Severe Speech Impairment

A significant limitation in the ability to produce intelligible speech, often resulting from neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. People with severe speech impairments may have little or no functional speech, making it difficult or impossible for others to understand them through spoken communication alone. SSI frequently co-occurs with motor impairments, which can also limit access to writing, signing, and other communication channels. Individuals with SSI typically rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies and devices to express themselves.