Red Flags for Articulation
Anybody who has listened to children under 5 years old will know that their speech sounds are not produced correctly all the time. Actually, a typical developing child’s speech can be quite difficult to understand because his or her sound system is not yet organized like adult speech. Here is a rough “rule of thumb” for how well words can be understood by parents:
* By 18 months a child’s speech is normally 25% intelligible or understandable.
* By 24 months a child’s speech is normally 50-75% intelligible or understandable.
* By 36 months a child’s speech is normally 75-100% intelligible or understandable.
All children make predictable pronunciation errors when they are learning to speak. These are considered developmentally appropriate. Here are a few typical sound production errors:
S for sh “fis” for “fish”
W for l “wamp” for “lamp”
W for r “wed” for “red”
F for th “fink for “think”
D for th “dat” for “that”
B for v “bery” for “very”
Th for s “thun” for “sun”
Th for z “thoo” for “zoo”
The following are speech patterns that may indicate a speech sound disorder. The following are “Red Flag” sound substitutions:
T for s “tun” for “sun”
D for z “dipper” for “zipper”
T/d for sh/ch/j “dip” for “ship”, “tair” for “chair”
T for k “tup” for “cup”
D for g “do” for “go”
K for t “kalk” for “talk”
G for d “gog” for “dog”
K/g for ch/j “kair” for “chair”, “gump” for “jump”
Omissions of beginning, middle or ending sounds
Syllable reductions “pa” for “paper”
Other factors to consider include:
How difficult is the child to understand?
Is the child being teased or excluded by peers?
Is the child showing frustration when not understood?
Is the child hesitant to interact or respond?
If you have concerns or questions about your child’s speech development, contact a speech-language pathologist such as myself. Screenings and/or assessments are provided by Kenosha Unified Schools for children as young as 3 years old. For children younger than 3, you should discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician. I will be happy to provide you with contact information for your 3- to 5-year-old child or assist with any questions or concerns regarding your school-age child.
Janine Spaulding
Speech/Language Pathologist
McKinley Elementary
References:
Bowen, C, (1998). Developmental phonological disorders. A practical guide for families and teachers. Melbourne: ACER Press. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/acquisition.html on 1-19-09.
Lynch, J.I., Brookshire, B.L., & Fox, D.R. (1980). A Parent-Child Cleft Palate Curriculum: Developing Speech and Language. CC Publications, Oregon.
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