Speech sound difficulties occur when you or your friends have trouble making the sounds needed for clear speech. These difficulties can include problems with controlling your voice, producing specific sounds, or speaking clearly. You might also experience issues like stuttering or lisping, which can make it hard for others to understand you. Speech sound difficulties are different from language disorders, which involve problems with understanding and using language. If you have speech sound difficulties, you do not have trouble understanding language; your challenges are specifically with making sounds.
What is typical?
Speech sound development happens as you grow. Most kids start to make sounds and speak words at certain ages. Here are some typical milestones for speech sound development:
- By age 1: Babies usually start to babble and say simple words like “mama” or “dada.”
- By age 2: Children might begin to use two-word phrases and say about 50 words.
- By age 3: Most children can say words more clearly and form simple sentences.
- By age 4: Children can usually be understood by people outside your family, and you use longer sentences. This means that you start to pronounce words in a way that people outside of your family would be able to understand.
- By age 5: Children can say most sounds correctly and use complex sentences.
- By age 6-7: Children refine their speech sounds and can tell stories with clear speech.
- By age 8-9: You can use all speech sounds correctly in conversation.
Knowing these milestones can help you understand what is typical as you and your friends learn to speak.
When should I be concerned?
It’s normal for young children to have unclear speech, but there are some signs that might indicate speech sound difficulties. If your speech does not get better as you grow, it could be a concern. Some signs could be trouble moving your jaw, tongue, and lips, difficulty making specific sounds, and not speaking as clearly as other kids your age. You might also change your pitch (how high or low your voice is) or volume suddenly, have a rough-sounding or nasal voice, or run out of air while speaking. Lisping, stuttering, or having trouble with facial muscle tasks like chewing can also be signs. If these difficulties persist, it may be time to seek help.
What can I do to help?
If you notice speech sound difficulties in yourself or a friend, then here are things you can try to help improve their speech or your speech:
- Practice speaking regularly. Try to have conversations with friends and family to practice speech sounds.
- Read out loud. Choose books with repetitive phrases and sounds. Practice reading them out loud to improve clarity.
- Repeat words and focus on correct sounds. When you mispronounce a word, try repeating it correctly.
- Play sound games. Use games that focus on listening and repeating sounds, like rhyming games or tongue twisters.
- Create a supportive environment. Encourage yourself and your friends to speak without fear of making mistakes. Be sure to celebrate any progress made.
- Limit distractions. Find a quiet place to practice speaking. This will help you focus on speech sounds
- Listen to clear speech. Pay attention to how others speak and try to copy their clear speech patterns.
These strategies can help you and your friends improve speech in a fun and supportive way.
What kind of professional support can I seek out?
If your speech sound difficulties last more than a few weeks, ask for help from a professional, a trusted adult from your school. Getting help early is better for your speech development and improving self-esteem.
There are many different types of professionals in schools who may be able to help. This includes speech-language pathologists and special education teachers. These professionals, especially those who have experience with learners who learn differently, can offer support.
Where to find more information
If you need additional help or information, talk to a trusted adult (like a caregiver, teacher or mentor), a counsellor, or a health professional. Reach out, stay connected, and ask for help. Remember that effective treatments for all mental health problems are available and you may need to talk to a number of different people before you get the help that you need.