The 14 types of language disorders

Language is one of the most important capacities of the human being, to the point that in ancient times it was considered one of the main factors that identified us as human beings.

Communicating, expressing what we think and feel, and the various uses that can be given to such communication, is something partly innate, but which must be trained throughout our lives. But sometimes different problems can appear that either cause this acquisition not to be correctly or lost for some reason. Thus, we can identify different types of language disorders. In this article we are going to see some of the main ones.

• Related article: "The 28 types of communication and their characteristics"

Language disorders

Language disorders are understood to be all those difficulty or absence in understanding, expressing or repeating language in its different aspects that generate problems in the adaptation of the subject to the environment and / or significant discomfort. These problems can arise during the period in which the skill is acquired and potentiated, or as a loss of the already acquired skill.

Although we generally identify language with speech, and in fact this is an important part of language, it must be borne in mind that in the latter also paraverbal components such as tone, appropriateness to context, or fluency are involved and non-verbal like gestures and mimicry.

Based on what has been said, we can see that there are multiple problems that can arise in any of these areas, with different types of language disorders.

• Related article: "The 8 types of speech disorders"

Main types of language disorders

Here is a brief review of some of the most common and well-known language disorders. In this review we include both oral and written language disorders and both comprehension and production.

However, although they affect communication, language disorders are not properly considered those that are not limited to this area, such as selective mutism (which is an anxiety problem and not a language problem, which is perfectly preserved). Nor are other disorders such as autism, although in this case they do have language difficulties (some of them included in the disorders that follow).

1. Language disorder

Formerly known as Specific Language Disorder or SLI, the language disorder is characterized by the presence of problems in understanding and / or expression of language in subjects with typical intellectual capacities in subjects of the same age, so that these problems would not be the consequence of a disability intellectual.

Grammatical structure and lexicon are affected, the speech being generally less verbose and more limited than usual.

2. Functional dyslalia or phonological disorder

The phonological disorder, formerly known as dyslalia, is an oral language problem in which there are difficulties in articulation, making the language somewhat understandable and limiting social participation. It cannot produce certain sounds correctly, and often makes substitutions, transformations and omissions of these. The phonological disorder cannot be due to organic causes, which equates it to the old functional dyslalia.

3. Dysarthria

Dysarthria is considered to be that difficulty in the articulation of language produced by a brain disorder or located in the nerve fibers that regulate the articulation and production of language. It is considered a type of organic dyslalia.

• You may be interested: "Parts of the human brain (and functions)"

4. Dysglossia

Dysglossia is an organic dyslalia produced by morphological alterations that prevent or hinder the normal use of language and correct pronunciation. An example is found in people with a cleft lip or facial malformations. Also is considered a type of organic dyslalia.

5. Fluency disorder or dysphemia

Also known as stuttering is a relatively common problem in childhood, although in some cases it becomes chronic. The main problem is found in the difficulties in the fluency with which speech is produced, which is especially accentuated in the presence of the public.

In his speech, the subject suffers from different blocks that interrupt the usual rhythm of speech, be it a sudden one at the beginning of a word, several small spasms throughout a word or phrase or a mixture of both. They tend to generate great anxiety and sometimes avoidance.

6. Social communication disorder

Also called pragmatic communication disorder, it is based on the existence of difficulties when using language in a way appropriate to the context. There are no problems in comprehension or emission, but there are problems in using the right language at the right time.

It is usual that the subject does not understand why in certain contexts using one language or another is more or less appropriate, that there are difficulties understanding metaphors and analogies, look for second meanings or find different ways to express the same idea, the language being generally literal. Likewise, it not only occurs with oral language, but also with gestures.

This symptomatology is common in subjects with autism and Asperger's.

7. Aphasias and dysphasias

Aphasias are all those alterations in which there is loss or difficulty in producing, understanding or repeating the language due to the existence of a brain injury, said ability being previously acquired and deficits only occurring later.

Its infantile equivalent is dysphasia, in which these problems occur in the face of an unconsolidated ability and that often cannot fully develop due to brain injury. In the latter case, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate from other problems, since there is no baseline set with respect to language ability: the child has not yet learned or has not just learned to communicate.

Within this group of disorders there are many variants, depending on the injured area and the effect it has on communication and language.

• You may be interested: "The 6 types of aphasia (causes, symptoms and characteristics)"

8. Dyslexia and alexia

One of the best known language disorders, but in this case of written language. Dyslexia is the difficulty for literacy in which the subject has trouble understanding what you read or doing the act of reading. The letters are mixed and substitutions, omissions and translations are made, reading slows down and there are usually difficulties in understanding what is read.

Dyslexia can be superficial (in which there are problems when it comes to reading the words globally), phonological (in which the person has difficulty reading, associating the pagraphia with its equivalent in the form of a phoneme, which can only be read from the form of the word) or deep (a mixture of the previous two, which appears next to problems semantic).

The alexia supposes the total incapacity for this ability due to a brain injury.

9. Hyperlexia

This problem is characterized by a great ability for speed reading, but usually with little comprehension and retention of read material.

10. Dysgraphia and agraphia

Dysgraphia is understood as the difficulty in producing written language, with problems when coding and generating letters, words or phrases. There are problems in the capacity of organization in the writing space, copying difficulties, motor problems at the level of using a pencil and other similar skills, trouble translating thoughts and messages into written language, spell in writing, use different fonts and spelling among others. It would be the equivalent of dyslexia but at the production level.

As for agraphia, it refers to the inability for these abilities derived from a brain injury, in adults.

11. Dysorthography

A problem in which the main deficit occurs when correctly writing the content of the message that we want to produce. Sometimes called dyslexic dysgraphia, there are errors in the writing that affect the correct tracing of the spellings according to the orthographic rules.

12. Glossolalia

Use of an invented language by the subject, being incomprehensible to listeners, in which new terms are generated while there is agrammatism.

13. Tachyphemia

Speech disorder in which the subject speaks excessively fast, to the point that there is a word leakage and continuous mistakes derived from the great speed at which it is spoken.

14. Mimic disorders

Although in general they are not considered as language disorders, the truth is that at the level of non-verbal language, mimicry can be a fundamental element of communication. Dismimia supposes the lack of cohesion between what is expressed and what is thought or felt. Hypomimia is the presence of a reduced amount of movement and the amymia of absence of expression through movement. On the contrary, the hypermimias are exaggerated expressions of the movements.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-V. Masson, Barcelona.
• Belloch, Sandín and Ramos (2008). Manual of Psychopathology. Madrid. McGraw-Hill. (vol. 1 and 2) Revised edition.
• Santos, J.L. (2012). Psychopathology. CEDE PIR Preparation Manual, 01. CEDE: Madrid.