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Laura Stouffer, MA CCC-SLP

What is an Articulation/Phonological Disorder?

When children are learning how to talk, they often make speech errors which are normal. For example, many young children replace K sounds with T or replace R sounds with W. Sometimes, children do not grow out of those speech errors at the typical time. When these errors persist, parents notice that their child’s speech is not similar to the children around them. This can cause stress and anxiety for children due to their difficulty communicating with others. Children who present with delayed speech sounds are generally diagnosed with an articulation/phonological disorder by a licensed speech-language pathologist (speech therapist) following an evaluation.

When do children learn each sound?

Children will acquire different sounds according to a general timeline, though some children acquire sounds earlier. The American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) recently published a study¹ through ASHA Wire which compared multiple sources to provide clarity on age ranges during which each sound is acquired. The following timeline is based on this study, though not every child will follow this timeline exactly:

What does Speech Therapy Look Like at FYZICAL?

If you are concerned your child may have an articulation/phonological disorder, talk to your pediatrician about getting a referral for an evaluation with one of our expert therapists.  We can identify individual needs, goals, address potential social-emotional aspects and build effective communication skills.

1. Crowe, K., McLeod, S., & Disclosure: The authors have declared that no competing interests existed at the time of publication. Correspondence to Sharynne McLeod: [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer Editor: Mary K. (2019, December 21). Children's English consonant acquisition in the United States: A Review. ASHA Wire. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00168