does a lisp need speech therapy

What’s a Lisp and How Do You Treat It?

• Virtual Speech Therapy LLC
• March 26, 2024

Reviewed by Dr. Joyce Richardson, PhD .

A lisp is a speech impediment characterized by difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, particularly the “s” and “z” sounds. It’s typically addressed through speech therapy and consistent practice.

A lisp can have a big impact on those affected, especially in social situations or professional settings.

Imagine trying to have a conversation with someone who struggles with their “s” and “z” sounds – it can make things a bit awkward, right?

Fortunately, with the right support and resources, individuals can overcome the challenges associated with a lisp and develop clearer and more confident speech.

We’re here to shed some light on this topic. From the different types of lisps to what causes them and how to treat them. Keep reading to learn more.

What Causes a Lisp?

A lisp can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Structural abnormalities
• Muscle coordination issues
• Habitual factors

Sometimes it’s a case of anatomy. Structural abnormalities, such as a cleft palate, tooth misalignment, or a tongue tie can disrupt the normal airflow during speech production, leading to a lisp.

Then there’s muscle coordination. Think of it like trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time – except it’s your tongue trying to hit the right spots to make those “s” and “z” sounds. Sometimes, things just don’t sync up like they’re supposed to which can be due to developmental delays or neurological conditions that affect muscle control.

Habitual factors, like prolonged use of pacifiers or thumb sucking during early childhood, can also affect the development of speech and lead to a lisp. In some cases, a lisp may be a learned behavior from hearing others speak with a lisp or imitating certain speech patterns. Breaking those habits can take some work, but it’s absolutely doable.

Identifying the root cause is the first step to tackling a lisp head-on. Whether it’s anatomy, muscle coordination, habits, or something else entirely, understanding the cause is key to finding the right treatment approach.

Impact of Lisps

Lisps can have a pretty big impact on someone’s life.

Communication Challenges

Having a lisp can make communication tricky and make it hard for individuals to express themselves clearly.

Picture trying to chat about “sunshine” but ending up with “thunthine” instead.

These communication hiccups can lead to misunderstandings and frustration, both for the person with the lisp and the ones they’re talking to.

Social and Emotional Effects

Lisps can also take a toll on confidence if you’re constantly worrying if your words will come out right or if you’ll trip over your tongue mid-sentence.

The embarrassment caused can lead to lower self-esteem and even a reluctance to speak up in public.

And for kids who are just starting to find their voice, this can really complicate things.

Different Types of Lisps

There are four main types of Lisps:

• Lateral Lisp: A lateral lisp occurs when the /s/ and /z/ sounds are produced with air flowing over the sides of the tongue, resulting in a “wet” sound.
• Palatal Lisp: In a palatal lisp, the /s/ and /z/ sounds are pronounced with the tongue in contact with the roof of your mouth, resulting in a “slushy” sound.
• Frontal Lisp: This type of lisp happens when the /s/ and /z/ sounds are pronounced with the tongue too far forward, resulting in more of a “th” sound.
• Dental Lisp: The dental lisp is the most common type of lisp and it involves the tongue coming into contact with the front teeth, resulting in the /s/ and /z/ sounds being pronounced with a “th” sound similar to the frontal lisp.

How to Treat a Lisp

Treating a lisp typically involves a combination of speech therapy with a qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP) and consistent practice.

Your SLP will suggest a treatment plan based on:

• The type of lisp you’re dealing with and,
• What is causing it.

Treatment will often include exercises to improve tongue placement, airflow, and articulation of “s” and “z” sounds.

In some cases, other interventions may be recommended, such as orofacial myofunctional therapy to address underlying muscle coordination issues, behavioral therapy to modify speech patterns and habits, or a frenotomy if a tongue tie is causing the lisp.

When Should My Child With a Lisp Get Treatment?

It depends on what’s causing it.

Depending on what’s causing your child’s lisp, you may want to take action right away, while other times, it might be best to wait and see if things improve on their own.

A frontal lisp is often just a part of young children’s developmental journey. As they grow and learn new sounds, the lisp may naturally improve on its own so a speech-language pathologist might wait until age seven before providing intervention.

A lateral lisp on the other hand is not considered a developmental distortion so treatment can begin earlier, usually around four and a half years of age, to address this type of lisp.

Consulting with a licensed speech therapist is the best way to figure out the best course of action and the timing.

