Speech sound challenges in kids may mean difficulty making one or more sounds, knowing sound patterns, and transitioning between sounds, among other difficulties. Apraxia of speech, a speech sound disorder that involves moving between sounds, may mean speech is hard to understand and is inconsistent. Children also may have difficulty with the fluency of their speech. When a child repeats single sounds, syllables, words or phrases or experiences blocks in speech, that child stutters.
Signs of Speech Sound Challenges in Kids
- lisps
- slushy sounds
- breathy sounds
- nasal sounds
- mixing up sounds
- replacing consonants with vowels
- omitting certain sounds
- mumbling
- You have difficulty understanding your child’s speech
- Unfamiliar listeners have difficulty understanding your child’s speech
Will My Child Grow Out of It?
While some children may develop their sounds in time, it is always better to get a speech and language evaluation first. ‘Waiting to see’ if a sound comes in often results in lost time, and it becomes much harder for the sounds to be corrected over time.
Speech sound challenges in kids are much easier to correct at an earlier age compared to a later age. Children become familiar with their speech sounds and patterns develop. By addressing their needs now, they get the skills they need to continue making new speech sounds. However, if a teenager experiences speech sound challenges, they should get speech therapy. Adolescents have more flexibility in correcting speech sounds than adults do.
By looking up speech sound norms, you may learn more about whether the speech challenges are expected based on the child’s age.
If you are concerned about your child’s communication, speak with a speech language pathologist and find out if they need speech therapy treatment.
Speech Sound Challenges in Kids at Home
You can support your child’s production of speech sounds at home by speaking clearly and at a slower rate. By making sure your children hear each sound, you support their ability to learn the sounds and make them on their own.
Whenever possible, let your child see your face and mouth when you speak. These visuals support speech sound development by sharing important information with your child about how sounds are made. By speaking more slowly and clearly, and sharing visuals about your speech, you help your child know and learn these sounds better!
Children sometimes learn to avoid words that include trouble sounds. If you know that your child has difficulty with certain sounds, encourage opportunities to use words that include those sounds. Practice is extremely important for building speech skills and speech confidence! Sometimes, saying a word with an adult — slowly, face-to-face and together at the same time — can help children figure out how to make hard speech sounds.
If you are interested in receiving online speech therapy services for your child or would like to speak with a licensed speech therapist, please use the link below.