What is Stuttering aka Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder?

Learn about stuttering, aka childhood-onset fluency disorder, and how a fluency disorder affects speech. Read about stuttering speech, stuttering symptoms.

Have you heard someone stuttering while trying to speak? Perhaps you've had bouts with stuttering speech yourself. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), gives this communication disorder a new name: childhood-onset fluency disorder. Even so, most people who aren't mental health professionals will probably still refer to the condition as stuttering.

Early Onset Stuttering Speech

If your child has childhood-onset fluency disorder, you'll typically begin to notice stuttering speech during his very early childhood years. While it's normal for children to stutter between the ages of 2 and 5 years old, stuttering that persists beyond that or that causes considerable communication issues, may require treatment by a professional (Stuttering Treatment: How to Stop Stuttering). The diagnostic criteria for this fluency disorder remains largely the same in the DSM-5. To receive a diagnosis of childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering), your child must exhibit frequent and significant instances of one or more of the following:

  • Pauses within words (i.e. says part of a word then pauses or stammers before finishing the word)
  • Filled or unfilled pauses in speech (i.e. sounds like uh, ah, um or extended periods of silence during speech)
  • Prolonged consonant and vowel sounds within a word
  • Repeating whole words over again before moving on to the next word in a sentence
  • Excessive physical tension when speaking
  • Substitutes words to avoid more difficult (problem) words

Fluency Disorder – Stuttering Symptoms

Stuttering symptoms in children with a fluency disorder often worsen when he or she is excited, tired, or feels pressured. Your child may avoid speaking to people he doesn't know well, or with whom he doesn't feel comfortable. Forcing your child to speak in these situations will make symptoms worse and could cause severe anxiety and embarrassment. (Stuttering in Children and Adults: Coping with Shame) In addition to the diagnostic criteria above, some physical symptoms that you may see in a stuttering child include:

  • Excessive eye blinking when trying to speak
  • Jerking movements of the head or limbs
  • Facial spasms
  • Vocal spasms

If you notice these stuttering symptoms in your child, don't try to "make it go away" by forcing him to speak when it's uncomfortable for him. Encourage him to take his time getting the thoughts and words out and don't allow others mock or demean your child's struggles. Instead, seek professional help by consulting with a mental health professional or speech pathologist.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). What is Stuttering aka Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/what-is-stuttering-aka-childhood-onset-fluency-disorder

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Stuttering Causes: Why Do People Stutter?

Stuttering Causes: Why Do People Stutter?

What causes stuttering? People who stutter may have either childhood-onset fluency disorder or adult-onset fluency disorder. When someone stutters and stammers when trying to speak, they can't communicate as effectively as those who can speak smoothly and clearly. This can cause both children and adults with the disorder to have great anxiety about speaking and often causes them to limit their participation in social situations. For kids, this can adversely affect academic performance and in adults, career performance can suffer.

So, Why Do People Stutter?

Experts aren't clear about what causes stuttering, but it does tend to run in families, so there may be a genetic component. Further, boys are more likely than girls to develop stuttering speech. Boys are also more likely to continue to stutter as adults than girls. (Can You Cure Stuttering?)

About one in every 20 children will show some stuttering during speech between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. This could last a couple of months or persist for several years. But for a small number of these children, stuttering never goes away and frequently worsens. (Stuttering Treatment: How to Stop Stuttering) The DSM-5 refers to this as Childhood-onset Fluency Disorder, commonly called developmental stuttering. It's the most common type of stuttering. (Help for Stuttering- Availability and Where to Find It)

Another type of fluency disorder, neurogenic stuttering, can begin during either childhood or adulthood. Neurogenic stuttering occurs after a person suffers a stroke or some type of brain injury. The injured brain has problems organizing the different components of speech because of communication issues between the brain and the nerves that move muscles involved in speaking.

Finally, psychogenic stuttering, caused by mental health issues, occurs due to severe emotional trauma or difficulty with complex thought processes and reasoning. Experts used to believe that this was the most common cause of stuttering, but now we know it's very rare.

