Neurodivergent Speech Therapist in Kent - Jamie Louise Hollis - ADHD SLT

speech

Speech is the physical act of producing sounds using the muscles in our mouth, throat, tongue, and vocal cords to form words. It’s about working these muscles together so others can hear and understand us. When someone has difficulty with this, it may be due to a disorder, which can affect clarity and overall communication. Speech and language therapy often focuses on improving how we produce these sounds to support clear and effective communication. Speech includes articulation (how we make sounds), voice (the pitch, volume, and quality of the sounds), and fluency (the smooth flow and rhythm). Here are some of the key articulators we use for speech:

important note:

Remember, speech and language are different. Speech is how we produce sounds and words, while language is about the meaning and how we use it to communicate.

voice, place, manner

Articulation is a skill many of us don’t think about, but it’s something we use every day. It relies on the coordination of muscles in the mouth, lips, tongue, and vocal cords to create sounds. For example, when we say /p/ and /b/, our lips come together to form the sounds, demonstrating an important part of articulation. However, there’s a key difference: our voice stays off for /p/ and turns on for /b/. These small details in production happen so naturally that most of us aren’t even aware of them.

To use sounds correctly, speakers need an (often unconscious!) understanding of three key parts of articulation: voice, place, and manner of the sounds they’re producing.

transcription

Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) use transcription as part of asssessments and therapy to accurately capture how someone produces sounds. This process helps identify any difficulties or patterns affecting their communication. By breaking speech down into its individual phonemes, SLTs can closely analyze the articulation of each sound. Furthermore, this detailed analysis plays a key role in diagnosing disorders, creating personalized therapy plans, and tracking progress over time.

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of symbols used to represent speech sounds across different languages. Unlike regular spelling, which can vary between words and languages, the IPA provides a consistent way to transcribe pronunciation. Each symbol corresponds to a specific sound (phoneme), making it a useful tool for linguists, speech therapists, and language learners.

For example, the word “cat” is transcribed as /kæt/ in IPA, indicating its precise pronunciation. Similarly, “church” is written as /ʧɜːʧ/, reflecting how the sounds are produced. This system helps with understanding how words are spoken, regardless of spelling differences.

📌 An image is attached below as an example of IPA notation, showing the relationship between graphemes (letters) and their phonetic equivalents.

speech disorders

understanding speech disorders

Speech Disorders occur when someone has difficulty producing sounds, but there’s no known physical or neurological cause. In these cases, the person’s articulation may not develop as expected, even though there is no structural issue, such as a problem with the mouth or brain, causing the difficulty. Therapy plays an important role in identifying these challenges and providing targeted support to help improve articulation and overall communication.

These challenges can involve articulation, which means making specific sounds, or phonology, which involves understanding and using the sound system of a language. Although the exact cause isn’t always clear, these difficulties may be related to differences in how the brain processes these patterns.

Here are some exampels:

phonological disorders

Phonological disorders occur when someone struggles to use sounds in the correct positions within words or replaces them with incorrect sounds. Even though they may be able to produce the sound on its own, like saying ‘k’ and ‘g,’ they have trouble using these sounds properly in words. For example, they might say “teep” instead of “keep” or “pid” instead of “pig” (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 2024). These errors can make it difficult for others, even close family members, to understand them.

phonological delay

A phonological delay occurs when a child develops speech sounds in the same order as typically developing children but at a slower pace than expected for their age. They make similar speech errors to younger children but don’t outgrow these patterns as quickly as expected (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 2024). For example, a child with a phonological delay might continue to say “wabbit” instead of “rabbit” or “tat” instead of “cat” beyond the usual age. Although their speech development follows the typical developmental process, the delay can make it harder for others to understand them.

articulation disorders

Articulation disorders occur when someone has difficulty making the correct movements to produce certainx sounds, usually affecting only a small number of sounds. Common examples in English include pronouncing ‘s’ as ‘th’ (such as saying “thing” instead of “sing,” known as a lisp) or pronouncing ‘r’ as ‘w’ (such as saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit”) (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 2024). Speech therapy is often essential for helping individuals correct these errors and develop clear, accurate articulation.

People with articulation disorders often find it hard to produce certain sounds, both on their own and within words. This difficulty can impact their well-being and mental health. Being misunderstood can lead to feelings of frustration or isolation, making communication more challenging.

stammer

Stammering can sometimes be linked to an identifiable cause, such as after a stroke (Michael Palin Centre for Stammering, 2024). However, in many cases, there is no clear underlying reason. Stammering often includes repetitions, where sounds or words are repeated, prolongations, where sounds are stretched, or blocks, where speech momentarily stops.

AQUIRED SPEECH DISORDERS

Acquired speech disorders have a known physical, neurological, or physiological cause. In other words, the difficulty is directly linked to a specific issue. For example, this could include conditions such as:

down syndrome

Many individuals with Down Syndrome have structural differences, such as a larger tongue relative to smaller oral cavities. As a result, these differences can affect their ability to produce sounds that require precise tongue movements, like /s/ and /t/ (Wilson et al., 2019). Consequently, some sounds may be more difficult to produce clearly, leading to potential challenges in speech clarity.

digeorge syndrome

Also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, DiGeorge Syndrome can cause a variety of speech and language challenges due to structural, neurological, and developmental factors.

One common difficulty associated with this condition is Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI). In this condition, the soft palate does not close properly against the back of the throat during speech. As a result, air escapes through the nose, leading to hypernasal speech. Consequently, the voice may sound nasal and muffled, making it harder for others to understand (Solot et al., 2019).

Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by muscle weakness, paralysis, or poor coordination of the muscles used for articulation. As a result, it can make speech production difficult. Common causes include conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or traumatic brain injury (McAuliffe, Carpenter, and Moran, 2010). Consequently, dysarthria often affects speech clarity, making it sound slurred, slow, or hard to understand.

apraxia of speech (AOS)

Apraxia of Speech is another motor speech disorder where the brain struggles to plan and coordinate the movements needed for articulation, even though the person has the physical ability and desire to speak. This condition is often triggered by a stroke, brain injury, or neurodegenerative disease. As a result, speech can sound inconsistent or fragmented, making communication more challenging (Graff-Radford et al., 2014).

voice disorders

Acquired voice disorders can occur when the vocal cords are damaged due to surgery, trauma, or prolonged overuse. For example, vocal cord paralysis following surgery can significantly impact voice quality. As a result, the voice may sound breathy, weak, or strained, making it difficult for others to hear or understand the speaker clearly.

summary

Effective speech is essential for clear communication, but challenges with articulation, fluency, or voice can impact daily life. If you or someone you know is experiencing speech difficulties, support is available. Visit my Services page to learn more about speech assessments and speech and language therapy, or contact me directly for personalised guidance and next steps.

references by category

Guidelines and Clinical Information

Academic Studies and Research

Informational Websites

  • Michael Palin Centre for Stammering (2024). Facts and causes. [Online] The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering.