Here are the Adult Speech and Language Disorders:
a. Aphasia
Aphasia is condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability tocommunicate verbally or using written words. A person with aphasia may have difficulty speaking, reading, writing, recognizing the names of objects or understanding what other people have said. Aphasia is caused by a brain injury, as may occur during a traumatic accident or when the brain is deprived of oxygen during a stroke. It may also be caused by a brain tumor, a disease such as Alzheimer's, or an infection, like encephalitis. Aphasia may be temporary or permanent.
The traditional classification scheme includes the following types of aphasia:
i. Anomic aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to recall the names of persons or things.
ii. Broca's aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to express oneself, either through speech or writing. Hearing comprehension is not affected.
iii. Wernicke's aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to understand what is being said or read. The individual maintains the ability to speak, but speech may contain unnecessary or made-up words.
iv. Conduction aphasia - A condition characterized by the inability to repeat words, sentences, or phrases.
v. Global aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or using written words as a result of widespread injury to the language areas of the brain. The exact language abilities affected vary depending on the location and extent of injury.
vi. Subcortical aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or using written words as a result of damage to non language-dominated areas of the brain.
vii. Transcortical aphasia - A condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or using written words that does not affect an individual's ability to repeat words, phrases, and sentences.
How can we help an Aphasic?
| Treat an aphasic with respect. Do not talk to an adult as if he were a child. | |
| Be patient. Give him enough time to understand what has just been said | |
| Use simple words and ask simple questions | |
| Use normal speaking voice, perhaps a little slower | |
| Watch facial expressions and body language | |
| Listen very carefully when he tries to talk to you | |
| Be alert to his emotions, and be supportive and understanding |
b. Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury of the motor component of the motor-speech system and is characterized by poor articulation of phonemes.
Types of Dysarthrias:
| Spastic | Unilateral Upper Motor Neuron | ||
| Flaccid | Hyperkinetic and Hypokinetic | ||
| Ataxic | Mixed Dysarthrias |
c. Apraxia of speech
Apraxia of speech (AOS) is an oral motor speech disorder affecting an individual's ability to translate conscious speech plans into motor plans, which results in limited and difficult speech ability. In adults, the disorder is caused by illness or injury, while the cause of AOS in children is unknown.
Characteristics that an individual with Apraxia of speech may exhibit:
| Effortful trial and error with groping | |
| Self correction of errors | |
| Abnormal rhythm, stress and intonation | |
| Inconsistent articulation errors on repeated speech productions of the same utterance | |
| Difficulty initiating utterances |
Management for the above disorders may include:
| Neurological consultation | Physiotherapy | ||
| Surgery | Lifestyle changes | ||
| Medications | Communicative aids/equipments | ||
| Speech and Language Therapy | Counseling | ||
| Swallowing therapy for dysphagia |