---
title: What is a Communication Disorder?
description: Communication disorders can affect m,any aspects of our lives from speaking to hearing to understanding. Learn how to identify a communication disorder and what treatments are available.
---

[Communication Matters | Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Blog](https://blog.chsc.org/blog)

# [What is a Communication Disorder?](https://blog.chsc.org/blog/what-is-a-communication-disorder)

 Written by [Sharon Dundee](https://blog.chsc.org/blog/author/sharon-dundee) | Feb 1, 2018 3:39:43 PM

A **communication disorder** is an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. A communication disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language, and/or speech. A communication disorder may range in severity from mild to profound.

A **speech disorder** is an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds, fluency and/or voice.

- A **fluency disorder** **(stuttering)** is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior, and secondary mannerisms.
- An **articulation disorder** is the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility.
- A **voice disorder** is characterized by the abnormal production and/or absences of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or duration, which is inappropriate for an individual's age and/or sex.

A **language disorder** is impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written and/or other symbol systems. The disorder may involve (1) the form of language (phonology, morphology, syntax), (2) the content of language (semantics), and/or (3) the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination.

- Form of Language 
    - **Phonology** is the sound system of a language and the rules that govern the sound combinations.
    - **Morphology** is the system that governs the structure of words and the construction of word forms.
    - **Syntax** is the system governing the order and combination of words to form sentences, and the relationships among the elements within a sentence.
- Content of Language 
    - **Semantics** is the system that governs the meanings of words and sentences.
- Function of Language 
    - **Pragmatics** is the system that combines the above language components in functional and socially appropriate communication.

A **hearing disorder** is the result of impaired auditory sensitivity of the physiological auditory system. A hearing disorder may limit the development, comprehension, production, and/or maintenance of speech and/or language. Hearing disorders are classified according to difficulties in detection, recognition, discrimination, comprehension, and perception of auditory information. Individuals with hearing impairment may be described as deaf or hard of hearing.

- **Deaf** is defined as a hearing disorder that limits an individual's aural/oral communication performance to the extent that the primary sensory input for communication may be other than the auditory channel.

**Hard of hearing** is defined as a hearing disorder, whether fluctuating or permanent, which adversely affects an individual's ability to communicate. The hard-of-hearing individual relies on the auditory channel as the primary sensory input for communication.

If you suspect that your child, parent, or spouse may have a communication disorder, please contact the [**Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center**](http://www.chsc.org/) for information regarding evaluation, testing and therapy options.

[View full post](https://blog.chsc.org/blog/what-is-a-communication-disorder)

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