What is Communication Disorder?;
Communication disorder refers to difficulties in understanding, expressing or using language, either orally or non-verbally. The child may have difficulty finding the right words, forming sentences, understanding instructions or expressing themselves emotionally.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), communication disorders are neurodevelopmental difficulties that affect the child's functioning in everyday life.
This can result in difficulties in socialisation as well. These difficulties may be transient or permanent and may be mild or more severe.
Main types of Communication Disorders
Speech and language disorder
Logos consists of two main axes, understanding (internal discourse) and expression (external discourse). A speech disorder combines difficulties in understanding and/or using language.
The child may be delayed in developing vocabulary, sentence structure or the correct use of grammatical rules. He or she often has difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings clearly, which affects both his or her academic performance and social interaction.
Arthrosis Disorder
Difficulties in pronunciation or clarity of speech. The child may substitute or omit phonemes (phonemes, e.g. “R”) or have difficulty forming specific sounds correctly. These difficulties may affect the child's understanding of his/her environment and create insecurity in communication.
Pragmatic (social) Communication Disorder
Difficulty in understanding and using the social rules of language (e.g., use of singular to unfamiliar people, not understanding extra-verbal communication, indiscriminate sociability, not following the rules of dialogue, etc.).
The child may have difficulty starting or maintaining a conversation, understanding humour or innuendo, or adapting his or her speech to the person or environment. These types of difficulties affect the child's social relationships and participation in groups or school activities.
Mixed Speech and Understanding Disorder (Dysphasia)
It affects both the ability to express and understand spoken language. The child has difficulty forming sentences, understanding complex instructions or following conversations. This is a more complex form of disorder, requiring specialised speech and language therapy intervention and systematic support to develop effective communication skills.
Dysphasia is often associated with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), a neurodevelopmental disability that affects the understanding and expression of speech.
Autism spectrum disorder
It affects both the ability to express and understand and the ability to socialise. The child finds it difficult to interact and communicate with the interlocutor, is limited to his or her own interests and becomes isolated in both the family and school environment.
Η autism spectrum disorder is often accompanied by difficulties in communication and social interaction.
What are the symptoms?;
Every child is unique, but some common signs that may indicate a communication disorder are:
- Delayed speech development or limited vocabulary
- Difficulty in understanding and carrying out instructions
- Repeated or incomplete phrases or sounds
- Lack of eye contact or social interaction or communication with others
- Difficulty describing events or feelings or retelling events
- Irritation when trying to communicate
- Repeated errors of syntax or articulation or organisation of speech
If you recognise any of these signs, it is important to ask Evaluation by a speech and language therapist or developmental therapist.
In some cases, you may also need to child psychiatric evaluation, in order to exclude or diagnose accompanying difficulties.
As the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), early intervention by a qualified speech and language therapist can significantly improve the child's communication skills.
Causes and Factors
Speech and language disorders are not always accompanied by clear causes. However, some factors that seem to be associated with their occurrence are:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Hereditary or genetic factors
- Speech delay or hearing loss
- Environmental effects or lack of verbal stimuli
especially in the premature babies, speech and communication difficulties may occur more frequently and require close monitoring.
The importance of early diagnosis
As earlier the difficulty is identified, the more effective the intervention is. Η early speech and language therapy support can greatly enhance communication skills and help the child to develop confidence in their daily interactions with others.
Treatment and Therapeutic Support
In our Center, we apply individualized programs that combine:
- Speech therapy to enhance speech, comprehension and expression.
- Occupational therapy to develop communication and interaction skills.
- Parental counselling, so that the family is actively involved in the therapeutic process.
In some children, approaches such as Intensive Interaction, which enhances communication through relationship and play.
Our multidisciplinary team works closely with each child and their parents, creating a supportive and safe learning environment.
