Communication Difficulties

What Are Speech, Language, and Communication Disorders?

• Speech disorders: These are problems with speaking clearly. A person may find it hard to move their mouth or tongue to make sounds and words.

• Language disorders: These involve trouble with understanding (receptive language) or sharing thoughts and ideas (expressive language).

• Communication disorders: These are broader and include problems with non-verbal communication (like gestures), understanding social cues, and how we interact with others.

These conditions are connected but different. For example:

• A person might speak clearly but have trouble understanding language.

• Someone might understand language well but not be able to speak.

Communication disorders can happen in many types of disabilities. They can also vary a lot from person to person.

Important to Remember
Helping someone with a communication disorder should always start with understanding their individual needs. It’s not enough to just look at the general category of their condition.