How to Support Your Child With a Lisp

Whether you’re waiting it out, or actively treating the lisp, there are things you want to keep in mind in order to support your child along their journey:

• Create a supportive environment: Avoid any form of mockery or ridicule
• Encourage confidence and self-esteem: Praise their efforts and focus on their strengths, rather than their speech impediment.
• Encourage open communication: Provide a safe space for your child to express themselves without fear of judgment.
• Be mindful of their feelings: Make sure they feel included in conversations and activities and encourage peers and family members to be patient and understanding too.

Working With the Right Speech-Language Pathologist

Finding the right Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) can make a world of difference in your or your child’s communication abilities.

Look for an SLP licensed and certified by ASHA with experience. Find someone who will customize their therapy to suit the unique requirements of your child with a lisp.

At Virtual Speech Therapy LLC , our seasoned team boasts over 50 years of collective experience, catering to individuals of all ages and diverse communication needs. Plus, we offer the convenience of therapy sessions right from the comfort of your own home.

If you’re ready to take the first step toward improving your communication abilities, reach out today to schedule your initial consultation .

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When Kids Speak With A Lisp: How To Fix It

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“Mummy, can I feed the ‘animalth’ at the ‘thoo’?”

Does this sound familiar? If your child speaks like this, they may have something known as a lisp. A lisp usually only affects the way a child is understood slightly. However, it may have a significant effect on their “image” which can lead to all sorts of other issues.

This article was originally published in The New Age Parents. Download it as a PDF here.

Does this sound familiar? If your child speaks like this, they may have something known as a lisp.

A lisp usually only affects the way a child is understood slightly. However, it may have a significant effect on their “image” which can lead to all sorts of other issues. 1

The way in which a lisp is accepted, of course, will depend on many different things. Some children may live in an environment where their lisp will go largely unnoticed.

Other kids might gain positive recognition due to their lisp and it may even be regarded as endearing or sweet. In strong contrast to this, many children may be ridiculed and teased about their lisp.

At What Age Should You Correct A Lisp?

What is a lisp.

A “lisp” is an articulation problem (or speech sound disorder ) that results in difficulty pronouncing one (or more) consonant sounds. In most cases, a lisp is an inability or difficulty pronouncing the letter sounds “s” or “z.” The most common cause of a lisp is incorrect placement of the tongue within the mouth when speaking. This type of lisp is referred to as an Interdental lisp. Generally speaking, lisps are relatively common and normal in children during various stages of speech and language development. For some people, a lisp doesn’t improve as they age and the lisp persists into their adult years. 

A lisp can not only affect an individual’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively but can also affect their confidence and self-esteem. Many people with a lisp may avoid certain social situations, public speaking, or other valuable opportunities. Working with an experienced speech and language pathologist is the best way to work toward eliminating a lisp. Get started with speech therapy by scheduling your free introductory call today! 

Do Children’s Lisps Go Away? What Age Should a Lisp Go Away?

In most cases, a lisp is not a developmental issue, but an issue with the placement of the tongue both at rest and while speaking. This means that most children who speak with a lisp when they are learning to speak don’t grow out of it on their own. While studies have shown that it is possible for children to outgrow a lisp without the intervention of a speech therapist, this is not the norm. Most children who present with a lisp at a young age will continue to lisp until they receive the appropriate therapy for their speech patterns and learn the correct tongue placement when speaking.  

For many problems with articulation in children, a speech-language pathologist may wait until the child is older and matures before targeting these problems in therapy. Giving the child the opportunity to develop their speech on their own as they grow and allowing the time for the oral motor muscles to strengthen is recommended. When it comes to a lisp in a child, however, most speech therapists recommend seeking supportive therapy for the child if the lisp persists beyond the age of 3. The earlier a lisp can be corrected in a child, the better the potential outcome. If the child’s lisp is ignored for too long, incorrect speech patterns and tongue placement become ingrained in the child’s brain functions and as a result, can be harder to correct. The sooner a child with a lisp can be seen by a speech and language pathologist, the better. Get your child started on the path to clearer speech by scheduling a free introductory call today! 

At What Age is a Lisp a Problem?

While speaking with a lisp is relatively common and developmentally normal for children as they learn and grow in their speech abilities if a child’s lisp persists beyond the age of three, speech therapy is recommended and if a lisp is present beyond the age of seven, this can be cause for some concern. Seeking the support and guidance of an experienced speech pathologist is an integral part of helping a child overcome a lisp, and the sooner they can begin therapy, the better the outcome. 

