication Style OR INNOVATIVE METHODS, It's better to find another specialist. It often happens that at the root of speech disorders are psychological problems that are best not to be aggravated.

Ekaterina Smetanina, speech therapist

“Aphasia is not a disease,” say neurologists, speech therapists, and neuropsychologists. — Systemic speech disorder.” But is it only? Aphasia occurs along with other neurological and physiological disorders in patients who have suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury. But it is not always possible for a specialist, but, for example, a relative of the patient, to notice this disorder the first time. “There are studies that show that it is speech and language disorders that entail the most serious and severe disability. Psycho-emotionally, this is the hardest thing,” says Maria Ivanova, senior Researcher neurolinguistics laboratory High school economy.

Undoubtedly, psycho-emotional state a person who has had a stroke should not worry about the surgeon. His job is to save lives. It is impossible to rehabilitate patients in rehabilitation treatment units within 2-3 weeks of hospitalization, much less restore speech to a person. And if only speech is impaired, then such patients are not kept in hospitals, there is no disease. State rehabilitation centers for people with speech disorders are just a dream of an aphasiologist (a specialist who restores speech). How long has it been since you saw a neuropsychologist or speech therapist in your clinic? As a result, the rehabilitation of patients seems to be a matter for the patients themselves and, at best, for their relatives.

Therefore, if you have money, then you will have appropriate rehabilitation: in St. Petersburg you can contact speech disorder centers, private speech therapists, and aphasiologists. No money? Well, you are alive, rejoice.

On your own

Aphasia is not easy to recognize. Symptoms depend on the location of the affected area of ​​the brain. It is not always easy for even a specialist to determine exactly why a patient cannot speak. There are words in consciousness, but the “aphasic” simply cannot select a word from those that pop up in consciousness, or the volume of auditory-verbal memory is so narrowed that the holistic perception of the meaning of speech is lost. IN Russian practice There are seven types of aphasia, each of them requires a special approach to treatment.

Scientific consultant on aphasia, neuropsychologist Nikolai Klochko is sure that the first task of relatives is to “disinhibit” speech:

— We need to create an active speech environment. Speech, first of all, is a means of communication. Emphasize the aphasic’s personal interest in recovery, help in the search for new goals and life meanings. Practice independently: first - disinhibiting speech, later - forming speech, relying on intact links. Guidelines for speech rehabilitation of aphasics in last decades began to be actively published.

Relatives of patients have to take on the role of a speech therapist, a teacher, even a parent who carefully tries to get the baby to say the first word. Only now it doesn’t matter what this word will be, the main thing is that it finally sounds.

Favorable prognosis?

Success in speech restoration largely depends on the patient’s attitudes, his desire and patience, and his environment. A favorable prognosis for the development of research on aphasia depends only on enthusiastic scientists. “The funding situation in the country is problematic. Because of this, some laboratories that were planning to open were unable to do so,” says Maria Ivanova. Psychologists, linguists, and neurologists, with their own enthusiasm, are trying to develop neurolinguistics as a scientific field. For this purpose, the Summer School on Neurolinguistics was created, which this year for the third time brought together specialists from all over the country and abroad under the roof of the Higher School of Economics. There are more and more neurolinguist students every year, the popularity of this field is growing, but the issue of funding still remains up in the air. In conditions when the overall funding for practical healthcare is being reduced and spending on science is being cut, it is difficult to hope for the development of this area of ​​rehabilitation. And at what cost to conduct research is not yet clear to either the teachers or the students themselves.

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• 3 bottles per day as a supplement to the diet;


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• Store an opened package or bottle of Nutrizon or Nutridrink in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours. Store the closed bottle at a temperature from +5 to +25⁰С.


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How we missed the stroke

So, my grandmother. A very independent 86 year old man. She has lived alone for many years and manages the housework herself. He actively communicates with his friends and takes part in all public events in the area. We are used to seeing her strong, energetic and respected by everyone.

