As children grow they begin to develop their language skills, which involves adjusting where they should position their mouth when speaking. However, during this process, it is possible that the way they place their tongue when making certain sounds is not where it should be to make the sound correctly. This can result in a lisp.
A lisp can create difficulties for a child as they try to express their wants and needs, and it may be hard for others to understand them. This can lead to the child experiencing feelings such as frustration and low self-esteem. The good news is that a lisp is a speech difficulty that can be worked on.
With professional support and evidence-based intervention, there is potential for a child’s lisp to improve. Our speech pathologists are highly experienced and understand how to fix a lisp.
Why Work Towards Fixing a Child’s Lisp?
There are various reasons why it may be advantageous to seek professional assistance for your child if they have a lisp. Having a lisp may affect a child’s ability to engage in conversations, interact with peers, make friends, and be an active participant in class. It may also have a significant effect on the social and emotional aspects of their life. If it is untreated and present into adulthood, it may also impact various areas such as their career pathway and confidence.
That is not to say that a child or adult with a lisp cannot live a fulfilling, productive, and happy life. They certainly can. However, intervention and improvements are possible for many people and may make a significant difference to their overall well-being. Subsequently, it is often worth beginning treatment and supporting children towards better speech production.
When is The Best Time to Fix a Child’s Lisp?
Early intervention is generally more beneficial to treatment outcomes when a child has a lisp. This is largely because the motor control of the tongue and mouth is the fundamental reason for a lisp, and so the sooner the alignment during speech is corrected, the less time the brain and muscles have to get used to the incorrect positioning. This can potentially mean it will take less time to improve the issue.
That said, improvement may occur at any age with the correct intervention. Your child’s speech pathologist can create a treatment program that is appropriate for your child’s age and developmental stage, targeting their difficulties in the most productive way possible
How to Fix a Lisp
Speech therapy can play a pivotal role in improving a child’s lisp. Many children may not pronounce some sounds correctly as they develop their speech, and this can include lisp-like sounds. This is part of typical development.
However, if a lisp remains past the age of approximately 4 to 5 years, it may indicate motor control and speech difficulties. When this is the case, the lisp generally does not go away on its own. Rather, it requires intervention and treatment by a speech pathologist.
Your child’s speech pathologist will develop a tailored plan to meet their requirements and target outcomes while incorporating their preferences, abilities, and behaviours. Their program will focus on the type of lisp they have and the sounds and words that they have difficulty with.
It is important that your child feels supported and encouraged. At Chatterbox, we have created a friendly, non-judgemental environment in which your child can gain confidence and feel able to practice and adjust their speech.
Some methods of treating a lisp your child’s speech pathologist may employ include:
- Assessing your child’s speech production.
- Demonstrating what the target sound is.
- Modelling the correct way to produce the sound for them to repeat.
- Teaching them where their tongue should be.
- Activities and goals to work on at home between sessions.
- Education and support for family members and other important people in your child’s life.
- Relaxation techniques.
- Breathing exercises.
- Regular practice of target sounds.
Obtain Professional Therapy For Your Child’s Lisp at Chatterbox
If your child’s speech involves a lisp speech therapy may be beneficial. One of our experienced speech pathologists will carry out a comprehensive evaluation and identify the best course of action, which includes helping you learn more about your child’s lisp and how to help.
Please contact our friendly team to organise an initial consultation if you are concerned about your child’s speech. We look forward to working with you and your child to help them enhance their speech production.