How is a Lisp Treated?

Thankfully, the majority of individuals who speak with a lisp can be treated with speech therapy and successfully eliminate their lisp over time. Speech therapy is the best resource when it comes to helping someone with a lisp, as its primary aim is to help the individual learn and master the correct production of the challenging speech sounds. Speech therapists are experts when it comes to helping people improve their speech and language skills, as well as identifying the underlying cause of the issue and the areas that are the most problematic. 

How Does Speech Therapy Help with a Lisp?

Working with a speech therapist to remediate a lisp usually involves a gradual progression of skill development, focusing first on clearly producing the challenging sounds on their own (S and Z for example.) From there, the speech therapist will work with the individual to incorporate these speech sounds into a variety of sound combinations, words, and combinations of words. Breaking this down into smaller, more manageable steps helps the individual to maintain focus and not become overwhelmed or discouraged. How long this process takes varies between individuals and depends on the severity of the lisp , the age of the individual, the underlying cause, and how frequently they may be receiving therapy. 

Speech therapy is highly goal-oriented and aims to bring awareness and encouragement to the areas that are most challenging to the individual, as well as facilitate mindfulness surrounding the related goals and ideal outcomes. Speech therapy for a lisp is often referred to as Articulation Therapy, and typically involves some specific strategies, exercises, and techniques that are specially selected by the therapist to target the area of difficulty. Each therapy plan is completely individualized and designed by the speech therapist to help the individual to reach their goals. This may include the use of visual, verbal, and tactile cues to appropriately model and illustrate how to correctly produce a certain sound, correct tongue placement, as well as how to properly incorporate that sound into other sound or word combinations. 

Some of the other techniques that are often included in speech therapy for lisping are muscle strengthening exercises, learning to effectively pronounce specific sounds and words, and a more general approach to enunciation and articulation coaching and guidance. 

If you or your loved one is struggling to identify or correct a lisp, connecting with a speech therapist is the most important, helpful, and effective first step. Eliminating a lisp not only means improving communication and clearer speech, but it also means boosted confidence and independence and better success in academic, professional, and social situations. Get started on your path to clearer speech by scheduling your free introductory call today! 

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What is a lisp and how does a speech therapist help?

by Jennifer Davis | Nov 8, 2021 | Speech , Speech Therapy | 0 comments

If your child has trouble pronouncing his ‘s’ and ‘z’, chances are that they have a lisp. Lisp is a speech impediment that develops during childhood and usually goes away on its own. 

What causes a lisp.

Most often a lisp is caused by the wrong tongue placement in the month. When that happens, the airflow to the inside of the mouth is obstructed. This causes the words and syllables to distort. Another reason your child has a lisp is because of tongue ties. 

In most cases, lisping is temporary and goes away on its own or with speech therapy. 

Types of Lisps

Understanding the type of lisp helps your speech therapist develop the right program. 

• Frontal Lisp 

The frontal lisp is produced when the tip of the tongue protrudes between the front teeth. This obstructs the airflow which causes the wrong pronunciation of the ‘s’ and ‘z’ sounds. A frontal lisp is the most common form of lisp. 

• Palatal Lisp 

A palatal lisp is produced when the child rolls their tongue too far back and touches the soft palate or the roof of the mouth. 

• Dental Lisp 

A dental lisp occurs when the child pushes their tongue against the front teeth. 

• Lateral Lisp 

A Lateral lisp is produced when the child is not correctly directly the ‘s’ sound out from the airway. Instead of going out in the center of the mouth, the sound is released around the sides of the tongue. 

How can a speech therapist help? 

Depending on the kind of lisp, your child’s speech therapist will most likely adopt the following techniques to correct it: 

Generate Awareness 

A lisp looks cute to many parents but can be an impediment as the child grows old. A child might not be able to correct a lisp on his own when he doesn’t realize the difference. Speech therapists will modulate the right and wrong pronunciation to help your child identify and correct the lisp. 

Tongue Placement 

Most lisps are caused by the incorrect placement of the tongue. Your child’s speech therapist will identify the kind of lisp and then direct your child towards the right tongue placement. 

Drink Through a Straw 

Drinking from a straw cannot cure a lisp, but it can help generate awareness of the tongue. When your child drinks through a straw, it helps keep the tongue pointed down naturally away from the front teeth and the palette. 

Practicing Words and Phrases 

Your child’s SLP will identify the words that your child has difficulty pronouncing. He will practice these words with the child. He will help your child practice words with these sounds with the initial (beginning), medial (middle), and final (end) sounds. 

