What characterizes articulation disorders?

Articulation disorders are specifically characterized by challenges in producing sound patterns for communication. This means that individuals with articulation disorders struggle to pronounce certain sounds correctly, leading to difficulty in clear and effective speech. These disorders can manifest in various ways, such as substituting one sound for another, omitting sounds, or distorting sounds, which ultimately affects the intelligibility of speech.

In contrast, challenges with language comprehension relate more to understanding and processing language, which is not the focus of articulation disorders. Issues with cognitive development pertain to intellectual functioning and problem-solving abilities and do not directly influence the physical production of speech sounds. Difficulties with written language skills involve reading and writing capabilities, which are separate from the spoken language aspects that articulation disorders address. Therefore, the correct option highlights the core issue of articulation disorders as it directly relates to sound production in speech communication.