A Deeper Look Into What Causes Stuttering

Researchers are continuing to study what causes stuttering in an effort to pinpoint and identify its causes. By learning more about the causes and improving early diagnosis techniques, they can develop improved treatment protocols.

Most recently, scientists have discovered three genes associated with developmental stuttering. Other research is focusing on identifying traits indicating which children will eventually grow out of stuttering and which ones will likely suffer into adulthood.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Stuttering Causes: Why Do People Stutter?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/stuttering-causes-why-do-people-stutter

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Stuttering in Children and Adults: Coping with Shame

Stuttering in children and stuttering in adults often results in shame and embarrassment. Important tips on dealing with stuttering in young children.

Stuttering in children and adults has been around since people have walked the earth. In fact, the earliest references to stuttering in adults dates back to 2,000 B.C. Characters who stutter are common in both classic and modern literature. Without exception, these characters suffer embarrassment and shame due to their condition. The authors of these works of literature, no doubt, wrote about this from their own personal experience or because they witnessed someone ridiculed for his speech problems in real life. (What Causes Stuttering?)

Stuttering in Children – Coping with Shame

Bullies and other grossly insensitive people often see stuttering in children as an invitation to engage in abusing and embarrassing these kids. Imagine wanting to engage in conversation with other kids and having to endure teasing or condescending attitudes due to your stuttering speech. It only takes a couple of instances of bullying and teasing for a stutterer to develop anxiety about speaking and interacting with others in social situations. This can lead to isolation and loneliness, not to mention falling behind in academic performance.

Actively pursuing stuttering treatment with a speech pathologist will go a long way toward instilling confidence in children with communication disorders. Your pediatrician can recommend a qualified speech therapist in your area. (Help for Stuttering- Availability and Where to Find It) Talk to your child about how you are taking the steps together to help him get better. Actually doing something about the problem will give your child a sense of personal empowerment. This equips your child with a stronger sense of self and gives him or her the ability to deal with teasing or shame in a healthier way than simply withdrawing from social interactions.

Outside of therapy, one of the best ways you can help your child cope with shame associated with his or her stuttering is to talk compassionately and openly about it. The National Stuttering Association (NSA) has a mission to "empower parents to support their children in moving away from a shame-based response to their speech pattern." This organization provides several ways in which children who stutter can meet other children with this fluency disorder. The NSA supports parents by teaching them how to engage in open and honest conversations with their child about stuttering and the difficult situations he or she could encounter in the future.

Stuttering in Adults – Talking Past Fear

Stuttering in adults can begin in childhood or can start during or after adolescence. Communication is something we must do on a daily basis to function in life. If you can't communicate well, it might hinder your progress in a career or cause you to isolate yourself from others and situations where you might have to speak. You may have developed a poor self-image and diminished self-esteem back in your childhood because of your stuttering. These feelings of shame can carry over into your adult life, limiting your participation in fulfilling activities and social situations. If you stutter, you may avoid speaking in public because you're embarrassed about struggling to speak clearly.

Take steps to change the way you react to your atypical speech patterns. Therapy helps many stutterers modify their speech patterns and learn to communicate more effectively. An experienced speech pathologist can help you confront the challenge and tailor treatments that will work best for you and your situation.

The National Stuttering Association has resources for adults who stutter that can help you overcome the challenges you face. Check out the area of their website: especially for adults who stutter. You can meet other adults with fluency disorder through local chapters all over the U.S. and by attending local NSA workshops. Talking to others about their experiences and how they've overcome the negative stereotypes about stuttering can inspire you to look at your communication problems in a different way.

Whether you're a parent of a child who stutters or an adult who struggles with fluency problems, actively taking steps to confront the issue is the first step to vocal freedom. Talk to your family physician or browse through the many resources on the NSA website and stop living in shame and embarrassment.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Stuttering in Children and Adults: Coping with Shame, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/stuttering-in-children-and-adults-coping-with-shame

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Stuttering Treatment: How to Stop Stuttering

Learn about stuttering treatment for children and adults; how to stop stuttering. Trusted, detailed info on stuttering therapy and medication for stuttering.

