A student with a speech disorder due to poor muscle tone may demonstrate what?

When a student has a speech disorder associated with poor muscle tone, it can affect the ability to produce speech sounds consistently. Poor muscle tone, which may stem from conditions such as weak oral or respiratory musculature, often leads to variations in control over the articulators—the lips, tongue, and jaw—resulting in inconsistent production of speech sounds. This inconsistency may manifest as difficulties in articulating specific sounds, slurring, or varying clarity from one moment to the next.

In contrast, the other options do not align as closely with the effects of poor muscle tone. For example, excessive loudness is more indicative of issues related to breath control or vocal register rather than muscle tone. A slow speaking rate with clarity usually suggests a more controlled and stable speech pattern, which contradicts the inconsistency typically observed with poor muscle tone. Lastly, unvaried pitch may suggest a lack of modulation or expressive range, which can occur for various reasons but is not a direct consequence of poor muscle tone affecting the articulatory precision needed for consistent sound production.