Why do people with down syndrome speak with a different voice?

Question

They seem to have similar voices. Is this just as a result of their cognative disabilities?

Answer 1

down syndrome has quite a few tip-offs when it comes to vocalizing.

their tongue is often enlarged at the back of their mouth, which makes them sound a little more nasal.

the tissue surrounding their vocal chords and larynx is thickened.

and they almost always also have mild to moderate MR which generally affects the /r/ and /s/ phonemes, sometimes others as well.

but remember down syndrome is really variable and some individuals may not have any of these differences. sometimes the extra chromosome only occurs on certain genes.

Answer 2

no it has to do with a thickening of the tissue that line the vocal cords