Understanding Orlando Speech and Language Issues in Children

How do you know if your little one has a speech or language impediment? Communication disorders are more common than many people think. There are quite a few types of speech disorders, stammering, a lisp, mis-articulation of certain sounds, stuttering, and others.

If you suspect your child has a speech or language impediment of any kind, it is important to contact a speech therapist for information. Here are the most common speech impediments found in children

Apraxia of Speech

Apraxia of speech is when a child rearranges sounds of speech or is inconsistent when producing speech sounds. For example, they may say totapo for potato.  This symptoms of this disorder may have bee evident since they were an infant, or it may develop later.

Speech Sound Disorder

A speech sound disorder is when a child has difficulty producing a particular sound. These sounds typically include /r/, /s/, /l/,/th/, /g/, /ch/ and /sh/.  For instance, instead of saying ‘rabbit’ the child says “wabbit”.

There are two categories for speech sound disorders. Phonetic disorder is the first, sometimes called articulation disorder. This is when a child has difficulty physically learning how to produce a certain sound. The is a Phonemic disorder, this sound disorder is when a child has trouble learning the sound dissections. Speech therapy can make a difference in both speech sound disorders.

Stuttering

Stuttering involves repeating the first half of a word. It can also involve involuntary pauses or prolonging of a syllable. This speech disorder can be acquired or developed. There are a number of reasons a child may develop stuttering, anxiety, low self esteem, of a traumatic experience.

Lisp

A lisp is when a child has a difficult time producing the /s/ sound clearly.  When a child pushes their tongue out too far forward in the mouth is called a frontal lisp. A lateral l ism is when a child produces a “slushy sound, this is due too much air escaping out of the side of the mouth.

These are just a few speech disorders, there are many others. If you think your child has some type of speech impediment, it is important for them to receive early intervention from a speech therapist .