Your SLP will also give you words to practice at home with the child. If he doesn’t, ask him to provide a list to practice. 

Once your child is able to pronounce individual words properly, the SLP will move towards phrases. 

Conversation 

After a few rounds of practice sessions with words and phrases, your child’s SLP will move towards proper conversations to see how you are faring when the flow of words and sentences. 

At this point, your child should be able to easily converse without any issues. 

If your child is having issues with their speech, book a free initial consultation with our speech therapists. Call (408) 337-2727 today to talk to our expert SLPs.

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Does My Child Need Speech Therapy for a Lisp?

• Calonda Henry
• November 10, 2020

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Ah….the cute and adorable toddler years that bring about the s-sounds and z-sounds produced with the tongue (often referred to as “baby-talk”). Most children will outgrow this production pattern as they get older, however it is not uncommon if they don’t. Once children begin to grow in sound developments continue to occur. As a result, an overall increased intelligibility should occur as well. By ages 4 and 5, for the most part, children have increased their overall intelligibility (ability to be understood by listeners) dramatically for both familiar and unfamiliar listeners. After age 4 and a half, if errors still exist with the mispronunciation of s-sounds and z-sounds it is not a bad idea to consult with a speech language pathologist to see if intervention for your child is needed.

So what is the formal meaning behind the word lisp anyways? A lisp is a speech sound disorder that involves the distortion of specific speech sounds based upon tongue placement. There are 4 different types of lisps: lateral, interdental, palatal, and dentalized

1) Interdental- this usually involves the tongue going in between top and bottom teeth (think placement of th- sound) when making s and z sounds; this one is very common for toddlers when they are beginning to speak early on

2) Lateral- air comes off the sides of the tongue; often referred to as sounding “wet” or “slushy”

3) Palatal- middle of tongue is touching the roof of mouth when making s and z sounds

4) Dentalized- tongue pushes up against front teeth when making s and z sounds

The most common developmental lisp is the interdental lisp (i.e. yeth for yes), which most parents report to hear earlier on those toddler years. On the other hand, it should be noted that lateral and palatal lisps are not developmental lisps and children who exhibit these characteristics should advise the professional guidance of a speech language pathologist as they may be less likely to “grow out of it”. Generally most Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) agree that early intervention is key to ensure this doesn’t become a long term habit. An SLP can make the best professional decision in terms of if your child is ready to learn placement and would benefit from therapy to correct the sounds. In terms of school based speech therapy some children will not qualify for services if the lisp does not interfere with their overall educational performance. With this in mind, your child may benefit from seeking private speech therapy services to address these errors earlier on.

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What is a lisp  .

If your child has a ‘lisp’ they may sound a bit different when they say the sound ‘s’. You can usually tell that your child is trying to say the sound ‘s’, but you may think it sounds ‘slushy’, ‘wet’, ‘hissy’, or more like a ‘th’ sound. Lisps happen when a child’s tongue is not in the typical position when they make the sound ‘s’. For example, their tongue might poke out further.  

Some families want help with their child’s lisp so they sound clearer. Other families and communities think that having a lisp is simply a different way of talking, and they accept the lisp as part of what makes their child unique.  

What causes a child to have a lisp?  

There is no known cause of a lisp. The following things have traditionally been linked to lisps, but there is no strong evidence:  

• The position or movement of the child’s jaw, teeth, and tongue.  
• Long term use of dummies or bottles.  
• For most children, they have simply learned to say a ‘s’ sound differently, and this has become a habit. Children are more likely to have a lisp if they have a close family member who has a lisp.  

My child has a lisp. Will they need speech and language therapy or will they just grow out of it?  

Some types of lisps are common when children first learn to talk. Lisps often disappear in time without therapy, usually by the age of four or five. Speech therapy may be helpful if your child’s lisp makes them difficult to understand, or if your child uses an unusual type of lisp. It can take a lot of energy and time for a child to change how they talk. Therapy works best when a child wants to work on their lisp and they can focus on therapy activities.    

If you are concerned about a lisp, it is best to contact a speech and language therapist. They will be able to assess what kind of lisp your child has, and they may provide some support to help your child say their sounds more clearly.  

We also have a free speech and language advice line , which is a confidential phone call with an experienced speech and language therapist. During the 30-minute call, you will be given the opportunity to talk through your concerns and questions regarding your child’s development. You can book your phone call here.  

