Some ailments are like the proverbial speck in the eye, like the darkness beneath the lamp. It is right there for everyone to see, but the person concerned has no idea about its presence. Nothing suits this example more than speech disorder. Unless the problem is acute, like a bout of stammering, the person is rarely aware of the problem though they are suffering from it. It takes a wise friend or family member to point it out and set them off on the path of recovery.
There are various giveaways by which you can quickly figure out, if your friend or family member is suffering from speech impairment. The most common one is, of course, the problem of stammering. If the problem is acute, the person who is stuttering knows it. But if it is quite subtle, they are unable to figure it out. You can understand it when you find your friend repeating sounds or adding extra sounds to the usual syllables. It can be quite in an obsessive manner.
A person suffering from speech disorder is also likely to elongate sound and pronunciations. It is not just the verbal cues that give away their problem. You have to read into the non-verbal gestures as well. For example, a person struggling with their speech will tend to make rapid hand movements, like the gestures of an obsessed person. It is usually so because they are suffering from an internal turmoil. The words tumbling out of their mouths are not able to keep pace with the thoughts in their minds. As a result, they are always playing catch-up. It is not an enviable situation to be in for anybody.
This struggle often leads to frustration, leading to deep-seated anger, annoyance and impatience about anything and everything. You will find the person perpetually cross with themselves and everything around them. When they speak, you may find them taking long, unusual pauses, clearly because they are not being able to pronounce words naturally, while at the same time, trying to hide the fact that they are struggling. People with speech disorders usually hate it when they feel that they are making their problem obvious for others to understand.
If you know such a person as a friend or family member, you should assist them. They need a bit of encouragement to check in with a speech therapist. Sometimes, the support and confidence is enough to help them on the path of recovery. Direct them to a professional setup like Speech Plus to help them recover.