Speech and Communication Disorders Summary 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 disorders 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 percent of children have noticeable speech disorders. Speech and language therapy can help. NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Find an Expert American Speech-Language-Hearing Association American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Directory of Organizations (Deafness and Communication Disorders) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Specifics Aphasia vs. Apraxia American Stroke Association Apraxia of Speech National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Dysarthria American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Language-Based Learning Disabilities American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Right Hemisphere Brain Damage American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Tongue-Tie (Ankyloglossia) American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Array Apraxia Dysarthria Phonological disorder Selective mutism Speech impairment (adult) Living With Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information for AAC Users (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Speech for People with Tracheostomies or Ventilators American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Communication Disorders National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Language Disorders National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Speech Disorders National Institutes of Health NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Connections That Count: Brain-Computer Interface Enables the Profoundly Paralyzed to Communicate Encyclopedia Dysarthria – care Tongue tie Seniors Eldercare at Home: Communication Problems AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Genetics Genetics Home Reference: 16p11.2 deletion syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: 16p11.2 duplication National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: 1q21.1 microduplication National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: 22q13.3 deletion syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: 47,XYY syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: FOXG1 syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: triple X syndrome National Library of Medicine Reference Desk NIDCD Glossary National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Journal Articles Speech and Communication Disorders Statistics and Research Quick Statistics about Voice, Speech, and Language National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Start Here Speech and Language Impairments Center for Parent Information and Resources What Is Language? What Is Speech? American Speech-Language-Hearing Association What Is Voice? What Is Speech? What Is Language? National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Teenagers Speech Problems Nemours Foundation Related Issues Speech-to-Speech Relay Service Federal Communications Commission