Because speech is essential to human communication, anything that interferes with it can be isolating and emotionally distressing. Primary mutism, in which a person cannot speak due to absent vocal cords or another structural defect, is rare. More commonly, difficulty in speaking is secondary to other conditions, including paralysis, deafness, retardation or other mental disorders and larynx cancer. In certain cases, a person (especially a young child) knows how to speak but has difficulty forming words.

Stuttering

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When speech is disrupted by the involuntary repetition or prolongation of certain sounds, it is causes a person to stutter. The problem usually begins between the ages of two and five, with male stutterers outnumbering females by far. Many youngsters outgrow stuttering by the time they reach adolescence, but for others it remains a lifelong problem. At one time, stuttering was attributed mostly to anxiety or other emotional problems but medical research have by now shown that it is because of subtle brain abnormalities as the major cause.

I had a huge fright one day when I heard my eldest son stuttering. He had just turned 3 and it bothered me a lot. Eventually, we figured out that it wasn't really stuttering but, because he had just started school (KG 1) in English and his home language was Afrikaans, it was actually his way of forming sentences in his mind while talking to us at home. He was thinking in English and communicating in Afrikaans.

Parents and teachers should consider options and seek medical advice before jumping to conclusions about things like these as it may be a simple communication error, as in our case.

Spastic dyshonia

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This is a neuromuscular disorder in which unpredictable spasms compress the vocal cords, causing irregular speech which may sound choked or whispered. The problem, which originates in the nerve cells at the base of the brain that control the laryngeal muscles, usually begins at a later stage in life (around 40 and 50) and in this case, affects more women than men. It can be hereditary in some, but in others, it is triggered by an injury, stroke or exposure to certain chemicals. Stress causes symptoms to intensify but it is not the cause.

Probably the best thing we as teachers can do for our students is to teach them to show respect when coming across a person with any type of speech defect.

Aphasia

Very recently (and quite frankly this is the main reason for this post), I came across a person who did not make any sense, at all. It was the mother of a student at school and she tried her best to communicate with me but I was just not getting what she was trying to tell me. Needless to say, it was me who felt like the one with the problem. Stuttering is something I've seen before, Spastic dysphonia too and another one that I've also encountered before was someone who could not speak at all, but his one took me by surprise!

It was only after I was able to find out from some of the other teachers that I realized what was going on. Because of an accident that she had before which caused brain damage, she is no longer capable of communicating normally. Aphasia impairs a person's ability to speak and/or understand spoken or written words. It doesn't always have to be because of brain damage though. Sudden aphasia usually is due to a stroke or a head injury, whereas the likely cause of slow developing aphasia is a brain tumour or progressive dementia.

These are just 3 of the existing speech defects that I can comment on...

There are many more and some others related to other kinds of problems, especially among children in different stages of development. We just have to find another way of dealing with such defects in order to keep our children from making fun of, or discriminating against people who can't help it.

How can we help?

Reduce background noise and give the speaker your full attention. Be patient and refrain from finishing sentences or speaking for the person unless it is absolutely necessary.
Try not to ask questions which require complicated answers. Give the person time to answer or to backtrack and correct mistakes.
Speak simply, slowly and use a normal tone of voice. If the person has suffered brain damage and reacts with incomprehension, repeat what you said, perhaps using simpler key words.
Don't laugh! That's just rude. They did not ask to have speech defects and it can happen to anyone at any time.
Don't make assumptions. It does not mean that the person has no intellect or is mentally challenged!
The best place to start, is with your own mouth...Whenever you feel something unkind is about to slip out...