Speech

A speech disability affects a person’s ability to communicate and can be characterized as language and voice disorders, articulation errors, and dysfluency or stuttering.

THINGS TO KNOW
Persons with a speech disability

  • may have his or her disability for a variety of reason, i.e., stroke, cerebral palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), etc.
  • may substitute ‘w’ for ‘r’ i.e., rabbit become wabbit.
  • may exhibit articulation errors characterized by substitutions, omissions, distortions, or hesitancy.
  • should not be regarded as having a mental deficit since a speech disability does not mean a lack of intelligence.


THINGS TO DO
When ministering to a person with a speech disability,

  • be a patient listener, keeping your manner encouraging rather than correcting.
  • be honest when you do not understand the person’s speech.  Ask him or her to repeat what was said.
  • be aware of distractions when in public and move to a quieter location.


THINGS NOT TO DO
When ministering to a person with a speech disability,

  • do not assume that the person is intoxicated.
  • do not speak to the person with condescending and patronizing overtones.
  • do not speak for the person or try to finish his or her sentences.


THINGS NOT TO SAY
The following terms are negative or inappropriate:

  • speechless
  • retarded
  • unfortunate