Artikulointihäiriö

Artikulointihäiriö refers to difficulties in producing speech sounds correctly. This can manifest as substituting one sound for another, omitting sounds, or distorting sounds. For example, a child might say "tato" instead of "kato" or "tapa" instead of "kapa." These errors can affect single sounds, sound blends, or entire words.

The causes of artikulointihäiriö can be varied. Some cases are developmental, meaning the child's speech sound system is simply not maturing at the expected rate. Other causes can include physical issues such as problems with the teeth, palate, or tongue, or neurological conditions that affect motor control of speech muscles. Hearing loss can also contribute to articulation problems, as difficulty hearing sounds can make it harder to learn to produce them.

Diagnosis typically involves a speech-language pathologist assessing the individual's speech. They will look at the types of errors made, their frequency, and how they impact intelligibility. Treatment usually involves speech therapy, where the individual works with the therapist to learn the correct production of sounds. This can involve exercises to strengthen speech muscles, learning new mouth movements, and practicing sounds in isolation, in words, and in sentences. Early intervention is often beneficial, especially for children, to prevent the development of persistent speech difficulties.