Speech Sound Disorders in Children and Adults

Your child says “wabbit” instead of “rabbit”? Swaps sounds, speaks unclearly, and other kids are starting to notice? This is more common than you think, and in most cases it can be effectively corrected.

When should you seek help?

Speech development has its stages, and not every “funny” pronunciation is a reason to worry. But certain signs are worth checking:

• After age 4, your child substitutes or drops sounds (e.g. “wun” instead of “run”, “tup” instead of “cup”)
• The tongue pushes between the teeth when speaking (interdental lisp)
• Speech is unclear and hard to understand for people outside the family
• Your child avoids speaking because they know they sound “different”
• Sounds like “r”, “sh”, “ch”, “th” are still incorrect after age 6

Adults can have speech sound issues too. A lisp, a non-standard “r”, unclear speech. Many people think “it’s too late.” It’s not. Adults often make faster progress than children because they’re motivated and understand the exercises.

What I work with most often

• Lisping (sigmatism) — incorrect production of “s”, “z”, “sh”, “ch” sounds. The most common speech disorder in children.
• Rhotacism — problems with the “r” sound. The child replaces it with “w” or “l”, or produces it in the throat.
• Voicing errors — the child says “pig” instead of “big”, “toe” instead of “doe”. They don’t distinguish between voiced and voiceless sounds.
• Fronting and backing — sounds produced in the wrong position in the mouth (e.g. “tat” instead of “cat”).
• Interdental articulation — the tongue pushes between the teeth. This needs correction as it won’t resolve on its own.

What does therapy look like?

At the first visit, I assess speech production, phonemic awareness, and oral motor skills. Then we set a plan: what we’re working on, how often, and what I need from you at home.

Therapy means regular sessions (usually once a week) plus short exercises to do at home. Children practice through play, adults through targeted speech tasks. Progress is usually visible within a few weeks.

Important: if the speech issue is caused by underlying muscle problems (mouth breathing, incorrect swallowing), we address those first. Without a solid muscle foundation, correcting sounds alone won’t last.

Book an appointment

If something about your child’s speech concerns you, I’m happy to help. I’ll tell you straight whether there’s a problem and what to do about it.

📞 577 600 985
📧 neurologopeda.grzegrzolka@gmail.com