Index
Developmental Dysarthria in Syndromic Conditions
- Causes: Often linked to structural brain anomalies such as perisylvian or perirolandic polymicrogyria, cerebellar anomalies, Joubert syndrome, and brainstem dysgenesis.
- Differential Diagnosis: Childhood apraxia of speech and conditions like Worster-Drought syndrome, characterized by severe and persistent bulbar dysfunction, poor speech prognosis, and associated imaging abnormalities.
- Additional Risks: High risk of epilepsy, regression, and severe speech impairments in children with these syndromes.
Interventions for Speech and Language Disorders
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Early Interventions for Late Talkers:
- Target vocabulary growth and mean length of utterance.
- Direct and indirect therapy by professionals or guided staff has proven effective.
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School-Aged Children:
- Effective for expressive language impairments.
- Less effective for receptive language issues, though reading comprehension may benefit.
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Severe Speech Disorders:
- Limited evidence for treatment efficacy in childhood apraxia of speech and Worster-Drought syndrome.
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools may be necessary.
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Resources:
- The UK’s 'What Works' database for evidence-based practices.
Prognosis
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Catch-Up Potential:
- Around 50% of children with delayed speech and language development show improvement by 3–5 years.
- Persistent receptive language delays are more likely to result in ongoing difficulties.
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Factors Influencing Outcomes:
- Biological: Child’s sex, birth weight, maternal smoking.
- Social: Parental education, maternal language skills.
- Protective: Higher performance IQ and maternal knowledge of child development.
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Long-Term Challenges:
- Reduced academic achievement, literacy difficulties, and employment prospects.
- High rates of emotional, behavioral, and attentional symptoms.
- Adults may face impairments in theory of mind, short-term memory, and phonological processing, leading to social adaptation difficulties and increased psychiatric risks.
References
Speech and Language UK. (n.d.). What Works database. Retrieved January 4, 2025, from https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/educators-and-professionals/what-works-database/