What causes communication disorders?
When one or more of the speech and language processes are disrupted, a communication disorder may result. Often the cause of a speech and language disorder cannot be determined. Brain injury or disease, hearing loss, neurological disorders, mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, drug abuse, vocal abuse, or oral-facial malformations such as cleft palate may cause some disorders. Some delays in speech and language may be due to environmental factors, such as neglect or abuse, lack of stimulation, and poor speech-language modeling.
