One of the most common language and speech disorders we encounter in children is the pronunciation disorder, which is known as the inability to pronounce the letter or letters (for example, saying "teep" instead of "dog" and "bear" instead of bee). We see that it can continue into adulthood when it is not treated. Most of us have encountered individuals around us who cannot pronounce the sounds “/r/” or “/s/-/z/” (even though they are adults). We must have heard statements like "he speaks with a bit of a lisp". Moreover, we have witnessed that many public figures and well-known people cannot pronounce some sounds, and we have watched with admiration but thought it was very sympathetic.
Leave aside the fact that we realize how this speech disorder, which extends into adulthood, affects the person's life, especially children. We like it very much. We have heard many times about the lovely aunts and caring uncles who say to their parents, "But this mother speaks so sweetly." Because a child who says "tuppet" instead of "dog", "bear" instead of "bee", "tongs" instead of "table", gives too many materials for entertainment. Because when even a single letter causes confusion, funny situations may arise. No, my child, it's not a bear, it's a bee!!!
So, what are these articulation disorders?
Pronunciation is a process that is carried out by the regular and sequential movements of the organs we use while speaking. It is the ability to pronounce the speech sounds of a particular language correctly. The organs we use while speaking are; They are the organs located in the oral cavity that enable us to produce speech sounds, such as the soft palate, uvula, tongue, teeth, lips and jaw. Sounds are produced as a result of these organs completing the correct movements together, the structures taking the correct position, and the vocal tract opening or closing in different ways. Some of these sounds are vowels and some are consonants. For example, we must close our lips to say the /m/ sound. Try if you want, but you will not succeed. At this point, we will better explain what a pronunciation disorder is. Pronunciation problems occur when a person produces certain sounds incorrectly or cannot produce certain sounds as a result of some structural obstacles. For example, pronunciation problems are quite common in children born with cleft lip and palate.
It can be seen as a result of incorrect learning, regardless of any reason, or it can be caused by structural problems. If we summarize the reasons that may cause pronunciation problems: The main reasons include cleft lip-palate and oral-facial anomalies, orthodontic anomalies, hearing loss, mental disability, neurological disorders (cerebral palsy and other).
Well, the sounds we think are very cute in children are correct. How long can the inability to speak be tolerated? The sounds that the child can make are listed according to his age. The most important factor here is age. While it is normal for a 3-year-old child not to be able to say the "/r/" sound, which is acquired late, and at the age of 7, not being able to say the early acquired sounds /p/, /b/, /m/, which are included in the first words such as mama, suggests a delay.
Pronunciation disorder is not only the inability to say letters; different types of errors are also included in the pronunciation disorders. For example; such as using another sound instead of a sound (foot instead of car), adding a sound (train instead of train), skipping a sound (dog instead of dog), distortion (aat instead of clock).
Pronunciation among language and speech disorders. It is one of the most successful therapies among speech and language therapists. If your child's decision to start therapy is; It varies depending on age, other developmental characteristics, type and continuity of pronunciation errors. During the therapy process, the target voice is usually used as a model. Your new voice; The position of the patient is taught with auditory, visual and tactile clues, the target behavior related to the letter/sound that he cannot say is made aware, and it is reinforced with repetition exercises. This new learned sound is transferred to daily life.
While the phonological attempts of the child to find the correct sound (adding sounds, skipping sounds, distortion) by imitating adult speech until the age of 3 are considered normal, it gradually decreases and disappears by the age of 4. is expected. Otherwise, what should we do as parents? If he says "tepetet" instead of "dog"; It should be a model by repeating the correct word, and the child's incorrect productions while trying to find the correct sound should not be reinforced by being sympathetic.
How does this problem, which starts from childhood and extends into adulthood, affect a person's life? This problem experienced by the child in the developmental process is related to his/her self-perception. It not only affects the child's personality, but also causes him/her to become a laughing stock in his/her social circle, and even negatively affects his/her literacy success during school age. If it continues into adulthood, we may sometimes encounter a negative impact on a person's business life, private life, sometimes on a person's self-confidence, and sometimes on a person's psychology. With a very natural right; An individual with a lisp may want to choose an announcer, a teacher, or a speaking-based profession.
In light of all this information; It is not right to expect the pronunciation disorders of school-age children (which is correct to seek therapy beforehand) to improve spontaneously. Evaluation should be requested from a speech and language therapist.
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