As your child begins to talk, you may start to notice some differences in the way your child communicates in comparison to another child.
And this may not be necessarily related to the ‘’content” of their message, but how they are using their lips, tongue and teeth to put these thoughts into words for us to understand.
A common speech sound error that occurs in young children is commonly called a ‘lisp’. A lisp can also affect adults.
There are a several types of lisps that a child may present with. The most common types are “interdental” and “lateral” lisps.
A study by McLeod et al. (2013) found that of 143 preschool children, 40% of children presented with an interdental lisp, and 13% presented with a lateral lisp.
Therefore, interdental and lateral lisps are a common speech pattern identified by early childhood and kindergarten teachers in preschool children. Adolescents and adults can also present with either an interdental or lateral lisp.
An interdental lisp, is a functional speech disorder (Bowen, 2011) in which a child produces the “s” and “z” sounds with their tongue protruding between their front teeth.
This results in a “th” or “thick” sound. This is typical for children under 4-5 years of age but may be considered a delayed speech sound error if it continues into primary school years.
A lateral lisp is a functional speech disorder (Bowen, 2011) in which the “s” and “z” sounds are pronounced with air flowing over the sides of the tongue, instead of over the centre of the tongue.
This results in a distorted or slushy sound, and can make speech difficult to understand. Lateral lisps are unlikely to resolve naturally and generally require speech pathology intervention to correct.
It is common for children who present with a lisp to also present with other speech sound disorders or phonological disorders. Please see ‘Phonological processes’ for more information.
Most lisps can be corrected with the help of a Speech Pathologist. Speech therapy involves exercises that help the child retrain their tongue to the correct position.
The Speech Pathologist may use visual aids, such as mirrors or videos, to help the child see the correct tongue placement. Some lisps occur because of a tongue thrust and may be treated through orofacial myology exercises.
With practice and consistency, most people with a lisp can improve their speech clarity and produce the “s” and “z” sounds in a clearer way.
If you’re concerned that your child may be presenting with a lisp, contact a Speech Pathologist for an assessment today.
References:
Bowen, C. (2011). Lisping: When /s/ and /z/ are hard to say. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on 30/04/2023.
McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., McAllister, L., & McCormack, J. (2013). Speech sound disorders in a community study of preschool children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(3), 503–522. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2012/11-0123)
