Articulation Disorders in Children: When Does a Child Need Speech Therapy?
Does my child have an articulation disorder? What is it?
A child with an articulation disorder often has difficulty with the physical production of individual speech sounds. An articulation disorder can oftene be characterized by the inaccurate production of certain sounds such as incorrect placement of the tongue, lips teeth, or soft palate during speech.
A child with an articulation disorder needs speech therapy. Without treatment, a child may struggle with lifelong vocational, learning, emotional and social problems.
Causes of Articulation Disorder
For many children the cause of oral or motor dysfunction articulation disorder comes from from brain damage or neurological dysfunction. For other children, however, there is no clearly identifyable cause.
Symptoms of Articulation Disorder
- Distortions - An attempt is made at the correct sound but it results in a poor production
- Omissions - Sounds in words and sentences may be completely omitted
- Additions - Extra sounds or syllables are added to the word
- Dysarthria - slow, slurred speech with inaccurate movement of the articulators
- Substitutions - An incorrect (usually easier) sound may be substituted for the correct one.
Treatment
When a speech problem is suspected, a child should be taken to a registered speech therapist (speech-language pathologist).
How Do I know if My Child Needs Speech Therapy?
A speech or language problem that isn't treated on time can result in serious problems for the child later in life. If you suspect your child has a speech or language problem, contact your local doctor, hospital or health agency for information about having a speech therapist assess your child.
