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Speech Sound Difficulties
The following information is supplied by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
The child with a speech sound difficulty may:
mix up the sounds in words
use incorrect sounds
be unable to
imitate particular sounds, or groups of sounds
leave sounds out of words
How to help
Do
• encourage your child to speak freely in the way that is easiest for
them
• make time to listen to them
• encourage your child to experiment with sounds, both in speaking and
playing
• play lots of listening games - encourage your child to listen to
speech and non-speech sounds
• encourage enjoyment of songs and nursery rhymes
• speak as clearly and correctly as you can - encourage your child to
watch your face, and you watch theirs
• ask your local registered speech and language therapist for advice
Don't
• panic! Learning to use sounds correctly can take a long time
• be critical of your child’s attempts at speech
• reject your child’s speech
• insist on correct imitation of sounds when talking
• pretend to understand your child when you do not
• try and bribe your child to speak better, or punish them incorrect
speech
• have the TV or radio on all the time. Children need a silent
background to listen to speech occasionally
Note:
Speech sounds develop gradually, over a period of time,
and children begin to use them at different times. For example, one child may
say 'cat' when another child of the same age is still saying 'tat'.
Support Organisations:
Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists
Afasic
British Dyslexia Association
Dyspraxia Trust
Other articles supplied by the Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists
Delayed Language
Disorders of Fluency in Children (Stammering)
Voice Problems in Children
What is the Royal College of Speech and
Language Therapists?