Speech & Language for Children
Speech Sound Disorders
About speech sound disorders in children
As children are learning to talk and acquiring speech sounds, they may say some sounds the wrong way. Some sounds are learned earlier, like /p/, /m/, or /w/. Other sounds take longer to learn, like /z/, /v/ or “th.” While children develop at their own rate, most children can say almost all speech sounds correctly by 4 years of age. A child who does not say sounds by expected ages may have a speech sound disorder.
To learn more about what you should expect your child to be able to say, please visit these resources:
Types of speech sound disorders
Speech sound disorders can be organic (result from an underlying motor/neurological, structural or sensory/perceptual causes) or functional (have no known cause) in nature. See figure below from ASHA’s Practice Portal:
Evaluation and Treatment
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) will evaluate your child’s speech and language skills and assess your child’s mouth structures and ability to perform various movements with those structures. The SLP will determine whether your child’s speech is part of her normal growth and development or consistent with a speech sound disorder. Following diagnosis of a speech sound disorder, the SLP will recommend a therapy plan tailored to the specific needs of your child to improve his/her speech skills.
Spoken Language Disorders
A spoken language disorder (SLD) also known as an oral language disorder reflects deficits in understanding and using language in any of the five language domains (e.g., phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics).
For more information on spoken language disorders please visit:
For more information on the relationship between spoken and written language, please visit:
Evaluation and Treatment:
Comprehensive assessment of your child’s language by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) must take into consideration the age and developmental level of the child. The following components may be included in an assessment: case history, hearing screening, oral mechanism/structural-functional examination, spoken language testing (targeting all 5 domains of language), a literacy assessment, and a speech sound assessment. Many procedures and data sources may be used to gather information about spoken language disorders, including standardized assessment, language sampling, dynamic assessment, observation, interviewing, and various parent/teacher/child report measures.
