What are some causes of speech impairments?
Below are some common causes of speech problems. Click on the words underlined for links for more information on that term. • Cleft lip and cleft palate(http://www.pediatriconcall.com/forpatients/SpeechandHearing/speech_cleft_lippat.asp): This means the tissues of the mouth or lip did not form properly while the baby was growing inside the mother. • Conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and traumatic brain injury can affect the muscles needed for speaking. • “Apraxia of speech”(http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/apps/nl/content.asp?c=chKMI0PIIsE&b=839037&ct=837215): Children with this condition have great difficulty planning and producing the movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate necessary for intelligible speech. Other names for this condition are verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia.
