Articulation and Speech Sound Disorders
An articulation disorder involves difficulty producing one or more speech sounds. Sound substitutions, omissions, or distortions are characteristic of articulation disorders.
Common Speech Sound Patterns
- Substitution: Replacing one sound with another (e.g., "W" for "R")
- Omission: Leaving out sounds (e.g., saying "at" for "cat")
- Distortion: Producing a sound in an unusual way but still recognizable
- Addition: Adding extra sounds (e.g., saying "buhsee" for "busy")
Common Sounds to Develop
Late developing sounds include: /r/, /l/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /z/, /th/, clustered sounds (bl, gr, st). These sounds typically develop naturally in preschool and early school years.
When to Pursue Therapy
While some flexibility in sound development is normal, therapy is beneficial when sounds persist past expected developmental ages, or when errors significantly impact intelligibility and social participation.
Treatment
Articulation therapy involves sound production practice, correction and feedback, and integration of correct sounds into conversation through play-based and functional activities.