Speech sound disorders in underserved and unserved populations

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to inform governmental bodies, professional organizations, health and educational service providers about the risk and consequences of speech sound disorders in children in underserved and unserved communities. Speech sound disorders (SSD) in children is a common reason for referral to speech-language pathology/phoniatric (SLP) services in many countries. SSD is a “persistent difficulty with speech sound production that interferes with speech intelligibility or prevents verbal communication” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It differs from other types of communication impairment such as developmental language disorder, autism spectrum disorder or social communication disorder and stuttering/stammering in that children with SSD have a specific problem with producing the sounds of speech in a clear and intelligible manner. In the majority of cases, the cause of SSD is unknown (e.g., Shriberg, 2003; Broomfield & Dodd, 2004). However, known causes are identified in a minority of children with SSD, which may include cognitive impairment, hearing loss, and craniofacial dysmorphias (such as cleft lip and/or palate, or cerebral palsy).