What is a speech sound disorder?

A speech sound disorder occurs when a child has difficulty producing speech sounds clearly and correctly. These sound errors can make it hard for others to understand the child and may impact social confidence and academic success.

The three primary types of speech sound disorders are articulation, phonological, and motor-based disorders.

What is an articulation disorder?

An articulation disorder involves difficulty making sounds. Sounds may be substituted, omitted, added, or changed. For example, a child may say “wabbit” instead of “rabbit.”

What is a phonological disorder?

A phonological disorder involves patterns of sound errors. Instead of difficulty with just one sound, the child uses predictable error patterns. For example, a child may substitute all sounds made in the back of the mouth for those in the front of the mouth (saying "tup" for "cup").

What is a Motor Speech disorder?

A motor speech disorder occurs when the brain has difficulty planning or coordinating the muscle movements needed for speech. The child knows what they want to say, but their mouth does not consistently cooperate.

What are the causes?

Speech sound disorders may occur for a variety of reasons, including:

Hearing loss
Muscle weakness affecting speech movements
Difficulty coordinating or shaping the movements of the mouth
Structural or physiological differences such as a cleft palate or tongue tie
Developmental or neurological conditions

How are speech skills evaluated?

A speech evaluation helps us gain a complete understanding of your child’s speech skills and allows us to develop individualized therapy goals.

The evaluation may include:

An oral motor examination to assess the structure and function of the lips, tongue, jaw, and palate.
Standardized assessments to compare your child’s sound production to same-age peers.
Informal measures, such as parent questionnaires, case history forms, and observation of your child’s speech during play or conversation.
After the evaluation, results and recommendations are reviewed with the parent and a personalized treatment plan is created.

How are speech skills treated?

The goal of speech therapy is to improve your child’s speech clarity and overall communication. Treatment is individualized based on your child’s specific needs and may include:

Building listening skills, so your child can hear the difference between the correct sounds and error sounds.
Strengthening and coordinating oral muscles, so the lips, tongue, and jaw move accurately for speech.
Practicing correct sound production, beginning with individual sounds and gradually progressing to words, phrases, and conversation.
Teaching self-monitoring skills, so your child learns to recognize and correct errors independently.
Parent involvement is an important part of the therapy process, and parents are provided with strategies and home practice activities to support progress outside of sessions.

When should i be concerned:

You may want to consider a speech evaluation if your child:

Has trouble being understood by others
Becomes frustrated when trying to communicate
Has speech errors that persist beyond expected ages
Is falling behind peers in speech or early academic skills

Where can I learn more?

For additional information about speech development and speech sound disorders, please visit Speech Sound Disorders or call us today for a free phone consultation!