No stuttering treatment can completely cure stuttering, but there are a variety of effective treatments available that can greatly reduce or stop stuttering. The type of treatment used depends on the person's age, the severity of stuttering, and other individual factors. If you or your child stutters, you need to consult a speech pathologist to determine which therapies will work best. Stuttering treatment typically involves developing a number of speech fluency tools and working to eliminate fears and shame. (Stuttering in Children and Adults: Coping with Shame) A qualified speech pathologist will also encourage and empower the child or adult to take charge and educate others about the condition.

Stuttering Therapy – Help for Children

For very young children, stuttering therapy may prevent the development of a lifelong stuttering problem. A language pathologist can implement certain strategies to help kids learn to improve their fluency and instill positive attitudes about their challenges. Not sure whether your child needs stuttering treatment? Health care professionals typically recommend that parents take their child for an evaluation if he or she:

  • Has stuttered persistently for three to six months
  • Seems to struggle with speech and communication
  • Has a family history of stuttering or other fluency disorders

Some therapists recommend that parents have their child evaluated every three months to check whether stuttering has gotten better or worse. Typically, stuttering treatment involves working with parents on ways to support their child's productive speech. Your child's therapist may recommend that you:

  • Provide a calm and relaxed home environment where your child has many opportunities to speak and communicate.
  • Avoid exhibiting a negative reaction when your child stutters.
  • Refrain from requiring your child speak in a certain way or putting pressure on your child to speak to others.
  • Speak slowly when communicating with your child and use a relaxed tone.
  • Listen patiently and attentively when your child speaks and wait for him to get his words out.
  • Talk openly with your child about stuttering if he asks questions or brings it up.

There are two methods used for stuttering treatment:

  • Indirect treatment – this method seeks to teach parents how to provide a relaxing environment so that the child's speech improves on its own. The therapist will encourage parents to exhibit positive speech modeling and to support their child by patiently listening until he gets the entire thought out without trying to finish his sentence or having another negative reaction.
  • Direct treatment – this method involves face-to-face therapy sessions between the child and the speech pathologist. The therapist will teach the child to slowly form sounds and words, to speak slowly, and to relax even when struggling to speak. The child will learn how to refrain from the physical symptoms of stuttering like eye blinking and head jerks.

A qualified therapist will also give children tools for coping with teasing and bullying by others because of their stuttering.

How to Stop Stuttering – Teens and Adults

Experts and researchers haven't identified how to stop stuttering entirely, but therapy can help teens and adults minimize stuttering when they speak. Speech management tools therapists develop with patients include:

  • learning to speak more slowly
  • learning to regulate breathing while speaking
  • learning to fluently use monosyllabic responses, then moving on to multisyllabic responses and finally complex sentences

Other strategies involve helping people learn not to entertain shame-based reactions to their stuttering and, instead, to educate themselves and others about fluency disorders.

Medication for Stuttering

Although the FDA has not approved any medication for stuttering, doctors sometimes use certain drugs -- commonly prescribed to treat other health issues -- to treat the disorder. The drugs, (approved to treat things like anxiety, epilepsy, and depression) have side effects that make them impractical to use for the long-term. Researchers are currently looking for other, more effective, medicines to treat stuttering.

Other Stuttering Treatment Tools

Some people use electronic devices that fit in the ear canal and replay a digitally altered version of the wearer's speech to control stuttering. The wearer hears a replay of his voice as if he's speaking simultaneously with another person. For some, these devices improve speech patterns very quickly, but questions remain as to whether the effects will last for real-world encounters. Researchers continue to study the effectiveness of these and other innovative fluency control devices.

Attending sessions with self-help groups, in addition to therapy, have proven very successful for many people. Self-help groups offer support for people who stutter because they can discuss the challenges they face with others who truly understand what they're going through.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Stuttering Treatment: How to Stop Stuttering, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/stuttering-treatment-how-to-stop-stuttering

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Help for Stuttering- Availability and Where to Find It

Find out where to get help for stuttering and the availability of qualified stuttering help. Learn about stuttering help resources and groups.