My child has a lisp, what can I do to help?  

There are some things you can try at home to help your child with a lisp:  

• Focus on what your child says, rather than how they say it. Be positive and accepting of how they sound.  
• Model the right way to say a word when they make a mistake. For example, if your child says, ‘I want to wear the blue ‘thock’, you can say, ‘You want the blue ‘sock’. Don’t worry if they can’t say it back or copy you in the right way yet, they may not be ready.  
• If a dummy or bottle is being used, try to reduce this.  
• See our speech sound page for more ideas.

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Does my child need lisp speech therapy?

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Lisp speech therapy, also commonly known as articulation therapy, aims to improve a child’s production of specific speech sounds. Speech therapy for the /s/ sound can be beneficial for both children and adults who present a lisp. Let’s learn more about what a lisp is, and how to get rid of a lisp with the support of speech therapy.

What is a lisp?

A lisp is a functional speech disorder, with no known cause. Very often, people think of lisps as sticking their tongue out when trying to produce the /s/ or/z/ sounds. The articulation results in them sounding like the /th/ sound. This type of lisp is called frontal lisping.

3 Other different types of lisps and when to intervene

1. interdental lisping:.

The tongue rests on the front teeth and the airflow is directed forwards, producing a slightly muffled sound. This type of lisping is more about placement rather than a sound error. The /s/ sound will sound slightly different, but it is not a direct speech sound error; it is directly related more to how the articulators are placed.

2. Lateral Lisp :

This lisp is not part of normal development and therefore it should be addressed without thinking about age. This type of lisp causes the /s/ to sound like a /sh/ as there is air emission and a slushy sound that accompanies it. ‍

3. Palatal Lisp :

This lisp is also not part of normal development and therefore should be addressed without thinking about age. The mid-section of the tongue comes in contact with the soft palate, almost reaching a far back position required to produce the “y” sound”.

At what age is a lisp a problem?

A lisp should be addressed by 4.5 years of age. Taking into account the readiness of the child, the longer one waits, the longer the lisp (as with any speech sound error ) becomes harder to fix and more habitual. It is important to acknowledge that according to Caroline Bowen the age range for when lisping should be eliminated ranges from 3-7. As with any other phonological errors, age ranges can differ across different experts.

When should you look for lisp speech therapy? Here are 2 determining factors

• The status of the teeth. Teeth are crucial articulators for producing the /s/ and /z/ sounds. Don’t wait until they fall out! Additionally, dental attachments such as braces can intensify lisping, and many suggest waiting until dental work is completed.
• How significantly is the lisping affecting overall intelligibility ? If there is a significant impact, then this is a sign that intervention should begin.

Can a lisp be corrected with speech therapy?

Lisps are a form of speech sound disorder that is at the phonetic level. Either a child is producing the sound incorrectly due to how they learned to produce it or the child is making this error on their own. Regardless, with other speech sound errors, a child’s speech can be remediated using similar strategies that a speech and language therapist would use with any other speech sound errors.

Lisps can be worked on efficiently through many exercises that remind the child to keep the /s/ inside their mouth. Mirrors are important for practice as they serve as a visual for the tongue. Sometimes drawing a picture with the child of a snake and saying “keep the snake in the cage” is useful imagery combined with verbal cueing that is similarr to the mouth as a cage and the snake as the tongue. It is important to show the child the difference between the tongue being in and being out so that they can see what happens to their /s/ and /z/ sounds when they manipulate the tongue.

How do you fix a speech lisp?

A common strategy that is used by speech and language therapists is the butterfly technique. It entails the child saying the “ee” sound while pushing air out of the front of the mouth, rather than the sides. And slowly move in the articulators to produce the “s” sound. The edges of the tongue are acting like a butterfly’s wings (and the tongue is the butterfly), hence the term “butterfly technique.”

As with everything else being worked on, in speech therapy for lisp, daily practice with drills for producing the sound repetitively is key. Giving verbal and visual models, in isolation and at the word level and beyond is imperative for progress.

Lisp speech therapy references:

Lisping - When /s/ and /z/ are hard to say

‍ Exercises to Improve a Lateral Lisp

What is a lisp? | SpeechNet Speech Pathology

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Lateral Lisp: What Is It and How to Fix It

Have you ever wondered why your child can’t seem to get rid of that lateral lisp? It sounds as if they are saying “thush” instead of “this”. Lateral lisps can be so persistent and frustrating to correct. With proper intervention, your child should be able to reduce or eliminate their lateral lisp. If you want to know more about lateral lisps, what causes a lateral lisp, and how to help your child, read more:

What is a lateral lisp?

