Many disorders can affect our ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being completely unable to speak or understand speech. Causes include:
- Hearing disorders and deafness
- Voice problems, such as dysphonia or those caused by cleft lip or palate
- Speech problems like stuttering
- Developmental disabilities
- Learning disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Brain injury
- Stroke
Some speech and communication problems may be genetic. Often, no one knows the causes. By first grade, about 5% of children have noticeable speech disorders. Speech and language therapy can help.
NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Health topic summary reproduced with attribution.