One day I called her, as usual, to inquire about her well-being, her affairs, to hear about the next council of veterans and preparations for the May Day demonstration. But I heard a strange dull voice, sluggish and slow. To all my questions about her health, she answered that nothing hurt, but her speech was slow and quiet - as if I were talking to a person sitting at the bottom of a well. I asked how she slept. It turned out that she had trouble falling asleep the night before, so she decided to take sleeping pills. I sighed with relief, deciding that such lethargy was due to the influence of sleeping pills, and went about my business.

The next day the story repeated itself. Only depression was added to the slow speech: “I won’t live to see summer,” etc. I thought it would be right to cheer up my grandmother, give her an incentive - my son is finishing school in the summer, there will be graduation - I definitely need to survive.

And again she did nothing. How I scold myself now for this!

When nothing changed on the third day, I ran to my grandmother’s house. She is pale, lethargic, lies all the time, does not eat anything. I called an ambulance. They arrived and within 2 minutes after they entered the apartment, I heard the word “stroke”.

Clear signs of a stroke

· The doctor simply asked the grandmother to stick out her tongue - the tongue deviated to the side.

· He asked me to raise both hands up - one rose, and the other immediately fell down.

· I asked her to tell me her date of birth, but she didn’t remember.

· I ran the tip of a pencil over one hand and the other - it turned out that one hand did not feel anything (exactly the one that the grandmother could not lift).

Such simple signs. Of course, I could have checked it myself, suspected it and raised the alarm earlier...if I had known. I imagined a stroke as a real blow: a person is standing, walking, and suddenly falls on the spot. He loses consciousness and is taken to the hospital where he is diagnosed with a stroke. It turns out that it happens differently.

My grandmother was diagnosed with an ischemic stroke of the brain, which, it turns out, can actually develop gradually. But, as the doctor later explained to me, it is very important to start treatment measures as early as possible. The earlier treatment begins, the less likely there are irreversible changes. Brain cells do not die immediately; they can still be saved for some time, as well as protect neighboring cells from destruction and stop the spread of the pathological process. This is what treatment in the hospital is aimed at.

First, the grandmother was admitted to intensive care, where she stayed for a day. During this time, the condition worsened. When she was transferred from the intensive care unit to the neurological department, my grandmother could not speak or get up, and yet she left the house “on her own two feet.” The doctor asked not to be alarmed and said that this is the normal course of this pathology. And then the treatment began, which lasted 3 weeks. During this time, my grandmother began to speak and walk again, but she flatly refused to work with a speech therapist and did not want to train her arm. And she continued to be very lethargic, sleeping all the time.

The day of discharge arrived. The attending doctor said that everything that they could do in the hospital was done. Now we are moving into the rehabilitation period, and now everything depends on how the grandmother will work to restore lost functions. Of course, they prescribed all sorts of medications, but my grandmother’s indifference and apathy continued to bother me.

Houses and walls heal

But at home, everything changed in a few days. We figured out how to make classes interesting.

He doesn’t want to work with a speech therapist, we’ll sing songs. They started playing her favorite songs, she sang with pleasure, and her speech began to noticeably improve.

She doesn’t want to do exercises for her arm, so they came up with something for her to do: write memoirs. Given a laptop, he sits, typing text. Willy-nilly, the fingers work. Soon I was able to hold a cup and use cutlery.

And most importantly, my mood has improved. Girlfriends come and talk about similar incidents in the life of the Veterans Council. It turns out that many of those around them suffered a stroke. Some recovered better, others worse.

I look at my grandmother and rejoice at her every success: she went out for a walk and baked pies herself. But the feeling of guilt never leaves me alone - if I had realized in time that trouble had happened, perhaps my grandmother’s condition would have been much better. You need to be more attentive to your loved ones!