What causes a lateral lisp, who diagnoses and treats lateral lisps, how to tell if my child has lateralized s, how can i help my child reduce their lateral lisp, how to say /s/ the right way.

A lateral lisp occurs when a child produces the speech sounds /s/ and /z/ with airflow that goes out to the side of the mouth, instead of down the middle. This results in a “slushy” or wet-sounding speech production. Lateralized speech sounds are often more difficult for listeners to understand.

It can cause poor speech intelligibility which means people have a difficult time understanding what is being said. However, it is important to understand that lateralized sounds should be corrected. Why? Because if speech sounds are not corrected, they will likely persist into adolescence and adulthood.

Study shows that speech sound disorders are the most common type of childhood speech and language disorder. It is four times more common in boys than girls.

A lateral lisp can be caused by many things, including incorrect tongue placement, teeth that are not properly aligned, or mouth muscles that are too weak. Oftentimes, a combination of these factors contributes to a child developing a lateralized lisp.

For example, if a child has teeth that are not properly aligned, this can cause the tongue to be placed in an incorrect position. This then can lead to a lateral lisp. It is important to know what causes a lateral lisp because this will guide treatment.

Speech therapy can correct the lateral lisp

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the best professional to diagnose and treat a lateral or frontal lisp. After completing a comprehensive speech and language evaluation, the SLP will be able to develop a treatment plan that is specific to your child’s needs based on what causes a lateral lisp.

Lateralized lisp is easy for parents to detect since it produces the distinctive “slushy” sound. Listen closely to your child as he vocalizes noises or words containing the “s” and “z” sounds. If your youngster has articulation problems, see an SLP. Early treatment of a lateralized S might help him acquire correct speech patterns more easily.

Other signs that your child may have a lateral lisp include:

Tongue placement: You may notice that your child places his tongue between his teeth when producing the “s” and “z” sounds.

Teeth placement: You may also notice that your child’s teeth are not properly aligned. This can cause the tongue to be placed in an incorrect position, which then can lead to a lateral lisp.

Mouth muscles: If your child has weak mouth muscles, this can also contribute to a lateral lisp.

The most important thing you can do is to seek speech therapy intervention from a certified speech-language pathologist. Working with an SLP, your child will learn how to produce the /s/ and /z/ sounds correctly.

Speech-language pathologists are experts in helping children with speech sound disorders. If your child has a lateral lisp, don’t wait to seek help! The sooner you get started, the better.

The development of the sound /s/ is a process. Babies and young children typically start by making the sound /s/ with air coming out of the mouth. This is called an “air leak.”

As babies and young children develop, they learn to make the sound /s/ with the tongue tip in between the teeth. This is called interdental production. The next step is to produce the sound with the tongue tip behind the top teeth. This is called alveolar production. Finally, children learn to produce the sound with the tongue tip at the back of the teeth. This is called velar production.

Most children will go through all of these stages before they are able to produce the sound /s/ correctly. The speech sound /s/ can be difficult for some children to produce correctly. This is because the /s/ is a fricative. A fricative is a speech sound that is produced by narrowing the speech organs and then releasing air through the narrow opening. Coordinating all of the speech muscles to produce a fricative correctly can be difficult, especially for young children.

If your child is having difficulty producing the speech sound /s/, you may want to try these tips:

Have your child place their tongue tip behind their top teeth. You can practice this by using a lollipop or straw and put it behind the top teeth. This will help them get the tongue placement correct.

Once your child has the hang of placement, have them practice producing the speech sound /s/ while holding their tongue tip in place.

Keep the sides of their tongue up and touch the back molars.

Tell your child to direct the airflow out through the middle of their mouth. This is easier if you associate the sound with the sound of an animal, such as a snake for /s/ and a bee for /z/.

Remember, it takes time and practice for a child to learn how to produce speech sounds correctly. Be patient and encourage your child to keep trying!

Isolation, Initial, Medial, and Final /s/

Now that we’ve talked about how to produce the speech sound /s/, let’s talk about isolation, initial, medial, and final /s/. Learning a new sound, like /s/, can be tricky. That’s why it’s important to break it down into smaller pieces.

Isolation is when a speech sound is produced by itself, without any other sounds. For example, the word “sun” has three speech sounds: /s/, /u/, and /n/. To practice isolation, have your child say the /s/ sound by itself.