If you need help with stuttering, whether for yourself or your child, one of the best places to start is your family doctor or pediatrician. Your doctor can educate you about fluency disorders and recommend speech pathologists with experience in this area. (read: Stuttering Causes: Why Do People Stutter?) It's important that the speech pathologist you see is comfortable with his or her skills in providing effective stuttering help to children and adults. Visit with more than one speech therapist and ask about their experience and success in treating speech disorders like stuttering. (Stuttering Treatment: How to Stop Stuttering)

Where to Find Help For Stuttering

If you want to find help for stuttering on your own, check out the National Stuttering Association (NSA) website. The organization provides resources for both adults and children who stutter. You can search for a stuttering support group in your area. They even have sections to educate and support employee/ers, pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, teachers, and researchers – anyone with a special interest in stuttering. Browse through these resources by visiting the NSA's Who We Help page.

Another great resource is The Stuttering Foundation – a nonprofit group offering help for stuttering. You'll find free resources, facts, a blog, and a list of famous people who stutter. The organization provides detailed information and resources for anyone who needs stuttering help or knows someone who does:

  • Parents of Preschoolers
  • Parents of School-Aged Children
  • Just for Kids – an empowering collection of information especially for kids
  • Teens – tips, a fact guide, stuttering myths and straight talk
  • Adults – powerful tools like self-therapy, advice for talking on the phone, career tips
  • Teachers
  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Physicians
  • Employers

There's even a referral page where you can find qualified therapists in your area and other countries.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself about stuttering, so you can take a material role in helping your child or yourself with stuttering. One way to learn about stuttering is to visit your local public library and read about it. When you find a therapist that works well for you or your child, you'll better understand the strategies and tools he or she implements during treatment.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Help for Stuttering- Availability and Where to Find It, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/help-for-stuttering-availability-and-where-to-find-it

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Can You Cure Stuttering?

There’s no cure for stuttering, but treatments and self-help resources do exist that greatly minimize stuttering and improve fluency. Learn more.

There's no way to cure stuttering completely, but stuttering treatments do exist that can help minimize it and greatly improve fluency. While the speech control techniques taught in these treatments can help people communicate more effectively, no one strategy works for everyone. What helped one person may not help you with your stuttering. You may need an entirely different set of tools and techniques. Things that trigger stuttering, physical symptoms of stuttering (i.e. jerky head, excessive eye blinking) and emotional reactions can differ greatly by individual. (read: Causes of Stuttering)

There Aren't Any Real Cures for Stuttering, So What Now?

In the absence of any true cures for stuttering, people often turn to self-help resources and self-education. Many people have achieved significant improvement in their speech patterns through self-help guides and support groups.

Books:

Self-Therapy for the Stutterer by Malcolm Fraser

No Miracle Cures: A Multifactoral Guide to Stuttering Therapy by Thomas David Kehoe

I Have a Voice: How to Stop Stuttering by Bob G. Bodenhamer

Online Resources:

Stuttering in Popular Media – this site has links to songs, books, movies, and other media that include some reference to stuttering.

The Stuttering Museum– an online "museum" focusing on the history of stuttering.

The Stuttering Library – an online library of full-length books on stuttering that you can download for free.

Stuttering Support Organizations:

Friends – The National Association of Young People Who Stutter – the only national organization dedicated to empowering young people who stutter along with their families

National Stuttering Association

Stuttering Foundation

Videos and Films on Stuttering:

Unspeakable – a film that examines the nature and treatment of stuttering and seeks liberation from the stigma surrounding it

Stuttering – Straight Talk for Teens – a free video on YouTube produced by The Stuttering Foundation

Stuttering – Straight Talk for Kids – a free video on YouTube produced by The Stuttering Foundation

Even though experts haven't identified a way to cure stuttering yet, these resources can serve to educate, inspire, and self-treat stuttering. You can also use them to augment therapy for stuttering with a certified speech-language pathologist. Learning about the disorder and becoming familiar with the experiences and stories of others builds confidence and will help you eliminate negative reactions to your or your child's fluency problems.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Can You Cure Stuttering?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/can-you-cure-stuttering

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

Language Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Language disorder signs, causes and treatments. Includes info on mixed receptive-expressive language disorders.