A-Z A B C D E F G H I J J K L M N O P R S T U V X C CH W SCH E Y Z All sections Hereditary diseases Emergency conditions Eye diseases Children's diseases Male diseases Venereal diseases Women's diseases Skin diseases Infectious diseases Nervous diseases Rheumatic diseases Urological diseases Endocrine diseases Immune diseases Allergic diseases Oncological diseases Vein and lymph node diseases Hair diseases Dental diseases Blood diseases Breast diseases ODS diseases and injuries Respiratory diseases Diseases of the digestive system Heart and vascular diseases Colon diseases Ear diseases , throat, nose Drug problems Mental disorders Speech disorders Cosmetic problems Aesthetic problems

Speech disorders - various disorders speech activity, preventing full verbal communication and social interaction. Speech disorders are spoken of if there are deviations in the functioning of the psychophysiological mechanisms of speech; level mismatch speech development age norm; Speech deficiencies cannot be overcome on their own and can negatively affect the mental development of an individual. Researches and overcomes speech disorders in children and adults pedagogical science– speech therapy, as well as related sciences of the medical cycle (neurophysiology, neurology, otolaryngology, dentistry, etc.).

Modern classifications consider speech disorders from the standpoint of etiopathogenesis (clinical and pedagogical classification) and in the aspect of disorders of the psychophysical organization of speech activity (psychological and pedagogical classification).

The whole variety of causes causing speech development disorders can be divided into biological and social. So, biological factors, causing speech disorders, can act during different periods of ontogenesis. At the stage of intrauterine development and childbirth, the most adverse effects on the maturation and subsequent functioning of the child’s brain structures are caused by fetal hypoxia, intrauterine infections, birth injuries, etc.; in the first months after birth - injuries, brain infections. Speech disorders in older people are usually associated with vascular lesions of the brain (stroke, rupture of a cerebral aneurysm), severe head injuries, and neurosurgical interventions.

Social and psychological factors leading to impaired speech development in children can be expressed in the lack of proper attention to the formation of children's speech on the part of adults; incorrect speech of others; the need for a preschool child to simultaneously master two language systems; excessive, inappropriate stimulation of the child’s speech development, stress, etc.

Predisposing conditions for the occurrence of speech disorders in children are the so-called critical periods in the development of speech function: 1-2 years, 3 years and 6-7 years. These periods are sensitive for the development of speech: at this time the most intensive formation of the psychophysiological basis of speech occurs, and the nervous mechanisms for regulating speech activity are extremely vulnerable. Therefore, any, even seemingly insignificant biological or social factors operating during critical periods can lead to speech disorders.

Speech disorders are persistent and, having arisen under the influence of one factor or another, do not disappear on their own, without specially organized speech therapy assistance. In addition, speech disorders negatively affect the development of the intellectual sphere, behavior and personality as a whole. At the same time, in most cases, speech disorders are reversible, and targeted and timely correction allows a person to return the joy of communication and prevent the development of secondary mental layers.

Speech therapy assistance to persons suffering from speech disorders is provided in the education system (specialized preschool educational institutions, speech therapy groups, speech therapy centers, schools for children with severe speech impairments, etc.), in the healthcare system (speech therapy rooms at clinics, dispensaries, hospitals, specialized medical centers, orphanages, etc.), private development centers. In these institutions, speech therapists provide consultations, comprehensive diagnostic examinations and correction of speech disorders.

The course of speech therapy classes is carried out according to special program in accordance with the specifics of the speech disorder. Classes for the correction of speech disorders use speech exercises, articulation and breathing exercises, speech therapy massage, and logorhythmics. Speech therapy for speech disorders is actively combined with drug therapy, psychotherapy, massage, physiotherapy, physical therapy, and, if necessary, surgical intervention.

Prevention of speech disorders actually begins from the moment a new life is born and continues after birth, throughout life. It includes care for the favorable course of pregnancy, neuropsychic and physical health pregnant women and children, early identification of risk factors for speech disorders and their elimination. Essential The speech environment plays a role in the prevention of speech disorders in children.

You can get acquainted with the main types of speech pathology and forms of speech therapy in the sections “Speech disorders” and “Speech therapy” on the “Beauty and Medicine” website. We also offer you a catalog of organizations providing speech therapy assistance, a convenient service for finding a speech therapist in Moscow with the ability to make an online appointment for consultation and treatment.

