What is a speech impairment?
This type of impairment affects the ability to communicate. Communication is a two-way process that involves clear expression and full understanding of what is said.
A hearing impairment can affect speech development because the ability to hear is critical to development of speech. If a child cannot hear very well, s/he may also experience difficulty in speech development. Intellectual impairment may also affect speech due to difficulty in understanding concepts which may include spoken language.
Speech impairment can affect either one or both ways, and includes:
- Production of speech: difficulty in verbal expression, such as articulation of speech and / or sounds; difficulties with the quality of the voice; difficulty with sound formation (stammering) or a combination of these.
- Difficulty in understanding written or spoken language or in using the right words. However, most persons with speech impairment do not have difficulties in understanding written or spoken language.
How to refer someone with a speech/communication impairment
Avoid using
- Dumb
- “one who talks bad/weird"
Instead use:
- Person with a speech / communication impairment
Speech impairments are often confused with, or lumped with hearing impairments. However, this is not (always) accurate. Hearing impairment may affect speech, especially if it begins before a child acquires language. One may have or develop a speech/communication impairment without having a hearing impairment.
