A CASE OF FUNCTIONAL LABIAL AND DENTAL DYSARTHRIA

Abstract

A nine years old boy had a functional disturbance of labial articulation and was not able to pronounce exactly the following tone.
Ma Mi Mu Me Mo
Na Ni Nu Ne No
Ra Ri Ru Re Ro
Wa
In his early childhood, he had been diagnosed as a case of mentally retarded child by a doctor of a university hospital. But the result of mental test for his entrance into primary school proved that his mentality was normal, i. e, IQ=92. At present, he attends regular school. He talked the first word when be was one and half years old. Until six years old, he was not able to talk except baby-like talk and then he could barely speak short sentences.
His parents could not remember his first word precisely. At least they were not “Mama” or “Mamma”.
He has no difficulty in his hearing, and it is hard to find organic, neurological and psychological causes in his speech disturbance.
In labial articulation, he seems to be able to pronounce exactly the words such as
Pa Pi Pu Pe Po
Ba Bi Bu Be Bo
As his trouble was recovered by speech therapy for only fifty days, so it was sure that his trouble was caused by functional disturbance.
There is no literatures regarding such functional disturbance without any lesion in central and peripheral nervous system.
His motor function was not thoroughly investigated because of his other sickness (rheumatic pancarditis), but it was unlikely assumed that he had “Minimal cerebral palsy” or “Apraxie”.
Speech Pathology of this kind of disturbances will be developed in near future.