Quite often you can hear this expression from parents about their child’s speech: “it sounds like there’s porridge in your mouth.” Indeed, there is a speech pathology called DYSARTHRIA.

Quite often you can hear this expression from parents about their child’s speech: “it sounds like there’s porridge in your mouth.” Indeed, there is a speech pathology called DYSARTHRIA. This is a speech disorder that is characterized by “smearing” and unclear pronunciation. The causes of dysarthria are various kinds disturbances in the conduction of nerve impulses into the muscles of the articulatory apparatus - lips, lower jaw, soft palate, and, most often, tongue. Moreover, in muscles that do not receive full control nervous system, the tone changes. It can be low, high, low at rest, and sharply increasing at the moment articulation begins. For this reason, a child with dysarthria cannot master precise articulation of speech sounds, especially the articulatory complex sounds S, Sь, Z, Zь, Ш, Ж, Ш, Л, Ль, Р, Рь. They find it most difficult to master the affricate sounds C and Ch, the pronunciation of which requires a quick switch of articulatory actions. Even having mastered the precise articulation of individual sounds, the child often cannot maintain their quality in the speech stream, may allow the replacement of some sounds with others (for example, the sound Ш with the sound S or vice versa), mix the sound with different sounds (for example, the sound Ш with the sounds G and C). Often, such a speech disorder is accompanied by increased salivation, and at the moment of speech, splashes of saliva may fly out of the child’s mouth. Such children “swallow” the endings of words, “smear” the endings of phrases, pronouncing them unintelligibly, with a “fading” intonation. All this quite often leads to costs in mastering the grammatical structure of speech. In general, children with dysarthria, as a rule, do not like to eat solid foods - carrots, fried meat, hard apples, etc. IN Everyday life They are not very organized - they find it difficult to keep their room and clothes in order. For schoolchildren, mastering legible handwriting can take for a long time. And all the costs oral speech- substitutions, mixing of sounds, “swallowing” of endings are transferred to written speech.

It is important to know that dysarthria can be detected in early age, at the stage breastfeeding. It is treatable and correctable. The treatment and correction strategy is determined by a neurologist and speech therapist. Mild forms of dysarthria become obvious during the period of mastering complex sounds, i.e. at 3-4 years. They can often be corrected without neurological treatment.

It is worth saying that dysarthria is not only a childhood illness. It can appear in adulthood, after strong nervous stress, traumatic brain injuries, strokes. In such cases, the previously good speech of an adult becomes blurred, unclear, and fades at the end of phrases. If such symptoms suddenly appear, you must first contact a neurologist for drug treatment. If the picture does not improve, then it is important, without prolonging the situation, to contact a speech therapist.

Remember! Health and well-being are in your hands!

Speech disorders can be very different, and they can appear not only in children, but also in adults. Speech Impairment – general concept, characterizing any deviation associated with oral (and sometimes written) communication. Such defects can manifest themselves in different ways - the inability to pronounce individual letters correctly, incorrect phonetic perception of speech, uncontrolled reproduction of sounds, and others. There are several classifications of such disorders.

Speech defects in adults are usually different from those in children. They can be either chronic or unexpected. If the problem occurs suddenly, it is better to consult a specialist, as this may be a symptom of some disease.

Symptoms of speech disorders in adults

Communication defects manifest themselves in different ways - it all depends on the reasons that caused them. The following manifestations are often observed:

• salivation;
• stuttering;
• hoarseness of voice;
• very fast speech;
• unreasonably slow pronunciation of phrases;
• stiffness of the muscles responsible for facial expressions;
• difficulty verbally expressing thoughts;
• unclear words;
• excessive contraction of the vocal muscles.

Usually several similar symptoms develop at once.

