What should I do about a child's lisp

[meggie]

Pigby is 5 and still has his lisp. I had hoped he would grow out of it by now.

 

Before, I'd try to get him to make the S sound and he could do it, but couldn't do it in words. Yesterday I tried to get him to and he could make the S sound and say words correctly. But he only did a few because "they were too hard" which leads me to believe that it's just mostly a habit now and that it will take a lot of correct practice to fix.

 

Should I try to get him seen by an expert? Should we just practice on our own? He doesn't like it when randomly I try to get him to do practice, but he said we should do it when we're homeschooling. I am fine doing 5 minutes of practice with it everyday.

 

I don't know if it matters or not, but when I was little, I couldn't say my Rs, they came out as Ws. It was second grade when I could concentrate and say them correctly. Will he be able to work it out on his own when he gets older?

[snickelfritz]

Dd (5) started speech to correct her "s" when she turned 5. Hers is also habit, as she can say them correctly when prompted. I was able to find speech at a speech pathology department at a university for $19 for 30 minutes, so that's what we are doing. I know many don't have that option and private therapy can be $$$$. We have great insurance, but it doesn't cover it. I would still say to get an evaluation and they will likely give you some things you can use. They use different games that keep it fun.

 

She also doesn't say r's, but that is a later sound and they haven't started on it yet. I think they said they would next year (they are off for the summer.). Another thing to look into, this summer I am trying out a speech path from a local elementary that does some moonlighting. Her rates are about the same as the university, so I'm going to see how they compare.

 

Do you have an I-pad? If so, I have an app that they recommended which we use. It's a little pricey.

[melissel]

Do you have an I-pad? If so, I have an app that they recommended which we use. It's a little pricey.

 

Would you share? We're facing this issue too, so I'd love to know what they recommended for you.

 

Thanks!

[meggie]

I don't have an Ipad or I phone, would it work on a smartphone?

[snickelfritz]

I don't know if the app would work on any smart phone. It's called "ArtikPix.". The therapist said some of the target words aren't ideal (I can't think of the word, but it also had an "s" in the middle... Which is confusing when you are still working on "s" at the beginning.) but most are fine. If you could buy flashcards with target words, you could set up your own games.

 

It's essentially lists of target words (broken up into sound at the beginning of word, sound at end, etc....) and they can play memory with them, practice the words, record and listen to themselves etc.... It includes more than just "s" sounds, but you can narrow your focus to what you need.

[Negin]

It's normal for to have a lisp until about age 7 or so. It's more common in boys and is most often hereditary. Dh had it when he was small. His mother would correct him and would remind him to push his tongue back, etc. She taught him and would do it manually when needed.

Dh did the same for ds. Ds learned. No big deal. No need for special classes, DVDs, and all that gadgets ;). Dh and I would both remind ds and sometimes help him manually. We would correct him.

I don't think that every. single. thing needs self-doubt, gadgets, therapy, meds, instruction. Not to put anything or anyone's beliefs down, however. Just my very humble thoughts.

Edited May 12, 2011 by Negin in Grenada

[snickelfritz]

I don't think that every. single. thing needs self-doubt, gadgets, therapy, meds, instruction. Not to put anything or anyone's beliefs down, however. Just my very humble thoughts.

 

The problem is that some speech issues can resolve with age and some won't. I've seen speech pathogists on this board get into technical discussions of why people lisp and which ones are easily corrected and which ones aren't. I think it's useful to have a professional help you know the difference.

 

The fact that older dd has an 8 year old on her soccer team with the same lisp/r problem that my 5 year old has and my 11 year old nephew has something wrong that is definitely not improving with age has, perhaps, motivated us to get help.

[Shellydon]

The problem is that some speech issues can resolve with age and some won't. I've seen speech pathogists on this board get into technical discussions of why people lisp and which ones are easily corrected and which ones aren't. I think it's useful to have a professional help you know the difference.

