What is a lisp?
A lisp is a functional speech disorder affecting 'soft' sounds like s, z, sh, ch, j, zh (as in television).
The child has either:
a) Trouble making the sound, or
b) Has learned to say the sound incorrectly.
What would I hear or see?
You might see he tongue poking through the front teeth (inter-dental lisp) and hear a 'th' sound.
Or you might hear a 'slushy' unclear sound where the air is escaping sideways (lateral lisp).
When should I act?
It is normal for some children to have an inter-dental lisp, but they should have a nice clear 's' sound by around 4-4.5 years old. Is isn't normal to have a lateral 's'.
** Be mindful of missing front teeth**
Info sourced from:
Written by Lindsay Underwood, Paediatric Speech Pathologist
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