What is dyslalia and when is it normal?
Sounds appear in a child’s speech gradually, from simple to complex. Vowels and labial consonants are mastered early, whistling ones usually by 4–5 years, hissing and “l” by 5 years, and the sound “r” appears in many children by 5–6 years. Therefore, replacing “r” with “l” in a three-year-old child is not considered a violation. Dyslalia is said to occur if, after 5 years, sounds are pronounced incorrectly or the distortion has become entrenched. Burr and lisp in adults are the same dyslalia, which can also be corrected.
- Rhotacism - violation of the sound "r"
- Lambdacism - violation of the sound "l"
- Sigmatism is a disorder of whistling and hissing sounds.
- Functional dyslalia - with normal structure of the speech organs
- Mechanical dyslalia - with structural defects
- Monomorphic and polymorphic - one or more groups of sounds suffer
Reasons
With functional dyslalia, the speech organs are structured normally, but the child has acquired articulation incorrectly. This happens when imitating the incorrect speech of adults or older children, “lisping” in the family, insufficient mobility of the tongue and lips, poor discrimination of similar sounds by ear. Mechanical dyslalia is associated with anatomical features: short frenulum of the tongue, malocclusion, absence or incorrect position of teeth, high narrow palate, massive tongue. Frequent ear infections at an early age make it difficult to hear sounds accurately. Prolonged use of a pacifier and thumb sucking can contribute to malocclusion.
- Imitating the incorrect speech of others
- Insufficient mobility of the tongue and lips
- Phonemic hearing disorder
- Short frenulum of the tongue
- Malocclusion and dental anomalies
- Frequent otitis media and hearing loss
- Long-term use of the pacifier
How it manifests itself
Sound impairment can look different. The child misses a sound (“yba” instead of “fish”), replaces it with another (“lyba”, “sapka” instead of “hat”), or pronounces it distortedly: a throaty “r”, an interdental or lateral pronunciation of “s” with a squelching tint. Substitutions in which the child does not distinguish sounds by ear later turn into errors in writing. With mechanical dyslalia, bite features or limited tongue elevation are often visible. Otherwise, the child’s speech is developed according to his age: vocabulary, grammar and understanding do not suffer.
- Skip sounds
- Replacing some sounds with others
- Distorted throaty "r"
- Interdental pronunciation of sibilants
- Side “squelching” sound
- The tongue does not rise well to the roof of the mouth
What examinations are needed
The speech therapist examines sound pronunciation in different positions - in syllables, words, phrases, evaluates the mobility of the tongue and lips, the structure of the organs of articulation and phonemic hearing. It is important to make sure that the child hears well: if in doubt, have your hearing checked by an ENT doctor or audiologist. An orthodontist evaluates the bite and position of the teeth and decides on the need for orthodontic treatment. If a speech therapist sees signs of erased dysarthria - general slurredness, drooling, awkward movements - the child is referred to a pediatric neurologist.
- Speech therapy examination
- Phonemic hearing test
- Examination by an ENT doctor, hearing test
- Examination by an orthodontist
- Tongue frenulum assessment
- Consultation with a pediatric neurologist according to indications
Correction
The correction takes place in several stages. First, the speech therapist, using articulation gymnastics, strengthens the muscles of the tongue and lips and develops phonemic hearing. Then he puts the correct sound, fixes it in syllables, words and phrases and teaches how to distinguish it from similar sounds. The duration of classes depends on the number of sounds disturbed and the regularity of home exercises: usually from several weeks to several months. If there is a short frenulum that interferes with the elevation of the tongue, the dentist or surgeon performs plastic surgery. Malocclusions are corrected by an orthodontist.
- Daily articulation exercises in front of the mirror
- Classes with a speech therapist 1–3 times a week
- Doing homework
- Don’t imitate or force someone to repeat it
- Talk to your child clearly and slowly
- Plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue for medical indications
- Orthodontic treatment of bite