 

The fact that older dd has an 8 year old on her soccer team with the same lisp/r problem that my 5 year old has and my 11 year old nephew has something wrong that is definitely not improving with age has, perhaps, motivated us to get help.

 

 

Well said!

 

I would have her evaluated by a speech-language pathologist and see what the recommendations are. A frontal lisp can disappear without intervention. A later lisp never goes away without help. Without know what you are dealing with, you can't make the decision to pursue therapy or not.

[meggie]

It's normal for to have a lisp until about age 7 or so. It's more common in boys and is most often hereditary. Dh had it when he was small. His mother would correct him and would remind him to push his tongue back, etc. She taught him and would do it manually when needed.

Dh did the same for ds. Ds learned. No big deal. No need for special classes, DVDs, and all that gadgets ;). Dh and I would both remind ds and sometimes help him manually. We would correct him.

I don't think that every. single. thing needs self-doubt, gadgets, therapy, meds, instruction. Not to put anything or anyone's beliefs down, however. Just my very humble thoughts.

Thank you, that's good to know. I'm pretty sure DH had one when he was younger and I think it went away on its own. And the bolded part is generally how we are, but now that it's my own son, I'm getting over-anxious. I am wondering if it is something that will eventually resolve on its own or if I should get help now before it becomes a bigger problem.

 

The problem is that some speech issues can resolve with age and some won't. I've seen speech pathogists on this board get into technical discussions of why people lisp and which ones are easily corrected and which ones aren't. I think it's useful to have a professional help you know the difference.

 

The fact that older dd has an 8 year old on her soccer team with the same lisp/r problem that my 5 year old has and my 11 year old nephew has something wrong that is definitely not improving with age has, perhaps, motivated us to get help.

Yes, thank you. When it's my own child, I want to make sure I do it right. I want to make sure I get it taken care of if needed. I don't want to look back and have regrets.

 

Well said!

 

I would have her evaluated by a speech-language pathologist and see what the recommendations are. A frontal lisp can disappear without intervention. A later lisp never goes away without help. Without know what you are dealing with, you can't make the decision to pursue therapy or not.

 

It is a frontal lisp so far as I can tell. He makes his S's and Z's with a "th" sound by sticking his tongue out between his teeth instead of keeping it back in. I watched a YouTube video, because reading about lateral lisps doesn't make much sense to me. And she modeled a bi-lateral lisp and it kinda sounds like an....angry cat? I don't know what the difference is between lateral and bi-lateral, but I know it's not bilateral.

 

He did used to use an F sound instead of the "th" sound (I'm free, when he meant I'm three) but that went away. That was when he was about 3 years old. And last year he had a kind of stutter and he'd repeat words a lot until he finished the sentence. But that went away as well. I just kind of figured his mind was working too fast for his mouth to keep up.

[lilbean05]

My daughter had a tough time with breaking her S sound habit, and she was also right around 5 years old. She could do it when prompted, but that was about it. What we ended up doing was having her read a page of her book aloud using the proper S sound, but she only needed to do it when she was reading out loud to us. It took about a week or so and then she started doing it outside of reading and within a month it was all gone.

 

Good luck!

[4wildberrys]

It's normal for to have a lisp until about age 7 or so. It's more common in boys and is most often hereditary. Dh had it when he was small. His mother would correct him and would remind him to push his tongue back, etc. She taught him and would do it manually when needed.

Dh did the same for ds. Ds learned. No big deal. No need for special classes, DVDs, and all that gadgets ;). Dh and I would both remind ds and sometimes help him manually. We would correct him.

I don't think that every. single. thing needs self-doubt, gadgets, therapy, meds, instruction. Not to put anything or anyone's beliefs down, however. Just my very humble thoughts.

