What defines articulation disorders?

Articulation disorders are characterized by difficulties in producing speech sounds correctly. This means that individuals with articulation disorders may have trouble pronouncing certain sounds clearly or accurately, which can affect their overall speech intelligibility. These disorders typically involve issues such as substitution, omission, distortion, or addition of sounds during speech production.

Understanding this definition is crucial because it highlights the specific nature of articulation disorders as being related solely to the sound production aspect of speech. In contrast, other options refer to different areas of communication. Confusion between similar sounding words pertains more to phonological processing or vocabulary issues rather than articulation itself. Challenges in understanding abstract language concepts relate to cognitive-linguistic skills, and an inability to write sentences properly is tied to written language difficulties. Each of these areas is distinct and not encompassed by the definition of articulation disorders. This focus on sound production is what makes the correct answer pertinent to the question posed.