Speech Sound Disorders
If your child struggles to produce sounds correctly
Speech sound disorders mean sounds are not produced correctly or are used wrongly — saying 'tar' instead of 'car', for example. Work with speech and language therapist Cansu Tekin to support your child towards clear, confident speech.
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What Is a Speech Sound Disorder?
A speech sound disorder means a child cannot produce speech sounds as expected for their age, or uses them incorrectly, which can make their words hard to understand. Young children often struggle with certain sounds as they learn to talk, and that is part of typical development. But errors continuing past a certain age can signal a speech sound disorder.
Articulation Disorders
Difficulty physically producing sounds — omitting a sound, substituting one for another ('w' for 'r'), or distorting it.
Phonological Disorders
Difficulty learning the sound system and rules of the language despite being able to produce the sounds — consistently misusing particular groups of sounds, for example.
Note: Early intervention makes a marked difference in a child reaching school age with intelligible speech.
What Causes It?
The cause of most speech sound disorders is not precisely known, and they are developmental. In some cases hearing problems, differences in oral-facial structure or neurological factors play a part.
Developmental Factors
Most speech sound disorders have no clear cause and emerge within the natural course of language development. Targeted therapy can bring rapid progress in these cases.
Hearing-Related Factors
Frequent ear infections or hearing loss can affect how accurately a child hears sounds, and therefore how they produce them. A hearing assessment is recommended where needed.
Structural and Neurological Factors
Differences in oral-facial structure, or neurological conditions affecting the coordination of the speech muscles, can also make sounds harder to produce.
What Are the Signs?
Signs vary with the child's age and the type of disorder; what they share is speech being less intelligible than expected for the age.
- Sounds expected at their age still produced incorrectly
- Sounds omitted ('at' instead of 'cat')
- Sounds substituted ('w' for 'r')
- Sounds distorted or unclear
- Speech not understood by people outside the family
- The child struggling or holding back when speaking
When should you see a therapist?
How Does the Therapy Process Work?
The process runs through a thorough assessment, an individually tailored plan and regular play-based sessions. Therapy is built on the child's motivation, and the family is included throughout.
Get in touch
Assessment session
An individually tailored therapy plan
Play-based sessions + family training
Frequently Asked Questions
Take a Step Towards Clear Speech Today
If you have concerns about your child's speech sounds, get in touch and we will work out the right therapy model together.
Address
Marmara Bölgesi, 12. Sokak,
Başarhan Apt. No: 2, Nicosia
Contact
+90 533 834 31 96
merhaba@letssaymore.com
Opening hours
Monday–Saturday
09:00 – 18:00