The term language disorder refers to a condition that involves problems processing linguistic information. Children with language impairments have issues that involve grammar, semantics, or other parts of language. They can make sounds and others can understand their speech, but they have problems getting others to understand their meaning or comprehending the meaning coming from others.

The majority of children develop language from birth by hearing, seeing, understanding, and remembering. These are all necessary for properly learning language. Some children, even though they have all the skills, cannot learn language normally. In other words, a child with a language disorder does not understand or articulate language at his or her expected grade level. (Does your child have difficulty with stuttering, social communication or a speech sound disorder? Read these articles.)

Signs and Symptoms of Language Disorders

Children with language disorders may have one or more of the symptoms, depending on the severity of the issues. Those with a receptive language disorder have problems understanding the meaning of both spoken and written language and they may have:

  • Difficulty understanding what other people say
  • Problems following spoken directions
  • Problems organizing thoughts

Children with expressive language disorder have issues using spoken or written language to get others to understand what they need or want. They may:

  • Have difficulty putting their words into sentences
  • Sentences may be short, simple with incorrect word order
  • Have problems finding the right words when speaking and use placeholders like "uh" or "um"
  • Have vocabulary below his or her expected grade level
  • Leave words out when talking
  • Use certain phrases repeatedly
  • Repeat parts or all of questions
  • Use word tenses improperly

Due to their communication issues, children with language disorders may have problems in social situations.

Some children have problems both expressing themselves and understanding what people say to them. They have one or more symptoms of each of the main two types of language disorders. This is called a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder.

Causes of Language Disorders

Experts don't understand the cause of developmental language disorders. Scientists continue to research and try to identify environmental and genetic factors that play a part in the development of these problems which typically manifest in childhood, but can occur at any age.

Acquired language disorders, however, are caused by brain damage sustained during a stroke, seizure, or other head injuries. Aside from brain injury or head trauma, some other known causes of acquired language disorders are:

  • Hearing loss at an early age
  • Neurological disorders
  • Intellectual disability
  • Autism
  • Drug abuse

Whether developmental or acquired, language disorders cause children to have lower than expected performance in school. In a school setting, teachers give multi-step directions and expect students to read, write, and answer questions about assignments. This fast-paced environment with little individual instruction makes it very difficult for someone with a language disorder to learn and perform.

Treatment of Language Disorders

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are critical in the treatment of language disorders. They educate parents and teachers by helping them identify problems early on. The SLP will work with the school to adapt the classroom so that the child has a better chance of succeeding. Depending on the severity of the language disorder, some of the strategies could include:

  • Individual reading and writing instruction
  • Accessible seating arrangements
  • Work on social skills development
  • Adjust teaching methods of the instructor
  • Technology assists for eliminating distractions

The SLP can also develop materials based on the mainstream classroom curriculum that will help the child comprehend lessons. He or she will also spend one-on-one time with the child in language therapy sessions. The SLP will also work with parents to help them incorporate spoken language into daily activities and play.

Most children with language disorders develop normal or almost normal communication skills by the time they reach high school. Sometimes, minor issues with expressive language will persist.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). Language Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/language-disorder-signs-symptoms-causes-treatment

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

What is Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder?

Learn about DSM-5 diagnosis of social communication disorder or SCD. Includes info on symptoms, causes, and treatment of social communication disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association added a new diagnostic category to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) called Social Communications Disorder (SCD). SCD involves an impairment of communication in natural social settings. People with Social Communications Disorder have problems using verbal and nonverbal communication and cues. This has a detrimental effect on their social relationships.

Symptoms, Causes of Social Communication Disorder

The symptoms of Social Communication Disorder begin to show up in early childhood and can cause problems in social, academic, and occupational areas. Challenges in these areas cause anxiety and may result in isolation and exclusion from participation in social situations.

