Is your child hard to understand?!
Is your child hard to understand?!
You are likely your child’s best interpreter but maybe kids and other adults have a hard time understanding them?!
Is your child struggling to make certain sounds, or do they have a hard time saying words clearly? If so, you’re not alone! Many kids experience articulation difficulties, meaning they find it hard to pronounce specific sounds correctly.
What Are Articulation Difficulties?
Articulation difficulties refer to challenges with specific speech sounds. Your child might swap sounds (like saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit"), leave sounds out (like “ha” instead of “hat”), or distort them (like lisping “s” sounds). This is totally normal in early childhood, but if the patterns stick around as they get older, it might be a good time to consider speech therapy.
Not sure what sounds are hard for your child or if it is normal or not? Click Here for our Free Speech Sound Development Guide and our Free Speech Sound Quiz to get answers in minutes. Understanding where your child is and what to expect as they develop can relieve so much overwhelm.
If your child is delayed, there are things that you can do!
What Can You Do?
You can reach out to a Speech Therapist for evaluation and treatment. There can be long waiting lists so keep that in mind and get on a list when you have any reason for concern.
You can have your child evaluated by your local early intervention teams (age 0-3) and by your public school educational system (age 3-18). Keep in mind that school-based speech therapy only qualifies children who are moderately-severely impaired and that demonstrate an academic impact. So, if your child does not qualify, it does not mean they don’t need speech therapy. If your child is school-aged and still has errors, they need support as all sounds should be developed between age 5-6 years old.
You can also support your child at home! There are steps and tools that you can apply that can make a world of difference. Watch this Free Parent Friendly Speech Confidence workshop with a pediatric speech therapist to learn how! Busy parents watch it on double speed while doing dishes!
Have questions?
Reach out to Miss Ashley of My Magic Words at [email protected] with any specific questions! I am happy to help.
References
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). "Speech Sound Disorders-Articulation and Phonological Processes." Link.
- Bowen, C. (2021). "Children’s Speech Sound Disorders."