Initial is when a speech sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, the word “sun” has three speech sounds: /s/, /u/, and /n/. The speech sound /s/ is in the initial position.

Medial is when a speech sound is in the middle of a word. For example, the word “sun” has three speech sounds: /s/, /u/, and /n/. The speech sound /u/ is in the medial position.

Final is when a speech sound is at the end of a word. For example, the word “sun” has three speech sounds: /s/, /u/, and /n/. The speech sound /n/ is in the final position.

When you’re teaching your child a new speech sound, it’s important to practice all four positions: isolation, initial, medial, and final. This will help your child be able to use the sound correctly in any word or sentence.

Let’s Practice!

Now that we’ve talked about how to produce the speech sound /s/ and the different positions of /s/, it’s time to practice!

Here are some words that your child can practice:

Now it’s your turn! Try saying these words out loud with your child. Can they produce the speech sound /s/ in all four positions?

Fantastic! Your child is on their way to producing the speech sound /s/ correctly. Keep up the good work!

5 tips from a speech therapist on how to help your child at home:

There are different ways that you can help your child at home. Here are 5 tips from a speech therapist on how to help your child reduce their lateral lisp:

Model the correct way to say /s/ and /z/ sounds everyday. This means that you should say the sound correctly and have your child imitate you.

Make sure that your child is using a correct speech production when they say /s/ and /z/ sounds. This means that the airflow should be directed down the middle of their mouth, not out to the side.

Correct your child’s speech errors in a positive and encouraging way. This means that you should not criticize or make fun of your child’s speech.

Encourage your child to practice their /s/ and /z/ sounds often. This can be done by having them read aloud or play sound games such as “I Spy” with objects that start with “/s/ and /z/ sounds.

Be patient! It takes time and practice for a child to learn how to produce speech sounds correctly.

If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to helping your child reduce their lateral and frontal lisp. Remember, speech therapy intervention from a certified speech-language pathologist is the best way to help your child eliminate their speech sound disorder. At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my child outgrow a lateral lisp?

Most children do outgrow a lateral lisp, whether through speech therapy or naturally on their own. However, the 'wait and see' method is less common now, and earlier intervention is typically utilized as it has been shown to benefit children to begin speech therapy earlier. So whether or not a child will outgrow their lateral lisp simply depends on therapy, or whether or not they were going to naturally outgrow the lisp on their own.

What can I do to help my child with a lateral lisp?

How long does it take to fix a lateral lisp?

What are the risks of not fixing a lateral lisp?

Is there anything I can do to prevent a lateral lisp?

About the Author

Mikee Larrazabal

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist with 14 years of experience working with children and adults who have communication difficulties. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science at Cebu Doctors' University and have been helping people overcome their communication challenges ever since.

I have worked with individuals of different ages, including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, adults and seniors. I'm passionate about speech therapy and take great satisfaction in helping people overcome their communication challenges and improve their lives through better communication skills. In my spare time I like reading books, going hiking in nature and taking care of my dog Locas.

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InformedHealth.org [Internet].

In brief: what is speech therapy.

Created: August 12, 2020 ; Next update: 2024.

Speech therapy can help people who have difficulty speaking to communicate better and to break down the barriers that result from speech impediments. The goals of speech therapy include improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used in speech, and learning to speak correctly.

Speech therapy can be used for a lot of different speech problems and disorders, from smaller problems like a hoarse voice up to partial loss of speech due to brain damage. Depending on the type of disorder, other medical or psychological treatments may be used as well.

• What kinds of disorders can speech therapy treat?

Speech therapy can be used to treat language disorders, speech disorders and swallowing problems.

Language disorders

A childhood language disorder can affect the child’s ability to learn to speak, to name objects and build complete sentences. Although the causes of these disorders are often not clear, the main known risk factors include hearing problems , general developmental problems and disorders affecting the development of the brain.

Language disorders in adults are almost always the result of brain injury or disease. People who have had a stroke , for example, often have trouble forming sentences or remembering words. That type of disorder is called aphasia.

Speech disorders

People with speech disorders have difficulty producing the sounds of speech, saying words clearly or talking fluently.

Children often have trouble with pronunciation, and may have a lisp or swap certain sounds for others. Speech disorders may be the result of developmental disorders, but psychological factors might also play a role. Adults with neurological diseases sometimes have speech disorders too, often making it hard to understand them.