Forms of speech impairment

There are several forms of speech defects that most often develop in adults. Among them are:

1. – slowness and unclearness of the narration due to pathology of the muscles or nerve endings responsible for speech;
2. spasmodic dysphonia – tightness or hoarseness of the voice due to involuntary contractions of the vocal cords (sometimes a person begins to choke while speaking);
3. – difficulties in perceiving oral text and selecting words to express thoughts (sometimes also manifested in the form of incorrect pronunciation).

Speech impairment in general is any negative change in the functions of a person’s speech apparatus - for example, if the pronunciation of words changes or speech becomes difficult to understand.

Why communication function may be impaired

There can be many reasons for changes in pronunciation or speech perception - it all depends on the specific disorder.

For example, if a person has aphasia, it could be the result of a stroke, blood clot, brain tumor, or head injury. In some cases, it becomes difficult for adults to select words and interpret them with Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia (dementia).

Communication functions in humans may be impaired due to the following pathologies and conditions:

• Parkinson's disease;
• paralysis (including cerebral);
• multiple sclerosis;
• muscle dystrophy;
• jaw pathologies;
• head injuries;
• strokes;
• Lyme disease;
• excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
• Bell's palsy or other conditions that weaken the facial muscles;
• brain tumors.

Dentures can also affect the quality of communication; if they are fitted incorrectly or too tightly, speech may become unclear.

As a result of stress or overexertion, a person may develop speech problems due to the development of spasmodic dysphonia. The voice becomes tense or, on the contrary, airy. Some experts argue that this condition develops due to a malfunction of the part of the brain that is responsible for the muscular and motor activity of the vocal apparatus.

• oncology of the larynx;
• excessive consumption of coffee, central nervous system stimulants and antidepressants (substances affect the quality of the voice, making it muffled and dull);
• growths and polyps on the ligaments (they interfere with clear pronunciation);
• too active vocal activity (the ligaments become overstrained, and because of this the voice changes; this often happens among singers).

If the disorder is not due to tumors in the larynx or vocal cords, it is not so dangerous, as it can be easily corrected.

If speech is suddenly impaired, one may suspect the presence of serious problems with health that require emergency care(for example, if a person has impaired speech perception and pronunciation, he may have a stroke).

Therapy for speech disorders

Specific therapeutic measures depend on the identified disease. Usually, for a quick recovery, specialists prescribe both home procedures and medical care.

How can a doctor help?

The specialist will accurately determine the pathology that caused the speech problems. For this, diagnostic measures are prescribed, which include:

• MRI or CT scan of the brain;
• x-ray of the cranial cavity;
• neurological tests;
• blood and urine tests;
• analysis of the patient's diction by ear and analysis of speech perception.

In the latter case, the doctor usually talks to the patient to listen to his speech and determine how well the person understands what is being said (if difficulties arise with understanding, we can assume abnormalities affecting not only the vocal cords, but also the brain).

To normalize speech, a course with a speech therapist may be required. Almost all patients who have any speech disorder, regardless of the cause of the condition, are referred to this specialist.

Surgery may be required when there are growths in the vocal cord area. If spasmodic dysphonia is diagnosed, the spasm is sometimes relieved with Botox injections directly into the ligaments.

How you can help at home

Spasmodic dysphonia can be a serious obstacle to communication. IN difficult situations special ones are selected for the patient electronic devices, which convert printed text into a speech message. This can make communication easier until the patient recovers.

With aphasia, especially if a person has a confused perception of reality, it is better to communicate with him in simplified phrases and sentences. In order for the patient to navigate what is happening around him, it is better to talk about it with him more often, not forgetting to indicate the time and place.

During treatment, it is better to limit external irritants. It is best not to allow a person with aphasia to be unaccompanied, as they may get lost.

If a person has problems with his voice, the first thing he should do is be careful with his vocal cords and not strain them unnecessarily. It is also better to avoid the use of aggressive chemical substances(for example, anti-depression drugs or coffee, as they can further stimulate overexertion).

If a person has dysarthria, it is better to switch to written communication or sign language when communicating with him. Patients with dysarthria do not always correctly perceive the oral speech of other people, so you need to speak slowly, with pauses - it will be easier for the patient to answer questions.

