Understanding Phonological and Speech Sound Disorders
As parents and caregivers, it’s common to notice when a child’s speech doesn’t sound quite like their peers. Some children may have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, while others may be understood only by close family members. These differences can sometimes be part of typical development, but in other cases, they may indicate a speech sound disorder.
What Are Speech Sound Disorders?
Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are a group of difficulties related to how a child produces sounds and forms words. These challenges can range from simple mispronunciations to more consistent patterns of errors. SSDs can affect a child’s ability to be understood, their confidence in communication, and even their academic success as they begin reading and writing.
There are two main categories of SSDs:
Articulation Disorders
These occur when a child has trouble physically producing a specific sound.
For example, a child might lisp when saying “s” or substitute “w” for “r” (saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit”).
This type of disorder is usually limited to certain sounds.
Phonological Disorders
These involve consistent, errors that affect groups of sounds.
Instead of struggling with just one sound, a child may use patterns that simplify their speech.
For example, leaving off the ends of words (“ca” for “cat”) or substituting all long sounds with short ones (“doe” for “go”).
How Do You Know If Your Child Needs Help?
It’s important to remember that some speech errors are normal at certain ages. For example, it’s common for young children to simplify words as their speech develops. However, if errors persist beyond the expected age or significantly affect intelligibility, it may be time to seek support.
You may want to consult a speech-language pathologist if:
Your child is often hard to understand, even by family members.
They frequently leave out or substitute sounds.
They show frustration when trying to communicate.
Their peers can be understood much more easily than they can.
How Speech Therapy Can Help
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are trained to evaluate and treat speech sound disorders. Therapy is personalized and may include:
Teaching correct sound placement and movement of the mouth (for articulation disorders).
Helping children recognize and change error patterns (for phonological disorders).
Practicing skills in fun, motivating activities that encourage communication.
With early intervention and consistent support, children often make significant progress in their speech clarity and confidence.
If you’ve noticed your child struggling with certain sounds or speech patterns, you’re not alone—and support is available. Early identification and therapy can make a big difference in your child’s communication skills, social interactions, and overall confidence.
At Pacific Pathways Speech Therapy, we specialize in supporting children with speech sound disorders. If you’d like to learn more or schedule an evaluation, please reach out—we’d love to help your child find their voice.
