A statement describing a speech disorder as non-physiological is best defined as lacking identifiable physiological impairment.

• A. A disorder caused by a structural anomaly
• B. A disorder due to hearing loss
• C. A disorder due to metabolic issue
• D. A disorder with no identifiable physiological impairment

Answer: (D)

Non-physiological means there isn’t an identifiable physiological impairment causing the speech disorder. So describing a disorder this way points to the absence of a detectable anatomical, metabolic, or sensory (such as hearing) issue. If there were a structural anomaly, a metabolic problem, or hearing loss, those would all be examples of identifiable physiological causes, which would not fit the non-physiological label. In other words, a non-physiological description is essentially saying the problem isn’t explained by an identifiable body-based impairment, often leading to a functional view of the disorder.