:iagree:

:iagree: In fact, dd was in public school at 5 and so had her lisp 'treated' by the experts, along with her saying R the wrong way. DS has been homeschooled all the way and so had no 'experts' to 'treat' his condition----which automatically corrected itself as he grew older, and most especially when his 2 front teeth fell out and grew back in---it was totally corrected! Also, just talking to them in the correct manner models correct speech ;) I personally think unless you cannot understand what your 5 year old is saying at all---I wouldn't do a thing and just enjoy that cute little kid lisping speech while you can :D

[MindyD]

My son did that and when he got to about the age of 5 we really started to work on it. I'd make him repeat words when he'd say the s wrong. It took awhile, but he got it. He could do it on his own, but he'd developed the habit of saying his s sound wrong. I also thought about having him evaluated, but I figured if he could do in on his own sometimes, we just needed to practice. Now my dd who is now 5 still has trouble with her L sound. It comes out like a w, but it's the same deal. She can say it right, so I'm making her practice. So there's my experience for what it's worth. :)

[kwickimom]

My DS age 5 has one but I am not going to worry until age 7. The speech therapy sounds as if its going to be the same at age 5 or age 7, and if he has a chance to correct it himself or with help from just me, we are going to give it a try :)

[redsquirrel]

I am saying this as the mom of a child with a speech delay. We utilize the public school for therapies.

 

S is a later developing sound. There is a chance you could get her evaluated and be told that she doesn't qualify for therapy. However, you might not. I think it worth getting checked out by a professional. If it is addressed earlier, there is a chance it might be corrected earlier. The older the child it, the harder it can be to change.

 

One way to address it with the child is to say "you know how I would say that? Like this ( )" and then let the child self correct. In time, it might get better.

 

I was under tremendous pressure not to address the fact that my then 15 month old son was non-verbal. I was told he would grow out of it, that it was prob a sign of high intelligence, that boys talk later, etc, etc. Now, I am so glad I didn't listen to those people. My kid has a motor problem and he needed (and still gets) a lot of help. Thank goodness we got started early before he could fall any further behind.

[Negin]

The problem is that some speech issues can resolve with age and some won't.

:iagree:

I'm certainly no expert.

Based on what I have read, I don't think there's much reason to worry before the age of 7.

Mind you, the OP and her husband would be wise to keep helping him and teaching him until then.

If, by the age of 7, he still has it, that's when I would probably look for further help. Before that, again, based on what I read, you can help him correct himself, particularly when it's genetic. Anyway, just wanted to share that that is what we experienced:

 

• dh had it as a child

• his mother taught him, corrected him, made him repeat words properly, etc.

• his lisp stopped around the age of 7 or so

• same exact thing with our ds - we would correct him, make him repeat words, etc.

 

 

Maybe if dh had not had it and it was not genetic, we would have been more concerned. But because we knew that dh had it and was cured, we felt we could do it ourselves. And we did.

 

Thank you, that's good to know. I'm pretty sure DH had one when he was younger and I think it went away on its own. And the bolded part is generally how we are, but now that it's my own son, I'm getting over-anxious. I am wondering if it is something that will eventually resolve on its own or if I should get help now before it becomes a bigger problem.

:grouphug:

First, don't get over-anxious. Relax. He's only 5. Ours had it also and with reminders, teaching him, and practice, etc. - his went away.

Second, I don't believe that it will necessarily go away on its own. This is where you and your dh come into it. Some lisps do go away by themselves. Not all do. I wouldn't risk it. I would do all that I could to correct him, repeat words, etc. This is where we did not take a laissez-faire approach. Our attitude was a constant one of, "We have until the age of 7." ;)

Finally, I also don't think you necessarily need to get professional help quite yet. I would wait a bit more. Again, from my very limited humble knowledge (and I'm no expert), if, after all your efforts and by the age of 7 he still has it, then I would seek help. If it makes you feel better, set a goal of say, the age of 6, 6 1/2, or so. Although personally, I would still wait until 7.