Symptoms of SCD include:

  • Problems using communication (verbal and nonverbal) in social situations
  • Challenges adapting communication style to fit the context or the style of people the person communicates with
  • Problems following social rules like taking turns during conversation
  • Difficulty understanding implied messages

To receive a diagnosis of SCD, the issues must not be better explained by autism spectrum disorder, a language disorder, or intellectual disability.

As with many mental health disorders, such as ADHD, autism, intellectual disability, and language disorders, experts aren't clear on the exact cause of SCD. People with SCD often have family members with communication disorders, autism, or specific learning disorders. This indicates that a genetic component may contribute to the development of SCD. Since it's a new diagnosis in the DSM-5, more research is necessary to discover possible causes of this disorder. (Does your child have difficulty with stuttering, a language disorder or a speech sound disorder? Read these articles.)

Treatment of Social Communication Disorder

Treatment for people with Social Communication Disorder will likely be similar to interventions used for Asperger's Syndrome (which is no longer a diagnosis included in the DSM-5). Effective treatment will use the child's natural interests as a foundation. Ideally, the mental health professional will develop a therapeutic strategy that meets the specific needs of the individual child. A typical program might include:

  • Training in social skills that teaches the child skills they need to engage successfully with other children in social situations
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy to help those with more anxiety and intense emotions manage their feelings better and cut back on repetitive behaviors and obsessive interests
  • Medication for any co-existing conditions like anxiety or ADHD
  • Occupational therapy for children with sensory integration issues
  • Speech and language therapy for children with pragmatic speech problems (i.e. learning to take turns in conversations)
  • Training and support for parents

There's no cure for Social Communication Disorder, but with effective treatment, children with SCD can learn to overcome many of their problems, but many may continue to find certain social situations challenging. They will need to practice using the skills and tools they learn in therapy to get them through the more difficult encounters.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). What is Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/what-is-social-pragmatic-communication-disorder

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

What is Speech Sound Disorder aka Phonological Disorder?

Phonological disorder refers to difficulty understanding the sound and speech rules of language.  Signs, causes, and treatment of phonological disorder.

The term phonological disorder refers to difficulty understanding the sound and speech rules of language that other children develop naturally. Most very young children make mistakes as they learn new words. They may replace one sound with another or leave a syllable off of a word entirely. This is normal. A phonological, or speech sound disorder, occurs when a child continues to make these mistakes past a certain age.

Speech sound disorders occur more often in boys, but do occur in girls too. About half of what a child says by the age of 3 years should be understandable by someone other than his parents. Once a child reaches age 5, strangers should be able to understand most of his speech. For example, a child should make most sounds correctly, except the more difficult ones like: l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th. Keep in mind that some of the more difficult sounds may still not sound completely correct even as late age 8 years. (Does your child have difficulty with stuttering, social communication or a language disorder? Read these articles.)

Symptoms of Phonological Disorder

Children with phonological disorder substitute one sound for another, leave off sounds, or change sounds. This may make it difficult for people outside the child's immediate family to understand him or her. Some common symptoms of speech sound disorder include:

  • Difficulty pronouncing words beginning with two consonants: friend becomes fiend and spoon becomes poon.
  • Difficulty pronouncing words with certain sound, such as k, g, or r. The word book becomes boo, rabbit becomes wabbit, banana becomes nana, etc.
  • Substitutes one sound for another: saying tup instead of cup and das instead of gas.

This speech chart from the Talking Child website shows what sounds a child should be able to make by certain ages.

