Communication Disorders Due to Facial Deformities

Abstract

Communication has been defined as “The transmission of information (a message) between a source and a receiver, using a common signaling system...[it] is an essential function of many social animals, including humans. Communication is the broadest term, encompassing a wide range of methods of conveying information both verbal and nonverbal; language is a specific type of communication governed by rules that allow novel combination of elements; speech is a particular way of expressing language, through orally produced units of sounds, combined, again, in rule-governed ways.” Communication disorder (CD) is an umbrella term for many different impairments that impact on the process of sending and receiving messages, processing and comparing content, and understanding the behaviors, both verbal and nonverbal that constitute a communicative exchange between two people or more. CDs may manifest in deficits involving receptive communication skills (e.g., hearing) or productive skills (e.g., speaking) and vary in severity from minor to profound. They may result from developmental problems or be acquired. CDs may be the primary disability, or they may come about as a result of another impairment. Sufferers may have a single communication disorder, but, equally, co-occurrence of CDs is seen. Elements of communication difficulty are seen within several patient groups, for example, aphasic individuals, those with learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, orofacial cleft, linguistic disorders (both expressive and receptive), deafness, specific learning disability (e.g., dyslexia), and stammering/stuttering. Deformities of the face contribute significantly to communication problems. This chapter will highlight CDs associated with facial deformity and describe how facial deformities produce communication disorders.