 

My daughter had a tough time with breaking her S sound habit, and she was also right around 5 years old. She could do it when prompted, but that was about it. What we ended up doing was having her read a page of her book aloud using the proper S sound, but she only needed to do it when she was reading out loud to us. It took about a week or so and then she started doing it outside of reading and within a month it was all gone.

Good luck!

Very similar to the sort of stuff we used to do. :)

 

DS has been homeschooled all the way and so had no 'experts' to 'treat' his condition----which automatically corrected itself as he grew older, and most especially when his 2 front teeth fell out and grew back in---it was totally corrected! Also, just talking to them in the correct manner models correct speech ;) I personally think unless you cannot understand what your 5 year old is saying at all---I wouldn't do a thing and just enjoy that cute little kid lisping speech while you can :D

:iagree:

So happy to hear that you helped him yourself. :)

 

My son did that and when he got to about the age of 5 we really started to work on it. I'd make him repeat words when he'd say the s wrong.

That's what we used to do. Sometimes ds would get annoyed. But he realized it was a part of the day and he had to deal with it. Simple as that.

[meggie]

:iagree:

 

First, don't get over-anxious. Relax. He's only 5. Ours had it also and with reminders, teaching him, and practice, etc. - his went away.

Second, I don't believe that it will necessarily go away on its own. This is where you and your dh come into it. Some lisps do go away by themselves. Not all do. I wouldn't risk it. I would do all that I could to correct him, repeat words, etc. This is where we did not take a laissez-faire approach. Our attitude was a constant one of, "We have until the age of 7." ;)

Finally, I also don't think you necessarily need to get professional help quite yet. I would wait a bit more. Again, from my very limited humble knowledge (and I'm no expert), if, after all your efforts and by the age of 7 he still has it, then I would seek help. If it makes you feel better, set a goal of say, the age of 6, 6 1/2, or so. Although personally, I would still wait until 7.

 

Oh, I didn't mean we'd be taking a laissez-faire approach. We will be working with him during his homeschool. I'm hoping to build it up a little at a time, because he seems to be very self-conscious about it and I don't want him to feel bad about it, but I do know we need to work on. I just didn't know if I should see a doctor yet. Thank you for the advice and tips, I do feel much better about it.

[snickelfritz]

Our therapist uses board games to do her work. So, you could use that to keep it fun and low stress.

 

Examples.....

Hopscotch with each square having a picture of a s word. They hop, say the word properly, pick up the card, move on.

 

Board games--when it's their turn, they have to say one of their words and then make a play.

 

Crafts with s words:sock puppets, snakes, sewing (shoe lace around cardstock). Lots of chances to say /s/ and s words.

 

And they didn't just start with all s words. S in the middle is harder than s at the beginning. They started with just /s/. Then s at the beginning. Then s blends at the beginning. We are supposed to work on it regularly, but not in regular conversation to the point of frustration. So, we may read a book practicing good s's, but I don't correct it all day long.

[melissel]

Our therapist uses board games to do her work. So, you could use that to keep it fun and low stress.

 

Examples.....

Hopscotch with each square having a picture of a s word. They hop, say the word properly, pick up the card, move on.

 

Board games--when it's their turn, they have to say one of their words and then make a play.

 

Crafts with s words:sock puppets, snakes, sewing (shoe lace around cardstock). Lots of chances to say /s/ and s words.

 

And they didn't just start with all s words. S in the middle is harder than s at the beginning. They started with just /s/. Then s at the beginning. Then s blends at the beginning. We are supposed to work on it regularly, but not in regular conversation to the point of frustration. So, we may read a book practicing good s's, but I don't correct it all day long.

 

Thank you for this. DD5 gets so frustrated when we ask her to say something correctly, so making it a game like this will help. I know nothing about speech therapy, but I'm pretty sure hers is just a frontal lisp (her tongue pokes through her teeth from sucking her thumb), so hopefully it's something we can correct at home with some of the tips offered here!

