Speech and language impairment may be any of several problems that make it difficult to communicate.

See also:

• Stuttering
• Expressive language disorder - developmental

Language impairment; Impairment of speech; Inability to speak; Aphasia; Dysarthria; Slurred speech; Dysphonia voice disorders

Common speech and language disorders include:

APHASIA

Aphasia is loss of the ability to understand or express spoken or written language. It commonly occurs following strokes or traumatic brain injuries, or in people with brain tumors or degenerative diseases that affect the language areas of the brain. This term does not apply to children who have never developed communication skills. There are many different types of aphasia.

In some cases of aphasia, the problem eventually corrects itself, but in others the condition is irreversible.

DYSARTHRIA

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Brain

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Review Date: 04/23/2008
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology and Gene Therapeutics Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)