What are Speech Sound Disorders?

A Speech Sound Disorder is a condition in which a person has problems creating or forming the speech sounds needed to communicate.

Articulation refers to the clear and precise pronunciation of speech sounds. It involves the proper use of the lips, tongue and jaw to produce speech sounds correctly and effectively.

Phonology refers to the patterns of sounds in languages.

Speech Sound Disorder Symptoms

A child may have an articulation disorder or phonological disorder if they exhibit one or more of the four types of articulation errors:

  • Addition: add sounds or syllables to words that don’t belong there (e.g., “buhlack” instead of “black”)
  • Distortion: Changing a sound, which may seem like a lisp (e.g., when “s” sounds like “th”)
  • Omission: Leaving out certain sounds from their speech altogether (e.g., “cu” for “cup”)
  • Substitution: using one sound in place of another (e.g., “wabbit” for “rabbit”)

FAQs

What is a speech sound disorder?

A Speech Sound Disorder is a condition such as an articulation disorder or phonological disorder in which a person has problems creating or forming the speech sounds needed to communicate.

What are the symptoms of a speech sound disorder?

A child with a speech sound disorder may exhibit issues with articulation and phonology such as adding syllables to words that don’t belong there, distorting or changing particular sounds, leaving out certain sounds from their speech and, substituting certain sounds in their speech.

Does speech therapy help with articulation?

Speech therapy can help improve articulation and build language skills by modelling the correct sounds through visual, verbal and tactile cues for articulation. Speech therapy for articulation helps increase confidence, self-esteem and participation in school, work and social environments.