[Negin]

Oh, I didn't mean we'd be taking a laissez-faire approach. We will be working with him during his homeschool. I'm hoping to build it up a little at a time, because he seems to be very self-conscious about it and I don't want him to feel bad about it, but I do know we need to work on. I just didn't know if I should see a doctor yet. Thank you for the advice and tips, I do feel much better about it.

:grouphug: Sorry to have misunderstood you. I had a feeling that that's what you meant, but wasn't sure.

I think that your approach until he's 7 or so is a very good one. After that, you can always see a doctor. :)

[Elizabeth in MN]

I'd like to say something as an adult with a lisp.

 

Why are lisps bad?

 

Mine is minor, it only comes out with certain words. Sassafras, cinnamon, synonym, sphere are some challenge words for me. I've never had people not understand me, or bring it up.

[asta]

I was teased mercilessly by other children for having a lisp and being unable to pronounce "r"s. Don't think for a minute that just because a child is schooled at home that other children won't tease them. It is humiliating.

 

There was no outgrowing it: it was caused by a tongue thrust that had to be corrected by therapy. I went to therapy from kindergarten to 4th grade. To this day, the first symptom of me being overtired is a mangled "r".

 

And just because adults don't *mention* speech impediments in otherwise healthy people (eg: no hearing issues, etc.) doesn't mean they don't wonder why the person never bothered to "get it fixed" (eg: why didn't Barbara Walters ever put in the time to fix her speech if she was going into broadcasting? Well, eventually, one notices, she did fix it to a large degree). In business, it is seen as a self control issue.

 

Oh - and to the mom whose child had a motor problem? Oh yeah, I'm with you on that one! Speech issues & motor skill problems are often the first signs of Aspergers in an otherwise "completely normal, very intelligent child". I don't know why; it's just a marker.

 

 

asta

[Negin]

Don't think for a minute that just because a child is schooled at home that other children won't tease them.

:iagree:

[redsquirrel]

I believe that it depends on the severity of the lisp. I know lots of people who have a mild lisp that becomes apparent when they are tired etc. I find it endearing. I know one adult who is clearly apraxic and speaks just like Arnold Schwarzenegger. When he meets new people there will always be the question of 'when did you come to America?" He was born in NYC, btw. I was told recently that my son sounds like he is from England. Gee, thanks. I guess that is better than a couple years ago when a woman at church made a comment that my son 'Can't actually speak, right? I mean, he just makes noises." :sad:

 

But I also have seen what an untreated severe speech impediment can do to a person. I have met a couple adults who were, I believe, old enough that they did not have speech therapy in their schools. Both of these people must have experienced merciless teasing as children and teens. I never heard those people talked about without their speech impediment mentioned or mimicked. My son is involved in a martial art. There are numerous black belts who lead the class. It is hard to keep track of who is who. One young black belt has a distinct lisp. Among the adults, isn't he referred to as 'the one with the lisp?' It isn't said in a mean way. There is a sea of black belts and that is what makes this particular teacher stand out.

 

I don't want my kid known as 'the one with the lisp" or " the one who talks like elmer fudd" I want him known for his skills and achievements. Some people have clearer speech than others, yes. I have a mental catalog of public people whose speech is less than perfect. It reminds me that someday my son will be able to be a trial attorney or an actor or a senator or a professor despite his speech problems.

[texasmama]

Haven't read any of the other replies, but an s lisp is fairly developmentally common for this age. My 5 year old has one. My 10 year old just graduated from his lisp speech therapy (but has moved onto other speech therapy goals).

 

You have three options - you can wait and see if it self-corrects, you can have him evaluated by a speech therapist (we got services at our local school district), or you can work with him yourself. You can put a smidge of peanut butter or a gummy candy on the spot inside his front two teeth above them, on the gum. Tell him to put his tongue here and leave it there while saying an S word. Call it his "spot". Once he understands the placement, it becomes an issue of practicing.