Another group of speech disorders, known as fluency disorders, involve problems with the flow or evenness of speech. People with this sort of disorder may stutter or “clutter,” for example. When people stutter, there are often silent pauses in their speech, or they repeat or lengthen certain sounds or syllables. Cluttering is abnormally fast speech that makes the pronunciation imprecise or leaves out sounds or parts of words.

Voice disorders (dysphonia)

A voice disorder is a persistent change in someone’s voice. They might sound hoarse, strained, raspy or nearly silent. Often the voice is somewhat weak – in other words, it cracks easily or the person is not able to speak loudly. Voice disorders may arise from speaking too much or too loudly, from using the wrong breathing technique, or from problems with the voice box (larynx) like vocal nodules . Psychological causes like depression or a reaction to a distressing event can change a person’s voice too.

Trouble swallowing

In people with swallowing problems, the movements of the muscles involved in swallowing are affected. This leads to problems transporting food through the mouth and throat. The cause is often a disease or disorder of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease , multiple sclerosis, dementia , an infection like Lyme disease or tetanus, or a head injury. If food gets into the lungs because of a swallowing disorder, it can lead to life-threatening complications.

What treatments are used in speech therapy?

There are various speech therapy techniques for each of the areas described above – the ones that are considered depend on the particular disorder. A long series of treatment sessions is typically needed, with each lasting 30 to 60 minutes. They may take place in a group or one-on-one.

The treatment approaches used in speech therapy include:

• Perception exercises, for example to differentiate between individual sounds and syllables
• Exercises to produce certain sounds and improve the fluency of speech
• Exercises to improve breathing, swallowing and the voice
• Help with communication using things like sign language, communication boards and computer-assisted speech
• Advice for people who need speech therapy, their parents and other loved ones
• Support in implementing these measures in everyday life

For the treatment to help over the long term, it’s often important to also regularly practice the techniques at home.

• Where is speech therapy offered?

Speech therapy is offered at the following facilities:

• Speech therapy practices
• Rehabilitative care centers
• Special needs schools
• Children's day care facilities specializing in speech therapy

Besides speech therapists, there are a number of other specialists who also use similar methods. These include breathing, speech and voice coaches.

• Do statutory health insurers cover the costs of speech therapy?

Note: The procedures and requirements for applying for and receiving speech therapy may vary according to your country. This information describes the current situation in Germany.

To have outpatient treatment at a speech therapy practice, you need a prescription from a doctor. An initial prescription will generally include up to 10 treatments, each typically lasting 30 to 60 minutes. Appointments are usually offered one to three times per week.

For the medical conditions listed above, prescribed speech therapy is often covered by statutory health insurers (apart from a fixed amount that you have to pay yourself, known as a copayment). The copayment does not have to be paid when getting a treatment that has been prescribed for children. If speech therapy is given as a part of rehabilitative care, an accident insurer or pension fund will cover the costs.

The copayment that you have to pay for yourself is 10 euros per prescription plus 10% of the treatment costs. If each treatment costs 55 euros, for example, for ten treatments you would have to pay 65 euros (the basic fee of 10 euros per prescription plus 10 x 5.50 euros).

Some speech therapists may offer certain treatments without a prescription. You then have to pay for all of the costs yourself. In Germany, these are known as individual health care services (individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen, or IGeL for short).

The German Federal Association of Speech Therapists (DBL) has a search function for speech therapists on their website (in German).

• Bode H, Schröder H, Waltersbacher A (Ed). Heilmittel-Report 2008. Ergotherapie, Logopädie, Physiotherapie: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Stuttgart: Schattauer; 2008.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachheilpädagogik (DGS). Ausbildung in der Sprachheilpädagogik .
• Deutscher Bundesverband für akademische Sprachtherapie und Logopädie (dbs). Der Verband [ dbs homepage ]. 2020.
• Deutscher Bundesverband für Logopädie (dbl). Logopädie . 2020.
• Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die Verordnung von Heilmitteln in der vertragsärztlichen Versorgung (Heilmittel-Richtlinie/HeilM-RL) . July 1, 2020.
• Verband der Ersatzkassen (vdek). Rahmenvertrag zwischen LOGO Deutschland und den Ersatzkassen über die Versorgung mit Leistungen der Stimm-, Sprech- und Sprachtherapie. Anlage 1: Leistungsbeschreibung . June 1, 2017.

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

• Cite this Page InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. In brief: What is speech therapy? 2020 Aug 12.

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