Speech therapy: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

Rhinolalia is a violation of pronunciation and voice timbre associated with improper passage of air through the nose during speech. Normally, when pronouncing most sounds, the soft palate rises and separates the nasal cavity, and for the sounds “m” and “n” the passage opens. If the palate does not close completely, air constantly escapes into the nose, and speech becomes nasal and slurred - this is open rhinolalia. If nasal breathing is blocked by adenoids, polyps or a deviated septum, the voice sounds muffled, as if you have a bad runny nose - a closed form. Such a speech disorder always requires two specialists: an ENT doctor who eliminates the cause, and a speech therapist who restores speech.

Selective mutism is a condition in which a child speaks freely in a familiar environment, most often at home with loved ones, but remains consistently silent in certain situations: in kindergarten, school, at the doctor’s, with unfamiliar adults. This is not stubbornness, not whim, or lack of speech: the child wants to speak, but severe anxiety literally blocks the voice. Usually the condition is noticed at three to five years of age or upon entering kindergarten and school. Without help, silence becomes entrenched, interferes with learning and friendships, and over time develops into persistent social anxiety. The good news is that with proper behavioral work and family support, most children begin to speak.