Articulation Impairment

Also known as: articulation disorders, speech sound disorders

What is articulation impairment?

Articulation involves the physical process of producing speech sounds (which includes the accurate placement of the lips, tongue, jaw and airflow), and is one form of communication problem. Any incorrect production of sound due to an abnormality of one or more parts of speech production is called an articulation disorder. They are the most common form of language disorder and there are many different types that range in nature and severity.

What causes articulation impairment?

Articulation impairment can occur due to physical structural problems with the mouth or face (like cleft lip or palate), neurological/developmental disorders, hearing loss plus other causes. Often the cause is unknown.

What are the symptoms of articulation impairment?

Symptoms can vary widely based on the nature and severity of the articulation impairment. Common symptoms include

• mispronouncing of words
• difficulty saying syllables
• leaving out certain sounds
• substituting one sound for another
• adding sounds where they don’t belong
• distorting sounds and more.

What are articulation impairment care options?

Early (between the ages of 2 and 4), regular treatment sessions one-on-one with a speech-language pathologist is the most effective management of children with communication difficulties.

Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: December 04, 2019 12:48 PM