Also see speech impairment . It is also an effective way to monitor normal growth and development as well as identify potential problems. Dysfluencies are rhythm disorders that are usually characterized by the repetition of a sound, word, or phrase. Stuttering is, perhaps, the most serious dysfluency. Articulation deficiencies are sound that are made incorrectly or inappropriately.
Voice disorders involve differences in the quality, pitch, and loudness of the sound.
Males are three to four times as likely to experience speech disorders as females. Since mental retardation and hearing loss are predisposing factors for speech disorders, at risk infants should be referred to an audiologist for an audiology exam. Audiological and speech therapy can then be initiated if necessary. Stuttering can best be prevented by parents withholding undue attention to dysfluency in their young child. As young children begin to speak some dysfluency is common.