Causes of Phonological Disorder

Frequently the cause of phonological disorder is unknown. Children with the disorder may have close relatives who had speech problems. Coming from a large family seems to put some children at higher risk as well, but it's unclear as to why. Some known causes of phonologic disorders include:

  • Damage to parts of the brain that control speech or nerves that control muscles used in speech, such as in cerebral palsy.
  • Problems with the structure or shape of the muscles and bones used to make sounds like dental problems or a child born with a cleft palate.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Phonological Disorders

To diagnose a child with a phonological disorder, a doctor should first test a child for other disorders to rule them out. These include:

  • Intellectual disability or other cognitive problems
  • Hearing impairment
  • Cerebral palsy or other neurological conditions
  • Physical problems like dental malformations or cleft palate

Some children, with mild phonological disorder, overcome their speech problems on their own by the time they reach age 6 years. In more severe cases, the child may benefit from speech therapy. A speech therapist will sit one-on-one with the child and teach him to create the sound by showing where he should place his tongue and form the lips for each sound. Depending on the severity, many children go on to develop normal, or almost normal, speech.

articles references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). What is Speech Sound Disorder aka Phonological Disorder?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/communication-disorders/what-is-speech-sound-disorder-aka-phonological-disorder

Last Updated: January 16, 2022

What is an Intellectual Disability?

Intellectual disability definition plus in-depth, trusted information on intellectual disabilities as defined in the new DSM-5.

The term, intellectual disability, refers to a condition in which a person has certain limitations in intellectual functions like communicating, taking care of him- or herself, and has impaired social skills. These limitations cause a child to intellectually develop more slowly than other children. These children may take longer to walk, talk, and take care of themselves than the typical, unimpaired, child. It's probable that children with intellectual disabilities will have difficulty learning in school. (Intellectual and Learning Disabilities in Children, Students) They do learn; it just takes them longer. Even so, certain things will likely prove impossible for some of these children to learn.

Intellectual Disability Definition

Has the intellectual disability definition changed in DSM-V? Yes and no. In the past, experts and mental health professionals used the term mental retardation to describe an intellectual disability and it was the term used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). But over the past 20 years or so, mental health experts and other professionals have increasingly begun to use the term, intellectual disability. This term better describes the scope and reality of an intellectual developmental disorder and replaces the term mental retardation in the new DSM-V.

Experts define intellectual disability as:

"...significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." ~Rosa's Law, signed by President Obama in October 2010.

More information on the types of intellectual disabilities, including examples, can be found here.

Are Intellectual Disabilities Common?

Intellectual disabilities represent the most common developmental disability. About 6.5 million Americans have an intellectual disability. Over 545,000 children between the ages of 6 and 21 have some type of intellectual disability and need special education services in public school. Even though these statistics indicate that it's a fairly common mental disorder, some kids have a very low level of impairment, while others have a very high level. (Mild, Moderate, Severe Intellectual Disability Differences) So, depending on the level of disability, doctors and other professionals may not recognize a child has an intellectual impairment. Children with very low, barely detectable intellectual disability may get along in a typical education program, but others will likely need special education services to learn basic life skills.

Intellectual Disability in Children

What does an intellectual disability look like in children? Intellectual disabilities manifest in a variety of ways. For instance, intellectually impaired children may:

  • Sit up, crawl, or walk later
  • Talk later
  • Have trouble remembering
  • Have difficulty with social rules
  • Have difficulty understanding the consequences of actions
  • Have trouble solving problems and thinking logically

Kids with intellectual disabilities may have impairments in:

  • Reasoning
  • Planning
  • Abstract thought
  • Judgment
  • Academic judgment
  • Experiential learning

Mental health professionals measure these skills through IQ testing and applying clinical judgment to interpret IQ, rather than relying solely on IQ scores for assessing level of impairment. IQ tests used to measure these intellectual abilities must be standardized and given by a professional certified in IQ testing. If you suspect that your child has an intellectual developmental disorder, consult a mental health professional and speak candidly about your concerns. Many of these children lead full and happy lives when they receive the proper care and help.

Michael Lapaglia, MA, BCBA of Elite Behavior Analysis, LLC discusses the topic "What Is An Intellectual Disability?"

article references

APA Reference
Gluck, S. (2022, January 10). What is an Intellectual Disability?, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2025, May 7 from https://www.healthyplace.com/neurodevelopmental-disorders/intellectual-disability/what-is-an-intellectual-disability-0

Last Updated: January 16, 2022