Speech disorders in children with learning disabilities

Background: Speech disorders can be prejudicial to child development as a whole. There may be losses in social interaction, literacy and the development of reading and writing. The literature on speech and language development points out that children who had speech delay are at increased risk for difficulties in reading and writing.

Objective: To investigate the frequency of speech disorders (speech delay, exchanges, omissions or deviations) in children diagnosed with learning difficulties.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective research. For speech assessment, the ABFW test – Child Language Test, phonoarticulatory album and oromyofunctional clinical assessment were used. The research sample consisted of children referred to the Neuropediatrics center, who were later referred to a School Disorders' outpatient clinic and received a diagnosis of learning difficulties after evaluation by a multidisciplinary team.

Results: The sample consisted predominantly of boys, totaling 56%, while 44% were girls. Quantitative data revealed that 54.2% of the children had some type of speech disorder. 27.3% present exchanges between phonemes and 26.9% had some kind of delay in speech and language development. The data also revealed that 72% of the children had a family history of speech disorders.

Conclusions: The research reveals that learning difficulties may be associated with speech disorders. The family history of these children indicates that those with family members with some type of speech disorders are more likely to present the same difficulties in child development. The development of speech and language is directly related to the development of reading and writing. It is possible to emphasize the importance of early intervention in cases of speech and language difficulties, since such difficulties can harm the development of reading and writing, as well as the school learning process.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
18 September 2023