Speech, language and communication conditions
Speech, language and communication conditions
Some children may have difficulties with speech, language and communication for many different reasons. These difficulties can involve your child’s understanding of language or their speech and communication.
Babies can be born with disorders that affect their ability to speak, for instance cleft palate, cerebral palsy or deafness. Others only become evident as your child grows and may not be picked up until your child goes to school. Common disorders include:-
Tourettes
Tourette's syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics. For more information see the NHS website.
Stammering
The cause of stammering is not known but it is not caused by anxiety or low intelligence. Stammering often happens to children who start to learn earlier, although most grow out of it. It is more prevalent in boys than girls and, quite often, can be genetic. Most stammers can be helped with speech therapy. See the NHS Stammer Treatment page for more information.
Useful websites