Speech disorders in children

The child begins to use verbal and non-verbal speech from birth. This helps to assess the degree of his development - whether the child has good communication skills for his age.

Signs of developmental delay

• in the first month of life - screaming at any inconvenience;
• by the fourth month – the baby’s lack of reaction to contact with him;
• by the fifth - sixth month - does not pronounce individual combinations sounds and does not follow objects pointed at by adults;
• by the seventh month – does not attract attention by pronouncing sounds;
• by the ninth month does not pronounce simple syllables;
• by the tenth month does not pronounce syllables and does not respond to gestures (nodding, waving for forgiveness);
• by one to one and a half years of life does not fulfill simple requests and does not say simple words(mom, dad, give it);
• by the second year of life cannot speak meaningfully.

But you shouldn’t take these delays too seriously; all children develop differently. If you notice a slight lag, it's nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on it.

At an older age, speech deviations may manifest themselves in unclear speech (problems with diction), its complete absence, or the inability to correctly pronounce certain sounds.

Diagnosis of pathology

To accurately determine the nature of the pathology, you need to consult a doctor. The following specialists deal with such violations:

1. neuropathologist (will determine the condition of the baby’s brain and rule out pathologies of the central nervous system);
2. otolaryngologist (will identify the child’s hearing impairments, if any);
3. psychologist (a child specialist is needed: he will determine the state of the child’s psyche).

If previous specialists have not identified any abnormalities, a speech therapist should take care of the development of the baby’s speech apparatus.

Reasons for violations

Most often, problems with sound pronunciation in children arise due to the following factors:

• genetic disorders (late speech in one of the parents, malocclusion, abnormalities of the teeth, palate, stuttering, improper functioning of the brain centers responsible for oral communication);
• diseases that the child had in the first years of life (infectious and bacterial infections, injuries to the throat, palate or oral cavity, head injuries, inflammation of the ears);
• injuries sustained during childbirth (suffocation, low birth weight of the child, injuries due to the mother’s narrow pelvis or medical instruments);
• intrauterine abnormalities (hypoxia, infectious diseases that the mother suffered during pregnancy, injuries, Rh conflict between the child and mother, prematurity or postmaturity of the child, threat of miscarriage, bad habits, reception medicines, stress).

The social and everyday environment in which the child is located can also have an impact. If parents do not communicate with the baby, speech can develop very slowly.

Forms of speech disorders

A child may experience several types of oral speech deviations at once. Among them:

1. incorrect intonation;
2. voice problems;
3. unclear pronunciation of sounds;
4. incorrect formation of speech tempo.

If a child does not have mental disorders that need to be eliminated with the help of specialists, he may develop the following communication disorders (provided that the baby understands speech):

• tachylalia – unreasonably fast speech;
• bradyllia – pathologically slow pronunciation;
• dysphonia – deterioration of voice quality due to pathology of the ligaments;
• alalia – a speech disorder due to disturbances in the functioning of the brain;
• aphasia – loss of the ability to pronounce words with already formed speech;
• rhinolalia - a violation of the pronunciation of sounds due to anatomical features;
• Dyslalia is a communication disorder with normal hearing and no abnormalities in the structure of the brain.

Therapy of speech disorders in children

To make an accurate diagnosis, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will also help you choose a treatment plan that will suit the child for his pathology.
Most often, if there are no disturbances in the functioning of the brain, it is enough to perform speech therapy exercises and breathing exercises to improve the functioning of the speech apparatus.

If communication defects are caused by anatomical or mental abnormalities, surgery or long-term treatment with medications may be required. In such cases, speech therapy exercises are also used to restore speech.

Pronunciation defects can occur not only in childhood, when the speech apparatus is just developing: due to some illnesses and injuries, the communication skills of adults can also deteriorate. It is important to determine the nature of the pathology in time and eliminate it: then subsequent recovery will be much easier and faster.