Speech Sound Disorders
A speech sound disorder is a communication disorder in which children have persistent difficulty saying sounds or words correctly. Most children make some mistakes as they learn to say new words, but a child who does not say sounds by their expected ages may have a speech sound disorder. The Speech Language Pathologist will provide a differential diagnosis of speech sound disorders, which include problems with articulation (sound production), phonology (sound patterns), Childhood Apraxia of Speech (deficits of motor planning), or physiological deficits (tongue thrust, dysarthria). An evidence based treatment approach will be developed and tailored to each child’s unique needs.
Articulation refers to how we produce specific sounds with our mouths. Articulation disorders often involve substitutions of one sound for another (“w” for “r” as in “wun” for “run”) or sound distortions, such as a lisp.
Phonology refers to how we use individual sounds in the context of language. Children with phonological disorders frequently demonstrate consistent patterns of sound substitutions or omissions. For example, a child with the phonological process of “fronting” consistently produces a front sound “t” instead of a back sound “k” (“tup” for “cup”). The more phonological processes that are present the more difficult it is for the child to be understood.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder in which a child demonstrates difficulties saying suns, syllables, and words not due to muscular weakness or paralysis, but because the brain has trouble with the planning of movements for speech. The child knows what he/she wants to say, but the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the muscle movements necessary to produce the words. Children with CAS are extremely difficult to understand and should only be diagnosed by a Speech Language Pathologist.
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by muscle weakness. Signs of dysarthria include slurred speech, reduced or increased rate of speech, hoarse or breathy voice, and imprecise sound production.
Tongue Thrust occurs when the tongue protrudes out of the mouth or forcefully against the back of the teeth when swallowing or talking. Children with a tongue thrust often present with articulation errors with “s” and “z”.
Cleft lip and/or palate are structural differences caused by atypical development as an embryo. Cleft lip and palate may result in a number of deficits that require speech language pathology treatment, including articulation, feeding/swallowing, voice, and resonance/airflow.
Resources
Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology
Average age children learn to pronounce English consonants correctly