Misarticulation

From WikiParenting

Misarticulation is defined as disorders of the quality of speech characterized by the substitution, omission, distortion, and addition of phonemes. Most forms of misarticulation are quite common in young children and will self correct. Other forms of misarticulation may require intervention from a speech therapist.

[edit] Mispronunciation of Letters or Letter Combinations

Many children become tongue-tied over certain sounds. For example, 2-year-olds often substitute an f or d sound for th as in "I need to go to the bafroom" instead of "I need to go to the bathroom” or a w sound for an l or r such as "wion" instead of "lion". Consonant blends, involving two consonants right next to each other, are typically difficult and produce "Soppit" instead of "Stop it". Two-year-olds also frequently mix up multisyllabic words or simply shorten them as in "Gimme dat amal" instead of "Give me that animal". These mispronunciations are common until age 7. As long as your child's speech is improving over time and is mostly understandable by age 3, there is probably no reason for concern.

On the other hand, certain mispronunciations are red flags at the preschool age. If your child can't say vowels or if she talks using mostly vowels, omitting whole consonants, speak with her doctor. Since children attempt to say words as they hear them, this may be a sign that your child is not able to hear all the sounds in words. Temporary, mild hearing loss from an ear infection can slow a child's ability to understand language well enough to speak clearly.

[edit] Lisping

A lisp is the pronunciation of the s sound like a th. "Your sister is seven" becomes "Your thithter ith theven." A normal s sound is produced with the tongue behind the top teeth but a child who lisps pushes her tongue out. While it may be frustrating to attempt to change this speech defect, many kids lisp and most will outgrow it by age 7 with no intervention at all.

[edit] Flow and Stuttering

It is not unusual for a child to struggle to get sentences out. It is normal for 2-year-olds to battle with their new speech skills and it is also a good sign if the child gets frustrated when you don't understand her. Her frustration means that she notices when she gets her meaning across and is eager to communicate with you.

It is also normal for children to go through a phase of stuttering, especially when they are in a period of such rapid growth in their ability to express themselves. Technically most preschool children do not have a true stutter but instead, they hesitate or repeat whole words or the first syllable of a word. Stuttering occurs when brainpower outstrips verbal dexterity. Sometimes children are so excited to tell you what's on their minds, or so tired, angry, or upset, that they can't get their words out easily. If her stuttering continues to get worse, or to the point where your child is tensing her jaw or grimacing in an effort to get the words out, speak with her doctor.

[edit] Apraxia

Developmental apraxia of speech is a disorder of the nervous system wherein a child's ability to say sounds, syllables, and words is affected. It is not a condition due to muscle weakness or paralysis, but, instead, the brain does not send the body parts needed for speech the correct instructions for making sounds and sequencing sounds together. Children with apraxia often omit difficult sounds, or replace them with easier ones. They may mispronounce vowels in words such as "sut" for "sat"and sometimes pronounce a simple sound correctly while mispronouncing it at other times. Their understanding of language is generally much better than their ability to produce language. If you suspect that your child may have apraxia, consult a doctor at once. Children usually require intensive therapy at a young age in order to overcome the disorder well enough to be understood by others.