|
Speech, language and communication difficulties
A guide for patients and carers
Speech difficulties
The term ‘speech’ refers to the production of the sounds that make up human language. Speech is made possible by the coordinated movement of all of the parts of the speech production mechanism. Firstly, air is breathed in and then pushed out by the ribs and diaphragm. As we breathe out, the vocal cords come together and air is forced between them, making the vibrations that we hear as the voice. Since air is the power source for the voice, by varying the amount of air used we can alter the volume of our voice. By varying the position of our vocal cords we can raise and lower our pitch. The voice that is produced in the throat is then shaped into speech sounds by the mouth. This process is known as articulation. This too is dependent on very fine control of many tiny muscles controlling the lips, jaw, tongue and the soft palate, which control nasal resonance.
|
Page 11 of 19
Contents
- Introduction
- What is communication?
- Why do neurological disorders affect communication?
- Language difficulties: What is language?
- Language difficulties: What is aphasia?
- Language difficulties: Speech and language for people with aphasia
- Language difficulties: Recovery
- Language Difficulties: Progressive aphasia
- Language difficulties: Personal experiences of aphasia
- Language difficulties: What can you do to help a person with aphasia communicate?
- Speech difficulties
- Speech difficulties: How is speech affected in people with neurological disorders?
- Speech difficulties: Speech and language therapy for people with dysarthria
- Speech difficulties: Medical and surgical treatment
- Speech difficulties: Personal experiences
- Speech difficulties: What can you do to help communication?
- Other communication problems
- Further reading
- Other organisations that may be able to help
