What is communications disorder & what causes it?

A communication disorder is a disorder that negatively affects the person’s ability to speak or engage in discussions with other people. It can range from the inability to understand their own native language, or it can be an inability to make the proper sounds necessary for speech.

It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the child might have some other learning disorder, or in some cases, that the child may be misbehaving and being stubborn.

The actual causes of communication disorder are varied. Some of them are:

• Undeveloped oral motor function, which makes it physically difficult for the child to form the words and sounds.
• Other physical issues like deafness may contribute to the child’s communication disorder. Since they can’t hear the words and sounds properly, replication becomes difficult.
• Speech impediments like stuttering and lisps may make it very difficult for them to speak clearly and fluently. Additionally, they may affect the child’s confidence and self esteem.

The child may also exhibit behaviour that may look like they are misbehaving but could be a sign that they are frustrated and don’t know how to verbalise how they feel. These behaviours can be:

• impulsiveness
• inability to properly socialise
• obsessiveness
• aggression

The ability to communicate is core to who we are and how we relate to each other; especially so in a child’s early life when they are trying to establish a sense of identity within their peer groups. A communication disorder can make the child feel out of place, in some cases they become targets for bullying; but importantly, it means they lack the means to properly express themselves in any meaningful way to the people they need most to interact and bond with.

Join us at College of Allied Educators to see how you can develop an understanding of the different types of exceptional children, their needs, and the different special needs programmes and specialties that are available to you, for them.