Usually, children start talking after reaching about one year. Girls start talking before boys. Correct pronunciation of complex words Children learn about the fourth year of life.
Speech is an extremely complex process in which various organs of the speech apparatus participate. An exact interaction of the lungs, larynx, muscles of the tongue and lips should be ensured.
Elimination of speech defects
Sometimes a person gets used to talking wrong. However, the later treatment begins, the more difficult it is to eliminate the existing speech defect. In addition, in the absence of timely qualified treatment, there is a serious danger that the patient's ability to speak will continue to deteriorate.
Causes of speech disorders
A person's speech can be disturbed due to congenital anomalies of the larynx, tongue, jaws, palate or lips (hare's lip). Often, as a result of mental disorders, a child does not learn speech or speaks with difficulty (adults can also suddenly lose their previously acquired speech skills). There are cases when speech does not develop due to lack of communication during the period of its formation or social isolation of the child. The causes of speech disorders can be congenital and acquired organic diseases. The speech centers of the brain are often affected (for example, as a result of craniocerebral trauma or inflammation of the brain). The speech of adults is partially or completely violated due to accidents or illnesses. One of the main causes is a stroke. If the functions of certain centers of the brain are broken or if some cranial nerves are damaged, the facial, linguistic, and laryngeal muscles may be paralyzed. Speech disorders can occur with tumors of the brain, larynx or mouth and pharynx.
When should I see a doctor?
With regular preventive examinations, speech disorders are quickly identified. If the development of speech lags behind the average level of development for more than six months, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. Adults, noticing that when they start to make mistakes or suddenly can not accurately pronounce a particular sound, should also consult a doctor.
Tooth Testing
Some speech defects occur due to abnormality of the teeth or other defects, as a result of which the speech is distorted. Therefore, if there is a speech defect or it appeared recently, you need to visit a dentist or orthodontist. The doctor determines whether the anomalies of the teeth are the cause of such a defect.
Exercises to eliminate speech defects
Use breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, singing and role playing. Often several treatment methods are used simultaneously. Even people of old age can learn to speak correctly again.
Treatment of speech disorders
Depending on the cause, there are various ways of eliminating speech disorders and methods of re-learning speech skills. In the course of timely treatment (phonopedia and speech therapy) it is usually possible to positively influence the course of the majority of speech disorders. In this case, the patient learns to speak under the guidance of a speech therapist or a phonopaedist.
Feel a speech
The processes occurring when the sounds are pronounced are not visible. Therefore, the patient puts his hand to the neck of the speech therapist and feels how the voice of the speech sounds in the speech of the larynx and what vibration is felt at the same time. With the palm of the other hand, the patient at the same time probes his larynx and checks; whether its movements are correct.
Speech without larynx
Talk can and patients who have been removed larynx or part of it. They must learn that is, the esophageal voice or use a kind of amplifier. Without the larynx, the words can be pronounced with the mouth, teeth and tongue, but in this case no sound is heard. A special adaptation (laryngophone) strengthens these silent words, and others can understand them. True, such a human speech resembles "robot speech". When recovering a voice function by switching to an esophageal voice, the patient learns to swallow air (as well as when learning the art of ventriloquism). Then it controls its output and thus forms understandable words.