Department of Speech Pathology
Resources
Glossary of Terms
A
Aphasia – Total or partial loss of the
ability to use or understand language—usually caused by
stroke, brain disease, or injury. Learn more about aphasia
Aphonia – Complete loss of voice
Apraxia – Inability to execute a voluntary
movement despite being able to demonstrate normal muscle function. Learn more about apraxia
Articulation Disorder – Inability to correctly
produce speech sounds (phonemes) because of imprecise placement,
timing, pressure,
speed, or flow of movement of the lips, tongue, or throat
Assistive Devices – Tools and devices such as
alphabet boards, text telephones, or text-to-speech conversion
software used to
help people with communication disorders perform actions, tasks,
and activities
Augmentative Devices – Tools that help
individuals with limited or absent speech to communicate. These
include communication
boards, pictographs (symbols that look like the things they represent),
or ideographs (symbols representing ideas).
Aural Rehabilitation – Techniques used
with people who are hearing impaired to improve their ability
to speak and communicate
Autism – A brain disorder that begins
in early childhood and persists throughout adulthood; affects
three crucial areas
of development: communication, social interaction, and creative
or imaginative play
C
Cognition – Thinking skills that include perception,
memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intellect, and imagination
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D
Dysarthria – Group of speech disorders
caused by disturbances in the strength or coordination of the
muscles
of the speech
mechanism as a result of damage to the brain, nerves, or muscles. Learn more about dysarthria
Dysfluency – Disruption in the smooth
flow or expression of speech
Dyslexia – Learning disability characterized by reading difficulties.
Some individuals may also have difficulty writing, spelling,
or working with numbers.
Dysphagia – Difficulty swallowing. Learn more about dysphagia
Dysphonia – Any impairment of the voice or speaking ability
Dyspraxia of Speech – Partial loss of
the ability to consistently pronounce words in individuals with
normal muscle tone and coordination
of the speech muscles. Learn more about dyspraxia
H
Hoarseness – Abnormally rough or harsh-sounding
voice caused by vocal abuse and other disorders
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L
Language – System for communicating ideas
and feelings using sounds, gestures, signs, or marks
Language Disorders – Any of a number of
problems with verbal communication and the ability to use or
understand a symbol
system
for communication
Laryngeal Nodules – Non-cancerous, callous-like
growths on the inner parts of the vocal folds (vocal cords);
usually
caused by vocal abuse or misuse
Laryngeal Paralysis – Loss of function or feeling of one
or both of the vocal folds caused by injury or disease to the
nerves
of the larynx.
Laryngectomy – Surgery to remove part or all of the larynx (voice
box)
Laryngitis – Hoarse voice or the complete
loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds (vocal
cords)
Larynx – Valve structure between the trachea
(windpipe) and the pharynx (the upper throat) that is the primary
organ
of voice
production
Learning Disability – Childhood disorders characterized
by difficulty with certain skills such as reading or writing
in individuals
with normal intelligence
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M
Misarticulation – Inaccurately produced
speech sound (phoneme) or sounds
Motor Speech Disorders – Group of disorders
caused by the inability to accurately produce speech sounds (phonemes)
N
Neurogenic Communication Disorder – Inability to exchange
information with others because of hearing, speech, and/or language
problems
caused by impairment of the nervous system (brain or nerves)
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O
Open-Set Speech Recognition – Understanding
speech without visual clues (speech reading)
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P
Phonology – Study of speech sounds
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R
Reading Disorders – Any of a group of problems characterized
by difficulty using or understanding the symbol system for
written language
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S
Sign Language – Method of communication for people who
are deaf or hard of hearing in which hand movements, gestures,
and facial
expressions convey grammatical structure and meaning
Sound Vocalization – Ability to produce voice
Speech – Making definite vocal sounds that form words to
express thoughts and ideas
Speech Disorder – Any defect or abnormality that prevents
an individual from communicating by means of spoken words. Speech
disorders may develop from nerve injury to the brain, muscular
paralysis, structural defects, hysteria, or mental retardation.
Speech-Language Pathologist – Health professional
trained to evaluate and treat people who have voice, speech,
language,
or swallowing disorders, including hearing impairment, that
affect
their ability to communicate
Stroke – Also known as a cerebrovascular
accident (CVA); caused by a lack of blood to the brain, resulting
in the sudden
loss
of speech, language, or the ability to move a body part, and,
if severe enough, death
Stuttering – Frequent repetition of words or parts of words
that disrupts the smooth flow of speech. Learn more about stuttering
Swallowing Disorders – Any of a group of problems that
interferes with the transfer of food from the mouth to the stomach
T
Throat Disorders – Disorders or diseases
of the larynx (voice box), pharynx, or esophagus
Tongue – Large muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates
food for chewing and swallowing. It is the main organ of
taste, and assists in forming speech sounds.
Tourette Syndrome – Neurological disorder characterized
by recurring movements and sounds (called tics)
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V
Vocal Cord Paralysis – Inability of one or both vocal folds
(vocal cords) to move because of damage to the brain or nerves
Vocal Cords (Vocal Folds) – muscularized folds of mucous
membrane that extend from the larynx (voice box) wall. The
folds are
enclosed in elastic vocal ligament and muscle that control
the tension
and rate of vibration of the cords as air passes through
them.
Vocal Folds – See Vocal Cords above.
Voice – Sound produced by air passing out through the larynx
and upper respiratory tract
Voice Disorders – Group of problems involving abnormal
pitch, loudness, or quality of the sound produced by the larynx
(voice box)
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